As the largest program of its kind in the country, George Brown offers an equally diverse range of certificate, diploma, degree, and postgraduate programs. Among this school’s strengths are its location in the heart of downtown Toronto, near some of the best restaurants and hotels in the country, and a long list of accomplished alumni including Mark McKewan, Jamie Kennedy, and Roger Mooking.

Despite a below-average graduation rate, and a job placement rate of 71 per cent, which is lower than many other leading programs in Canada, George Brown Chef School students and employers rave about the school, catapulting it to a coveted top spot in our rankings.

A $7 million renovation to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology’s facilities added a charcuterie lab and a gourmet marketplace, along with a host of other shiny upgrades to the school’s downtown Calgary Culinary Campus. In addition to many opportunities to practice hands-on at school-run restaurants, SAIT students enjoy international study tours to destinations like France, Italy, and Thailand, and professional paid internships between semesters.

SAIT bills its Culinary Arts program as the nation’s best, a claim that is supported by an impressive 96 per cent graduation rate, a 94 per cent job placement rate, and accolades like the gold medal earned at the 2022 WorldSkills competition in Lucerne, Switzerland by recent graduate Korae Nottveit.

Conveniently located in Vancouver’s trendy Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, this small-but-mighty school is designed to be the antithesis of many traditional culinary programs. Founded in 2004, it is proudly chef-owned and boasts small class sizes, competitive tuition rates, and teaching kitchens designed to foster collaboration among students. Northwest Culinary Academy graduates can be found leading high-profile kitchens throughout Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest, as well as in international dining destinations from Brooklyn to Paris.

Founded in 1969, this college on Prince Edward Island has a relatively small total full-time student body of 2,500, but its culinary programs are nonetheless regarded as some of the best in the nation. For students who don’t mind being outside of a major city, Prince Edward Island’s rural location is rich in both natural beauty and culinary potential, with internationally celebrated dairy producers, beef farms, seafood fisheries, and, of course, potatoes. CIC’s job placement rate for graduates is relatively low 73 per cent.

Located at the School of Hospitality and Tourism in the Nepean district of Ottawa, Algonquin’s culinary programs deliver a solid foundation that prepares students for a wide range of culinary careers that go well beyond the restaurant kitchen. To prepare for the fast-paced world of hospitality, for example, evening and weekend classes for Culinary Management students are often held in Restaurant International, Algonquin College’s on-campus fine-dining restaurant, and students complete industry-related certifications like Sanitation and Safety, Respectful Workplace, and Smart Serve as part of their studies. Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism has a graduation rate of approximately 84 per cent, with 77 per cent of graduating students finding job placements in their field, and recent graduates earning an average of $33,531.

While the small town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, may be much quieter than nearby Toronto, this college’s location in the heart of one of Canada’s premiere agricultural, wine, and culinary regions gives students a rare opportunity to learn about every stage of food production from farm to table. The location of Niagara College’s School of Culinary Arts on the 125-acre Daniel J. Patterson campus also gives students access to unique facilities like a teaching brewery and distillery, a greenhouse, bee hives, and a 40-acre vineyard. Niagara College also emphasizes the importance of giving back through an integrated Feed the Community program, fundraising pop-ups, and other community engagement initiatives. Niagara College’s graduation rate is below average at 66.5 per cent.

This Toronto-area college offers full-time diploma and certificate programs in a range of culinary disciplines, all of which are geared toward giving students the skills they need to succeed in real-world professional kitchens. Humber College promises nine modern culinary and baking labs, experienced faculty, a diverse student body, and opportunities to work hands-on, both on campus and abroad, among many other reasons to choose one of their culinary programs.

From The Emerging Trends course, which provides students with an opportunity to work alongside local guest chefs to the Kraft Heinz Iron Chef Competition to preparing meals for the public at upscale The Humber Room restaurant, students have ample opportunities to hone their craft in a fun and supportive environment. Humber College’s 70 per cent graduation rate and 82 per cent job placement rate are among the strongest in the province.

One of the leading providers of culinary and hospitality education in Canada is Conestoga’s School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts. The school offers a variety of programs that match the current demands of the tourism sector, from apprenticeships and certificates to diplomas and graduate certificates.

Conestoga College is the only Canadian college with a membership to the Alliance by Institut Paul Bocuse in France. The Alliance is a leading global educator in the profession of culinary arts management, hospitality, and food service.

Conestoga caters to different interests and goals of students who want to pursue culinary arts or hospitality management. The graduates of the culinary school are equipped with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen fields and to adapt to the changing hospitality industry.

Conestoga College boasts an 86 per cent job placement rate and a student satisfaction rating of 79 per cent.

Formerly known as Red River College, Manitoba’s largest institute of applied learning and research has a renewed focus on strategic workforce development to prepare students for today’s labour market, and a stated commitment to truth and reconciliation. The Paterson GlobalFoods Institute meets this goal with a state-of-the-art cooking lab, and a student-run fine-dining restaurant, and reports an impressive 98 per cent job placement rate with an average reported salary of $30,754 for graduates.

When the Michelin Guide announced its expansion to Vancouver, the chef-owned Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICAchef) was the venue for the announcement event – a distinction that says a lot about this institution’s profile in the culinary scene, both in Vancouver and internationally. PICAchef bills itself as the best culinary school in Vancouver, which would put it high in the running as the best in Western Canada, and it supports this claim with a long list of accomplished alumni leading top-rated kitchens around the world.

PICAchef promises small class sizes, flexible schedules, personalized instruction and hands-on training in eight professional kitchens, as well as a prime location near Vancouver’s Granville Island Market.

NAIT’s Edmonton campus is home to the state-of-the-art Hokanson Centre for Culinary Arts and classes here start early in the morning to reflect the real-life working conditions for professional chefs. Culinary Arts labs at NAIT are equipped with high-tech equipment like cameras that transmit live audio and video of the food preparation process to students via large flatscreen TVs, and computer-controlled Rational ovens, among other top-of-the-line equipment. NAIT’s job placement rate is 80 per cent, with an average reported salary of $33,592 for recent graduates.

Located in the heart of Montreal, which is home to some of the best restaurants and hotels in the country, the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) provides students with a full spectrum of hospitality programs, including hands-on experience at the school’s 4-star teaching hotel and two teaching restaurants. Despite its big-city location, ITHQ promises a small-school feel and a personalized education. Most of ITHQ’s programs are taught in French.

Since 1983, Stratford’s chef school has been building a reputation as one of the best places in Canada to learn the craft of cooking. This not-for-profit institution counts many successful Canadian chefs among its graduates and can be credited for helping to elevate Canada’s culinary scene over the last 40 years. Stratford Chefs School emphasizes hands-on experiences, small classes, and a collaborative, experiential approach to learning through a combination of practical and theoretical courses that expose students to all aspects of cuisine.

Located just outside Toronto in Mississauga, this small culinary school prides itself on small class sizes, individualized learning, and affordability. With four diploma programs of varying intensity for chefs, plus a Culinary Management diploma for aspiring front-of-house staff, the Culinary Arts School of Ontario offers students all of the essential skills they will need to work in a professional kitchen.

Vancouver’s oldest community college has been offering high-quality programs since 1965, and prides itself on a culturally diverse student body of over 13,000, and the largest culinary arts program in Western Canada. VCC’s programs are developed with an emphasis on active participation, with a mix of demonstration, group discussion, and hands-on practice in teaching kitchens and food service outlets. VCC reports a 90 per cent job placement rate and an average salary of $37,440 for recent graduates.