GatewayGourmet Blog

It’s a big, wide world out there, and the opportunities for your culinary education are endless. While many career paths will take you to the big city, that’s not always the case with culinary school. Every town and city has their own recipes and flavors, and you can find inspiration and some top culinary schools in smaller cities as well as in the big cities. So, how do you know which environment is the right place for you?

You probably already know the dynamics of a big city. They tend to be bustling and are filled with people, culture, and things to do.  Being so large, however, it’s easy to feel like you’re lost in a crowd. Attending cooking school or baking school in a large city can really give you a diverse education and set you up for working in a city with tremendous opportunities. Some of the things you should think about if you plan to attend culinary college in a big city are:

• Lots of job opportunities after you graduate
• With so much variety in cuisine, it’s easier to specialize
• The variety of cuisines allows you to learn almost anything
• More culinary colleges in the area, so there are more graduates
• With so many professionals in the area, it’s harder to network

Smaller cities don’t have to be one-stoplight towns, however. While they may not have the range of cuisine that a larger city offers, they make up for it with in-depth experiences in regional flavors as well as with a closer-knit society of professionals to learn from and network with. If you are thinking about attending culinary arts school in a smaller town, here are some things you should consider:

• A smaller group of professionals can offer better mentoring
• Fewer cooking school graduates mean your skills are in demand
• More comprehensive experiences with regional cuisine
• Less opportunity to specialize in cuisine uncommon to the area

No matter which way you look at it, smaller cities and big cities each have plenty to offer an institute of culinary education graduate. Just take the time to decide what environment suits you best, as well as where you plan to take your career after culinary arts school. You’ll be able to figure out where the best place is for you to attend cooking school and begin your exciting career.