Massachusetts baking students can choose between public community college programs and private, noncredit pastry schools. Four community colleges offer for-credit baking and pastry credentials, from 26- to 29-credit certificates in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, and Haverhill to a 60-credit associate degree at Bristol Community College.
In Boston and Cambridge, two noncredit programs offer intensive pastry training on a fixed schedule: Boston University’s 14-week Professional Pastry Arts Program and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts’ 16-week and 37-week pastry programs. These cost more and are not eligible for federal financial aid, but they concentrate hands-on training into a shorter period.
Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Programs, Credits and Estimated Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Boston University | Boston | Professional Pastry Arts Program: noncredit, 14 weeks (8 graduate credits optional) – $15,200 |
| Bristol Community College | Fall River | Culinary Arts – Baking and Pastry AAS: 60 credits – about $15,388 Baking and Pastry Certificate: 27 credits – about $6,932 |
| Bunker Hill Community College | Boston (Charlestown) | Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate: 29 credits – about $7,801 |
| Cambridge School of Culinary Arts | Cambridge | Professional Pastry Program (Pastry Chef’s Diploma): noncredit, 37 weeks – about $32,015 Certificate Pastry Program (Pastry Certificate): noncredit, 16 weeks – about $16,640 |
| Massasoit Community College | Brockton | Pastry Certificate: 26 credits – about $6,058 |
| Northern Essex Community College | Haverhill | Baking and Pastry Certificate: 28 credits – about $7,924 |
Community college estimates use each college’s published 2026–27 resident tuition and mandatory fees. Out-of-state and New England regional rates appear in each profile. Boston University and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts publish flat program prices; Cambridge’s totals include its equipment, materials, and application fees. Other figures exclude uniforms, knife kits, textbooks, course lab fees, housing, and transportation.
Which Massachusetts Baking Program May Fit You?
Earn a For-Credit Certificate at a Public College
Bunker Hill, Bristol, Massasoit, and Northern Essex each offer a baking or pastry certificate of 26 to 29 credits, typically over two semesters.
Earn a Baking and Pastry Associate Degree
Bristol Community College‘s 60-credit Culinary Arts AAS with a Baking and Pastry concentration is the only baking-focused associate degree on this page.
Include a Required Internship
Northern Essex and Bristol both build an internship into their baking programs.
Train Intensively for One Semester
Boston University‘s noncredit Professional Pastry Arts Program runs 14 weeks of daytime classes each spring.
Complete a Full-Year Professional Pastry Diploma
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts‘ 37-week Professional Pastry Program leads to a Pastry Chef’s Diploma.
Use Federal Financial Aid
Bristol Community College lists its baking certificate as financial aid eligible; the noncredit programs are not.
Certificate, Degree, or Noncredit Program?
Community College Certificates
Massachusetts community college baking certificates require 26 to 29 credits and usually take two semesters. They are the least expensive route for residents, and their courses can often count toward a culinary associate degree later. Aid eligibility varies: Bristol lists its certificate as aid eligible, while Massasoit’s catalog lists its Pastry Certificate as not eligible.
Associate Degree
Bristol’s 60-credit Culinary Arts AAS with a Baking and Pastry concentration adds general education, advanced cake and chocolate work, plated desserts, and a capstone to the certificate coursework. Students at other colleges can continue into a Culinary Arts associate degree that includes some baking courses.
Noncredit Pastry Programs
Boston University and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts offer noncredit programs with fixed cohorts and intensive schedules. They do not award college credit by default, although BU students can choose to take its program for 8 graduate credits. Neither program is eligible for federal financial aid in its noncredit form.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Massachusetts community colleges charge low per-credit tuition but much larger per-credit college fees, so the combined resident cost runs about $233 to $269 per credit at the colleges on this page. Bunker Hill and Northern Essex also publish a lower New England Regional Student Program rate for residents of other New England states. Eligible Massachusetts residents may also qualify for MassEducate or MassReconnect, which can cover community college tuition and fees in approved programs, so students should check with each college’s financial aid office.
