New Hampshire has two community colleges with baking or pastry credentials: Lakes Region Community College in Laconia and White Mountains Community College in Berlin. Both offer an associate degree of 61 to 62 credits, and Lakes Region also offers a 28-credit Pastry Arts Certificate.
Both schools belong to the Community College System of New Hampshire, and both profiles list in-state tuition at $238 per credit. That puts base tuition near $14,500 for either associate degree and at about $6,664 for the certificate, before fees. Both programs are taught on campus and include cooperative education.
Baking and Pastry Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Programs, Credits and Estimated Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Lakes Region Community College | Laconia | Pastry Arts Associate Degree: 61 credits – about $14,518 Pastry Arts Certificate: 28 credits – about $6,664 |
| White Mountains Community College | Berlin | Baking and Pastry Arts AAS: 61–62 credits – about $14,518–$14,756 |
Estimates are base tuition only, at the published in-state rate of $238 per credit multiplied by each program’s required credits, before financial aid. They exclude comprehensive fees, laboratory fees, textbooks, tools, uniforms, ingredients, transportation, housing, and other living costs. The profiles do not give out-of-state estimates.
Which New Hampshire Baking Program May Fit You?
Earn a Pastry Certificate in About a Year
Lakes Region Community College offers the state’s only baking certificate. The 28-credit Pastry Arts Certificate concentrates on the technical baking sequence and cooperative education, without the general education and management requirements of the degree.
Earn an Associate Degree in Central New Hampshire
Lakes Region‘s 61-credit Pastry Arts Associate Degree in Laconia adds cost control, restaurant facility and menu design, business communication, general education, and a Pastry Arts capstone to the technical courses.
Earn an Associate Degree in Northern New Hampshire
White Mountains Community College offers a 61–62-credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS at its Berlin campus. More than 80 percent of the program’s lab courses focus on baking and pastry arts.
Certificate or Associate Degree?
Certificate
Lakes Region’s Pastry Arts Certificate covers breads and rolls, bakery production, cake decorating, plated desserts, advanced pastry and confections, sanitation, and cooperative education in about one year. Ask whether certificate credits apply directly to the associate degree if you may continue.
Associate Degree
Both associate degrees take about two years and add general education and management coursework to the baking labs. Lakes Region’s degree includes a capstone and may fit students who want added preparation for supervisory or small-business responsibilities, while White Mountains reports more than 250 hours of lab work per semester.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Both colleges list in-state tuition at $238 per credit. At that rate, base tuition is about $14,518 for Lakes Region’s 61-credit degree, about $14,518–$14,756 for White Mountains’ 61–62-credit degree, and about $6,664 for Lakes Region’s 28-credit certificate. Comprehensive and laboratory fees are charged on top of tuition, so ask each college for a complete program estimate. Students from outside New Hampshire should confirm whether they qualify for a New England regional rate.
Baking students should also budget for:
- Comprehensive and laboratory fees
- Uniforms and non-slip shoes; White Mountains tells students to plan for three sets of uniforms
- Professional knives and baking and pastry tools
- Textbooks and ingredients
- Transportation to cooperative education sites, housing, and living expenses
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What is the total cost after lab fees, tools, uniforms, and ingredients?
- Which semesters accept new baking and pastry students?
- How are cooperative education placements selected?
- Can certificate credits transfer directly into the associate degree?
- Are any general education courses available online?
- Which courses require summer attendance?
Lakes Region Community College
Lakes Region Community College offers two Pastry Arts pathways at its Laconia campus: a 61-credit associate degree and a 28-credit certificate. The technical curriculum includes breads and rolls, bakery production, plated desserts, cake decorating, baking technologies, and advanced pastries and confections. Students work in a student-operated pastry kitchen and complete cooperative education, and the associate degree adds general education, cost control, menu design, and a capstone.
See the Lakes Region Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
White Mountains Community College
White Mountains Community College offers a 61–62-credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS at its Berlin campus; it has no shorter baking certificate. Students study baking theory, cakes, plated desserts, artisan breads, chocolates, confections, decorative centerpieces, cake design, food production, and management. The college reports more than 250 hours of lab work per semester, along with cooperative education at an approved worksite.
See the White Mountains Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many New Hampshire schools offer baking or pastry programs?
Two: Lakes Region Community College in Laconia and White Mountains Community College in Berlin.
Does New Hampshire offer a baking and pastry associate degree?
Yes. Lakes Region Community College offers a 61-credit Pastry Arts Associate Degree, and White Mountains Community College offers a 61–62-credit Baking and Pastry Arts AAS.
What is the shortest baking program in New Hampshire?
Lakes Region Community College’s Pastry Arts Certificate requires 28 credits and takes about one year. White Mountains Community College has no baking certificate.
How much does a baking program cost in New Hampshire?
At the in-state rate of $238 per credit, estimated base tuition is about $6,664 for Lakes Region’s certificate, about $14,518 for its associate degree, and about $14,518–$14,756 for White Mountains’ AAS. Those figures do not include comprehensive fees, laboratory fees, tools, or uniforms.
Can I complete these programs online?
No. The core baking and pastry courses require campus kitchens, production labs, and supervised practice. Some general education courses may be available online, but neither program is offered as a fully online baking degree.
Program requirements and costs can change. Confirm all details with the school before applying.