What Are The Admission Requirements for Culinary School?

Charlie Ruffolo • September 20, 2017

Prerequisites are a part of life. You have to crawl before you can walk. Tee ball turns to baseball. Middle school leads to high school, and so on. When the time comes to pursue the education that will give you the knowledge and tools to create a successful professional career, there are some things that you’ll needed to have done, or need to do to take that next step. After high school, common requirements for college admission include a specific GPA and standardized test scores. But what are the admission requirements for culinary school?


At the Louisiana Culinary Institute, three different curricula are offered. The Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies in Advanced Culinary Arts with a Savory Concentration, the Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies in Advanced Culinary Arts with a Baking & Pastry Concentration, and the Associate’s Degree in Occupational Studies in Hospitality and Culinary Management programs all have the same requirements for admission. Those requirements are:

 

  • Proof of high school graduation or the equivalent.
  • Acceptable forms of proof include: a high school diploma, official high school transcripts, GED, HISET, high school equivalency documentation, or an acceptable home school certificate.
  • Complete the Louisiana Culinary Institute application, and pay the non-refundable $25 application fee.
  • Provide 3 references that can attest to your professional character.
  • Complete a short essay (500 words) that explains your desire to obtain a degree in culinary arts.
  • Complete the Louisiana Culinary Institute developed culinary math test.
  • Successfully complete the Wonderlic math & English exams. *This is only required for applicants that do not have official college transcripts showing credit with a grade of ‘C’ or higher in a college level math or English course.
  • Complete an interview with the Louisiana Culinary Institute’s Admission Panel.
  • Provide proof of citizenship.
  • Two forms of identification are required.
  • One form must be a photo ID.
  • Other acceptable forms include: a birth certificate, driver’s license, social security card, passport, etc.

 

Once these documents are submitted and the other criteria are met, upon acceptance into your program, there will be a $75 registration fee. If you have a passion to learn and create within the world of culinary arts, these premier programs prepare you to have professional success. By meeting the admission requirements listed above, you could be ready to launch your career in 16 short months.

 

APPLY TO LCI
By Charlie Ruffolo March 25, 2026
Some people know from childhood exactly where they're headed. Ben Messina took a different route. He started college as a music major, took a gap year to find his footing, and leaned on his brother's encouragement before landing exactly where he was always meant to be: a professional kitchen . Now a senior in the Savory program at Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI) in Baton Rouge, Ben is weeks away from graduating in May 2026. He arrived at LCI with a love of cooking and a family connection to food. He's leaving with a world-class culinary foundation, a mentor who pushed him to be his best, and a dream of opening multiple restaurants of his own one day. His story is proof that the path to a culinary career doesn't have to be a straight line. Is It Too Late to Change Careers and Go to Culinary School? For Ben, food has always been part of the family fabric. Growing up in Baton Rouge, he spent time in the kitchen with his grandmother, learning to make snickerdoodles as a kid. Those early memories planted a seed. But Ben initially followed a different passion. He'd played trumpet and piano since a young age, so he enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana University to study music. It wasn't long before the questions started creeping in: "What am I actually going to do with a music degree?" He took a gap year to figure it out. And the answer, when it came, was simple: go back to his other love. Cooking. His brother, who owns a food truck, had been encouraging him to consider culinary school. More specifically, he encouraged Ben to look at LCI. And then, without warning, he signed him up for a campus tour. 
culinary leadership skills
By Charlie Ruffolo February 26, 2026
Being a great cook isn’t enough. Explore how LCI develops culinary leadership skills that prepare students for real-world kitchen management and career growth.
More Posts