When people get good educations, the people around them usually benefit too. Sometimes you can feel it, but now Houstonians can taste it, with the local Culinary Institute LeNotretaking a top national ranking. The Houston campus was No. 3 on education review platform Niche's 2025 "Best Colleges for Culinary Arts in America" list, which included 131 schools in total.
Austin's Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts edged out the Houston school, snagging the No. 2 spot. The only other Texas college in the top 20 was the Texas State Technical College in Waco, which ranked No. 14 for its culinary program.
Students at the Culinary Institute LeNotre can choose from five main programs: three associates degrees in hospitality and restaurant management, culinary arts, and baking and pastry arts, as well as diplomas in the two culinary fields. Those with an interested in healthy eating can learn how to prepare meals designed to suit people with conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Niche's in-depth ratings are coveted in more general arenas, like public universities, where the University of Texas scored in the top 10 for 2025. The more niche disciplines (ironic, yes) are a bit broader in their grading, but what's important is how they stack up relative to each other.
The Culinary Institute LeNotre received a strong A rating in safety as well as a B-plus for campus and student life. Its C-plus in diversity refers not just to racial diversity, but also students from other countries, out of state, from different economic backgrounds, and more. The student life category encompasses basically any aspect of attending the school, including parties and the surrounding area.
The academics and location categories both eked out a C-plus, which isn't bad looking at the other schools on the list.
While the value gets a dismal D-plus, the professors earn a strong B rating. That grade reflects student surveys, which are the highest weighted factor, along with salaries, the student-to-faculty ratio, and awards received by full-time faculty, among others.
The top 10 Best Colleges for Culinary Arts in America, according to Niche, are:
- No. 1: Escoffier School of Culinary Arts — Boulder
- No. 2: Escoffier School of Culinary Arts — Austin
- No. 3: Culinary Institute Lenotre (Houston)
- No. 4: Walnut Hill College (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- No. 5: Johnson & Wales University — Charlotte
- No. 6: White Mountains Community College (Berlin, New Hampshire)
- No. 7: Johnson & Wales University — Providence
- No. 8: Helms College (Augusta, Georgia)
- No. 9: Monroe College — Bronx, New Rochelle
- No. 10: Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, New York)
The full list of 131 culinary programs is ranked at niche.com. More information on the Escoffier School is available at escoffier.edu.