The best-known culinary schools in Europe are in France (Le Cordon Bleu, FERRANDI Paris, Institut Lyfe near Lyon), Italy (ALMA near Parma), Spain (the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián) and Switzerland (the Culinary Arts Academy and the Swiss Culinary Academy by BHMS in Lucerne). Choose the country by the cuisine you want to master and by how much paid kitchen experience the programme includes.
Every school below publishes its own programmes; we've kept to facts from their websites, checked on 19 October 2026. We're one of the Swiss schools, and we say so where we come up.
Culinary schools in Europe at a glance
| Country | What you go there for | Schools people ask about |
|---|---|---|
| France | Classic French technique, pastry, fine dining | Le Cordon Bleu Paris, FERRANDI Paris, Institut Lyfe |
| Italy | Regional Italian cooking, pasta, Italian pastry | ALMA |
| Spain | Gastronomy as a university degree, innovation | Basque Culinary Center |
| Switzerland | Study plus paid internships in hotel and restaurant kitchens | Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, Swiss Culinary Academy by BHMS |
Culinary schools in France
France has a long tradition of formal kitchen training, and Paris has some of the biggest names. Le Cordon Bleu was founded in Paris in 1895 and is now a network of more than 35 institutes in 20 countries, with certificates, diplomas, bachelor's and master's degrees. FERRANDI Paris, created in 1920 and run by the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry, trains from vocational certificates up to master's level on six campuses in France. Near Lyon, Institut Lyfe (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse) is a management school for hospitality, food service, culinary arts and pastry, with a bachelor in international culinary arts management.
Culinary schools in Italy
ALMA, the International School of Italian Cuisine, sits in the Reggia di Colorno near Parma, in the region Italians call the Food Valley. Its best-known international courses are the Italian Culinary Program and the Italian Pastry Program, plus a programme dedicated to pasta. Italy is the choice if you want depth in one national cuisine and its regional variety.
Culinary schools in Spain
The Basque Culinary Center opened in Donostia-San Sebastián in 2011 and is linked to Mondragon Unibertsitatea. It offers a university Degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. Spain suits students who want gastronomy as an academic degree with a strong innovation angle.
Culinary schools in Switzerland
Two Swiss schools come up most often. The Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, part of Swiss Education Group, teaches in Le Bouveret and Brig, with one-year diplomas, bachelor's degrees in culinary arts and in pastry, bakery and chocolate arts, and a master's.
The Swiss Culinary Academy by BHMS is our school, in Lucerne. Its culinary ladder runs from the Diploma in Culinary Arts (Year 1) through the Higher Diploma to the BA in Culinary Arts, a dual degree with Robert Gordon University in the UK, plus an MSc in Culinary Entrepreneurship. Every programme year is six months in seven professional kitchens and six months of paid internship. Teaching is in English, with German or French classes every year. For the full picture, see our overview of culinary schools in Switzerland and the Lucerne programmes, or the parent school's own culinary arts overview on bhms.ch.
Which teaching language can you study in?
Many international programmes in Europe teach in English, but not all of them, and some national programmes run in the local language only. Check each programme page. In Switzerland, learning some German or French pays off in the kitchen: at BHMS a language class is part of every year, so you graduate with a second working language.
Are culinary internships in Europe paid?
It varies by country, school and employer. Switzerland is the clearest case: interns from recognised schools are entitled under the national hospitality labour agreement to a gross minimum of CHF 2'390 a month (2027 rate, about US$2,900), before board, lodging and social insurance. At BHMS that's six months of every programme year, and all three bachelor placements in Switzerland add up to more than CHF 43'000 gross. How the internships work.
How much does culinary school in Europe cost?
Prices aren't comparable at a glance: some schools quote tuition only, others include housing and meals. Always ask for the all-in figure per year. At BHMS each year has one fee that includes a shared room, meals, health insurance, visa administration, uniforms and knives:
| BHMS Lucerne, 2027 | All-inclusive fee | About, in US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Culinary Arts (Year 1) | CHF 40'200 | US$48,600 |
| Higher Diploma (Year 2) | CHF 41'200 | US$49,900 |
| BA in Culinary Arts (Year 3) | CHF 42'200 | US$51,100 |
| MSc in Culinary Entrepreneurship | CHF 41'700 | US$50,500 |
Converted at the October 2026 rate. For US schools next to these figures, read how much culinary school costs.
Studying in Europe from outside the EU
If you hold a US, Mexican or other non-EU passport, you'll need a student visa and residence permit for a full programme, and you can usually apply only after the school has accepted you. Leave several months between acceptance and your start date. At BHMS the visa and B-permit administration is included in the fee, and new students are met at Zurich Airport. If you're finishing high school in the US, this piece explains how entry works with a US diploma.
What this means for you
- Pick the cuisine first, then the country: French technique, Italian regional cooking, Spanish innovation, or a Swiss hotel-kitchen career.
- Check the qualification and who awards it, especially if you want a bachelor's degree.
- Count the paid months. A programme with paid placements changes your budget and your CV.
Comparing beyond Europe? See our list of well-known culinary schools in the world. Interested in pastry rather than cooking? That's a separate track, explained on pastrystudyabroad.com. Ready to look at Lucerne? Start your application.