Chef Courses After 12th: Culinary art or chef as a profession is packed with creativity and innovations. Chef courses are expertized courses offering training and knowledge based on food preparation, presentations, and cooking tactics and techniques. Culinary courses tend to open doors to a broader culinary industry. Interested candidates learn and are equipped with concepts of menu planning, food preparation, culinary techniques, planting and presentation, etc. that make them skilled and ready for their professional food related businesses. To answer why to pursue culinary courses, these courses nurture individuals in enhancing new skills and attain professional techniques that lead to career advancement and recognition. Graduates can open their own start up businesses like catering services and restaurants. In India, Chef courses are offered in median fees of INR 20,000 to INR 2.5 Lakhs. Students who are interested in going after these courses have to complete class 10+2 with relevant subject streams from a recognized educational board. Many universities conduct admissions based on merits and entrance exams such as CUET UG, NCHMCT JEE and many more. Culinary Academy of India, Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) among others are some of the best institutes in India.
Chef Courses After 12th Admission 2025
Admissions are currently ongoing for chef courses after 12th in many universities for the 2025 academic year. Students can apply for this course before 30th June 2025*. Admission in chef courses after completion of class 12 for an academic year 2025 can be done in various courses and specializations related to culinary arts. Students can go after degree, diploma and certificate course types according to their comfort. The provided courses can be pursued as full-time (regular), online, hybrid (distance) and part-time learnings. These courses generally cover aspects like event management, bakery and cooking, continental cooking, global cuisine and culture, food productions and many more.Â
Eligibility CriteriaÂ
- Students need to pass class 12th with minimum aggregate marks of 50%.
- The higher secondary education must have been done from an approved and recognized board of education such as IB, CBSE, ICSE and state boards etc.
- Candidates who have completed class 12th from any subject stream including arts, commerce and science are eligible to go after Culinary courses after 12th.
Entrance Exam
- Admission occurs based on merits earned in class 12th or equivalent and based on score gain in entrance examinations.
- There are several entrance tests for culinary arts and chef courses. These tests include MAH HM CET, CUET UG, NCHMCT JEE and other exams.
Application Process
The presenting application procedure is a reference for students to know main elements and key points to keep in mind while applying.
Step 1: Go to the official website of your desired university.
Step 2: Ensure that your qualifications match with eligibility criteria fixed by the university.
Step 3: Register yourself with the accurate and functional contact details and upload all the required documents according to provided instructions in the portal.
Step 4: The documents should be self attested and scanned by the applicants. Go through all the filled details and attachments.
Step 5: Make a payment of registration fees and save the reference number for future use.
Step 6: Pursue the entrance exam, if a particular university conducts any and try to get good marks in it.
Step 7: Chosen students will be called for further admission rounds such as personal interviews (PI), Micro presentation, Group Discussions (GD) and so on If university holds any.
Step 8: At last, shortlisted candidates have to pay the admission fee and course fee to book their seats in the college.
Degree Courses for Culinary Arts After 12th
There are various degree courses that can be pursued after 12th in culinary arts. These courses could be pursued as undergraduate degree courses. UG courses can be done in degrees like Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of science, Bachelor in Vocational studies etc.The average duration of these courses is from 3 to 4 years. The average course fee is around INR 20,000 to INR 2.5 Lakh.Â
Culinary arts offers several bachelor’s degree programs:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Culinary Arts
- Bachelor of Hotel Management
- Bachelor of science (B.Sc.) in Catering Science and Hotel ManagementÂ
- B.Sc. in Hospitality Management
- Bachelor in Vocational studies (BVoc) in Culinary Operations
- B.Voc in Bakery and Cookery
Diploma Courses In Culinary Arts After 12th
Chef courses are available in diploma courses as well. The diploma courses are known for their short durations and equipping students with specific and concise knowledge and skills in the domains of culinary arts. The general duration of diploma courses is from 1 to 2 years long. The average duration for these courses is around INR 30,000 to INR 2.5 Lakhs. To be eligible for these courses, candidates are required to complete class 12th with appreciating merits.The diploma courses provides various specializations in its course such as:
- Diploma in catering Technology
- Diploma in Hospitality Management
- Diploma in Culinary arts
- Diploma in Hotel Management
And many others.
Certificate Courses In Culinary Arts After 12th
Chef courses are accessible in certificate programs as well. The certificate courses after 12th for becoming a chef can be advantageous for many students as it covers several concepts and aspects of culinary arts, equipping them to career advancement. Certificate courses are known for being time-convenient, along with cost-effectiveness. These courses usually end in a few months. In India, certificate programs typically cost around INR 50,000 to INR 1 Lakh. Certificate courses offer various kinds of specializations which can be pursued by the students are as follows:
- Certificate in Bakery and Patisserie
- Certificate in Hobby Chef Program
- Certificate in Indian Cuisine
- Certificate in Global Gastronomy
- Craftsmanship Certificate in Food Production and PatisserieÂ
 Among others.
Fees Structure For Chef Courses After 12th
Every university and college is known for facilities, features and ranking. The fees structure of universities generally depends on the features and facilities like experienced faculty and many more.Â
Given below is a table representing a fees structure of chef or culinary arts studies.
Universities | Tuition Fees |
Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Aurangabad | INR 16 Lakh |
IHM Bangalore | INR 98,690 |
Indira Gandhi University of Open Learning (IGNOU) | INR 14,400 |
Andhra University | INR 2.8 Lakh |
SNDT College | INR 1.65 Lakh |
Gurugram University | INR 94,400 |
Shivaji University | INR 31,000 |
IHM Shimla | INR 27,500 to INR 35,150 |
Top University offering Chef Courses After 12thÂ
There are a large number of colleges and universities in India providing chef and culinary courses after completion of class 10+2. Among them are known for their top class facilities and strong curriculums.Â
Listed below are the top colleges and universities in India offering chef courses after 12th.
- Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Aurangabad
- IHM Bangalore
- IHM Chennai
- Punjabi University, Patiala
- Chandigarh University
- Lovely Professional University
- SOA University
- Symbiosis International, PuneÂ
- Gujarat University
- Shivaji University
- Culinary Academy of India
- Swami Vivekanand Subharti University
- ITM Institute of Hotel Management
- GNIHM Kolkata
And many others.
Career and Scope in Chef Courses After 12th
Pursuing chef courses after 12th can lead to various career opportunities in the food and hospitality industries. Chef courses can guide the scope and career in cruise lines, hotels, restaurants, as well as entrepreneurial ventures like opening a catering business and restaurant etc. These scopes offer world exposures and travelling with higher salaries. Given list will assist you with the career scopes and their expected incomes per annum.
Job Profiles | Average Salary |
Food Stylist | INR 3.5 LPA |
Chocolatier | INR 4.8 LPA |
Catering Officer | INR 4.1 LPA |
Catering Manager/ Supervisor | INR 7.3 LPA |
Executive Chef | INR 20 LPA |
Celebrity Chef | INR 15 LPA |
Patisserie Chef | INR 5 LPA |