Top 10 Culinary Arts Colleges in India: Popular Courses & Fees
Choosing the right college for cooking is kinda tricky because there’s like so many schools all over India offering chef courses and culinary programs. You look online and everyone saying they are the best, so brain gets confused. We get that feeling too. So we actually looked around, checked reviews, saw student feedback and all that. And now, we are just sharing a list of 10 Top Culinary Colleges in India.
Top 10 Culinary Arts Colleges in India
So you thinking to get into Culinary Arts? Nice choice honestly. Cooking is not just chopping and frying, it’s like creativity but also a job you can actually enjoy. But before you jump inside a kitchen with knives and all, it’s better to find a good place to learn. There are many culinary schools in India, some big names and some small institutes too, and it can get little confusing which one to trust. I know the feeling, it gets messy in head. So I did a bit of searching here and there, read reviews, saw what students say, that type of thing. And now I’m just telling in a normal chill way, like how I would talk to my friend sitting next to me. No fancy language, alright?
Here is a small list of top culinary colleges in India you can look at and decide from your side:
| Institute |
Location |
Affiliation/Backing |
Key Focus/Highlight |
Popular Courses Mentioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Academy of India (CAI) |
Hyderabad |
Osmania University |
Strong focus on cruise line jobs; Has 7 different kitchens, including a mock cruise ship kitchen. |
BA in Culinary Arts, PG Diploma in Culinary Arts |
| IHM Pusa |
Delhi |
NCHMCT |
Consistently top-ranked in hotel management; Excellent Food Production program; Experienced chefs. |
BSc. in Hospitality + Culinary Specialisation |
| IHM Mumbai |
Mumbai |
NCHMCT |
Great reputation; Location provides high exposure to real hotel kitchens and industry professionals. |
BSc. in Hospitality, Craftsmanship Course in Food Production |
| WGSHA Manipal |
Manipal |
ITC Hotels, Manipal University |
Emphasis on practical kitchen training from the first year; Internships in 5-star kitchens across India. |
BA in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management Program (BHM) |
| IICA |
Delhi |
City & Guilds UK |
Independent school with an international feel; Modern kitchens; Hosts international food weeks. |
Pro Chef Diplomas, Bakery & Pastry Diploma |
| Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts |
Pune |
Symbiosis International |
Focus on culinary entrepreneurship (building restaurants/cloud kitchens); Newer school making waves. |
BSc. in Culinary Arts, BSc. in Hospitality & Culinary Management |
| Academy of Pastry Arts |
Gurgaon |
Independent/Specialized |
Specialized in baking and pastry arts (macarons, chocolate sculptures); Features guest classes by European/Malaysian pastry chefs. |
Professional Pastry Chef Diploma, Advanced Bakery Program |
| Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) |
Gurgaon |
École Ducasse (France) |
State-of-the-art kitchens; High-end international exposure due to French partnership. |
BA (Hons) Culinary Arts, Short Professional Diplomas |
| Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development (OCLD) |
Delhi NCR |
Oberoi Hotels |
Highly competitive and exclusive; Students are trained from scratch and often guaranteed placement with the Oberoi chain. |
Kitchen Operations Management Program |
| Amrapali Institute of Hotel Management |
Haldwani |
Independent |
Good value-for-money option in North India; Provides solid kitchen experience and decent placements. |
BSc. in Hotel Admin, Short-Term Cooking Skills Programs |
Important Points While Choosing Culinary Institute
Not all schools are equal—check if faculty have worked in real hotels or just taught in classrooms.
- Visit college if you can, especially kitchen labs.
- Ask about placements. Some places talk big but don’t place you anywhere.
- Think about what you want: pastry, Indian cuisine, global gourmet, etc. Different schools focus on diff things.
Going into culinary arts is exciting, but it’s hard work. You will be on your feet a lot and you need to love what you do. If that sounds like your vibe, then pick a good school, practice daily, and learn from every mistake you make—burnt cake included.
Porishmita Paul holds an MSc in Anthropology from Gauhati University and has over 2 years of experience in content writing. She has been handling content for Hospitality & Humanities at Shiksha for a long time. She
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