Baking students should also budget for:
- Course and lab fees for baking courses, which some colleges charge but do not publish in advance
- Chef uniforms and nonslip shoes
- Knife, pastry, or decorating kits
- Textbooks and course materials
- ServSafe or food protection manager exam fees
- Transportation, housing, and living expenses
Programs No Longer Listed
North Shore Community College has discontinued its Baking and Pastry Certificate, and Northern Essex took over the region’s culinary programs. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Cambridge closed in 2017, and Newbury College in Brookline closed in 2019. Several other Massachusetts community colleges, including Holyoke, Middlesex, Quinsigamond, Berkshire, and Cape Cod, offer culinary arts programs with baking courses but no baking-specific credential.
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Is the certificate eligible for federal aid or state tuition programs?
- Which course or lab fees apply to baking courses, and how much are they?
- Which semesters can I start in, and are any classes offered in the evening?
- Does the program include an internship or work in a student-run bakery or restaurant?
- Will my certificate credits count toward an associate degree later?
- For noncredit programs, what is the refund policy and what does the price include?
Boston University
Boston University’s Metropolitan College runs a 14-week, noncredit Professional Pastry Arts Program each spring, with 300+ hours of instruction from working pastry chefs, Tuesday–Thursday daytime classes, and enrollment capped at 12. The flat price is $15,200, and the program can instead be taken for 8 graduate credits (MET ML 703) toward the MA in Gastronomy. Financial aid is not available for noncredit students.
See the Boston University baking and pastry profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Bristol Community College
Bristol’s Culinary Arts department in Fall River offers a 27-credit Baking and Pastry Certificate and a 60-credit Culinary Arts AAS with a Baking and Pastry concentration. Every certificate course counts toward the degree, both programs include an internship, and the certificate is on Bristol’s financial aid eligible list. The AAS adds cake, chocolate, plated dessert, and capstone courses and has a Johnson & Wales transfer agreement.
See the Bristol Community College baking and pastry profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Bunker Hill Community College
BHCC’s 29-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate is all culinary coursework, with no general education, and runs over two semesters that mix full-semester courses with half-semester mini sessions. Labs cover breads, laminated dough, cakes and decorating, and hot and cold plated desserts. The certificate shares 14 credits with the Culinary Arts Option, A.S.
See the Bunker Hill Community College baking and pastry profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is a private, noncredit culinary school licensed by the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, Office of Private Occupational School Education. It offers a 16-week Certificate Pastry Program and a 37-week Professional Pastry Program, both taught in two 8-hour labs and one evening seminar per week. Published all-in prices are $16,640 and $32,015; the school is not Title IV eligible.
See the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts baking and pastry profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Massasoit Community College
Massasoit offers a two-semester, college-approved Pastry Certificate made up entirely of culinary and pastry courses, from Foundations of Baking to Chocolate Artistry and Classical Desserts, with ServSafe preparation in the first term. The 2025–26 catalog lists the certificate as not financial aid eligible. Graduates can continue into the Culinary Arts AAS.
See the Massasoit Community College baking and pastry profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Northern Essex Community College
NECC teaches its 28-credit Baking and Pastry Certificate at the Lupoli Family Institute of Culinary Arts in downtown Haverhill. The fall-to-spring plan covers artisan bread, pastry, contemporary cakes, and bakery operations, and it includes English Composition I and a required internship of at least 120 hours. Six courses (19 credits) also count in the 61-credit Culinary Arts AAS.
See the Northern Essex Community College baking and pastry profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Massachusetts schools offer baking or pastry programs?
Six schools currently offer baking or pastry programs: Bristol, Bunker Hill, Massasoit, and Northern Essex community colleges offer for-credit credentials, and Boston University and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts offer noncredit pastry programs.
Does Massachusetts offer a baking and pastry associate degree?
Yes. Bristol Community College offers a 60-credit Culinary Arts AAS with a Baking and Pastry concentration in Fall River.
What is the least expensive baking program in Massachusetts?
For Massachusetts residents, Massasoit’s Pastry Certificate is estimated at about $6,058 in tuition and mandatory fees, followed by Bristol’s certificate at about $6,932. MassEducate and MassReconnect may lower the price further for eligible residents in approved programs.
Are noncredit pastry programs worth considering?
They can be, for students who want intensive, full-time training in a short period and can pay without federal aid. Boston University’s program costs $15,200 for 14 weeks, and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts’ programs cost about $16,640 to $32,015 including equipment and materials.
Are these programs available online?
No. The baking and pastry programs on this page are taught in person because they require hands-on kitchen training.
Program requirements and costs can change. Confirm all details with the school before applying.