Foodienomics

Economy Increases Culinary School Enrollment, Debt

Photo: iStockPhoto.com

Mixology classes are gaining in popularity in Boston, but a lesson at The Boston Shaker to No. 9 Park is a cheap night out compared to the costs incurred at culinary school.

One consequence of the recession is an uptick in enrollment at for-profit trade schools. Le Cordon Bleu schools had almost a third more students at the end of 2009 than they did in 2008. The tuition is about $41,000 for the entire program, and the school’s own job-placement results indicate that many graduates earn about $10 an hour. Former students of Portland’s Le Cordon Bleu program, known as Western Culinary Institute, are suing the school for fraud. Stick with studying the hard shake.

What’ll It Be? For Many, It’s Learning Mixology Tricks [Boston Herald]
In Hard Times, Lured Into Trade School and Debt [New York Times]

Economy Increases Culinary School Enrollment, Debt