We are located in the heart of the city, 5 minutes from downtown in the diverse Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington - one of the nation's top restaurant and hospitality markets.

Campus Address:
Seattle Central Community College,
Seattle Culinary Academy
1701 Broadway 2BE 2120
Seattle, WA 98122

Map to the Seattle Culinary Academy

Contact Information

Because of our excellent local reputation, students are heavily recruited by local restaurants, hotels and catering operations even while they're attending classes. In fact, most students have already secured a job before finishing the program, which is scheduled to allow students time for evening part- or full-time work. We post numerous new job openings each month in our division office, and in recent graduate surveys, our placement rate was consistently in the ninety percentile.

There are several things that make our programs unique. In addition to SCA leading the way in teaching sustainability, our CA program combines the fundamentals of classic cuisine with current industry trends and a variety of international cuisines. This gives our graduates skills using ingredients and cooking techniques from all over the world. Our Specialty Desserts & Breads program not only offers a comprehensive course of study in all aspects of fine pastry and desserts, but also extensively covers artisan and rustic breads. These features give our graduates a strong foundation and well rounded set of skills that will help them advance quickly in their careers.

Another outstanding feature of our programs is our "Chef of the Day" final projects. These projects give students the unique opportunity to apply all of the skills that they have learned throughout the program in a realistic working environment

Lastly, since our funding at the community college is subsidized by the state, the tuition paid by students covers only a fraction of our costs. We don't have a big marketing budget and are not required to run a profit like a private institution. These factors enable us to provide an excellent culinary education at a much more affordable price.

Students that qualify for financial aid can apply it towards the CA and SD&B programs. Please contact the Financial Aid Department for additional details. Seattle Central also offers a variety of scholarships that can supplement tuition and other expenses associated with our programs. For additional information please contact the Career Information Center.

Yes, during the quarter, we offer an informational tour most Thursdays at 10:00am in room 2BE2120. For specific dates or to reserve a spot, please contact our office at (206) 934-5424.

Students completing our certificate program have the option to attain an Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) by completing 16 additional credits in the following areas: A minimum of four credits of general education electives such as humanities, social science or natural science; and twelve credits of allied support electives such as computer science, business, CUL 299, BAK 299 or college transfer credits from a previous college or university. If you have additional questions about which classes qualify please contact our department counselor Fran Kato at fkato@sccd.ctc.edu or by phone at 587-5408.

The Culinary Arts and Specialty Desserts and Breads programs both accept new students fall, winter, and spring quarters, based on space availability and eligibility. The Culinary Arts certificate program is six quarters in length and the Specialty Desserts and Breads certificate program is five quarters in length. Both programs are full-time programs with classes four days a week.

For more detailed information, visit the Entrance Requirements page for Culinary Arts.

No. However, Capitol Hill is an apartment-dense neighborhood, with plenty of housing nearby. You may wish to check the rental listings of the Seattle Times or craigslist for more information.

No! Except some students complete the English, math and psychology classes required by the Culinary Arts and Specialty Desserts & Breads programs before they actually begin the program, the remaining classes still constitute a full-time program and are offered during the day only. (See our Culinary Arts course list and Specialty Desserts & Breads course list for details.)

If you successfully completed a college-level math class, you should not have to take the math placement test. However, if your bachelor’s degree did not require completion of a college-level math class, then you will need to take the math placement test.

Seattle Central through its Basic and Transitional Studies Division offers Adult Basic Education (ABE) math classes where students can work on improving their math skills. After completing ABE math, students can re-test.

Because Culinary Arts , baking, and pastry programs differ widely, the department doesn't accept "transfer" of courses from other colleges. (Academic courses, such as English or math, will be accepted.)

Please contact the International Programs division for information about applying to Seattle Central as an international student. You must be accepted first by the college as an international student; then, you must be accepted by the individual program. Please note that admission requirements are different for the culinary/pastry programs.

English and math courses from your home country may or may not satisfy our admission requirements. You can discuss this with the counselor:

Most international students are required to take placement tests in English and math. If you are admitted to the college but do not score high enough on your placement tests to enter the program, you may need to take additional courses before you can begin the program. International students pay the non-resident tuition rate (link to program costs) for all courses.

The division offers both a Certificate of Completion and an AAS degree (requires additional coursework) in Culinary Arts and Specialty Desserts & Breads. These credits will not transfer to a college/university. However, you may elect to extend your time at Seattle Central and complete a transferable AA degree. You can expect approximately 5 additional quarters of coursework. Please notify the counselor of your decision before beginning the program.

ACF accreditation assures you that our program is monitored and meets rigorous and comprehensive standards of culinary excellence. Earning a certificate or degree from a culinary program certified by the ACFEI provides 25 points toward your personal ACF certification. ACF certification is the only comprehensive certification program for chefs in the US. For more information about ACF accredited programs, visit the ACF at http://www.acfchefs.org/accr.html