Austin Community College District teaches its baking and pastry credentials at the Highland Campus in north-central Austin, which the Culinary Arts department names as the primary campus for culinary and pastry students. The 2026–27 catalog lists three baking credentials: the Advanced Baking and Pastry Level 1 Certificate, the Baking and Pastry AAS, and a Baking and Pastry Entrepreneurship Specialization AAS aimed at students who want to open a small food business.
Cost is a big part of the story here. ACC has held tuition flat for 13 straight years, and in-district students pay $85 per credit hour including fees in 2026–27. The catalog states that the certificate and the Baking and Pastry AAS are accredited by the American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission, and the certificate articulates into that AAS.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Austin Community College District (ACC) |
| Location | Highland Campus, 6101 Highland Campus Drive, Austin, Texas |
| Credentials | Advanced Baking and Pastry Level 1 Certificate; Baking and Pastry AAS; Baking and Pastry Entrepreneurship Specialization AAS |
| Credits | 36–38; 60; or 60 credits |
| Typical length | Three semesters full time for the certificate; two years for the AAS |
| ACF accreditation | Stated in the catalog for the certificate and the Baking and Pastry AAS |
| Catalog year | 2026–27 |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three baking awards appear on the 2026–27 Culinary Arts award plans list, alongside the culinary awards. Each baking award requires a grade of C or higher in all required courses.
Advanced Baking and Pastry Level 1 Certificate
The Advanced Baking and Pastry Level 1 Certificate requires 36–38 credits, depending on the restricted elective chosen. The catalog puts full-time completion at three semesters. It contains no general education courses, and ACC states that the certificate articulates into the Baking and Pastry AAS. The 2025–26 catalog carried a similar Pastry Arts Level 2 Certificate; the 2026–27 catalog lists the Level 1 certificate instead.
Baking and Pastry AAS
The 60-credit Baking and Pastry AAS is mapped over six semesters, and the catalog puts full-time completion at two years. It adds math, English, social science, and humanities courses to the pastry lab sequence.
Baking and Pastry Entrepreneurship Specialization AAS
The Baking and Pastry Entrepreneurship Specialization AAS also totals 60 credits. ACC describes it as preparation for ventures such as food trucks, coffee shops, cake shops, and small catering firms. Students take Fundamentals of Baking and four pastry electives, then permits and licensing, hospitality finance, marketing, and small business courses, finishing with a start-up business plan. The catalog does not list an ACF accreditation statement for this degree.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The certificate and the Baking and Pastry AAS share most of their lab courses. Key coursework includes:
- Sanitation and Safety, Food Production and Planning, and Basic Food Preparation
- Fundamentals of Baking and Breads and Rolls
- Pies, Tarts, Teacakes and Cookies, or Laminated Dough, Pate a Choux, and Donuts
- Advanced Pastry Shop
- Cake Baking and Production, or Wedding Cakes
- Plated Desserts, the capstone course
- Nutrition for the Food Service Professional
- A baking and pastry practicum (field experience)
The certificate also requires Hospitality Human Resources Management. In the AAS, the laminated dough course is required. Most lab courses have prerequisites, so the order in the program map matters.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For 2026–27, ACC charges $85 per credit hour in-district: $67 tuition plus a $15 general fee, a $2 student success fee, and a $1 sustainability fee. Out-of-district Texas residents add a $201 out-of-district fee, for $286 per credit hour. Out-of-state students living outside the district pay $419 per credit hour; those living in the district pay $218. ACC does not list flat per-semester mandatory fees, so the estimates below do not depend on the number of terms.
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Baking and Pastry Level 1 Certificate | 36–38 | $3,060–$3,230 | $10,296–$10,868 | $15,084–$15,922 |
| Baking and Pastry AAS | 60 | $5,100 | $17,160 | $25,140 |
| Baking and Pastry Entrepreneurship Specialization AAS | 60 | $5,100 | $17,160 | $25,140 |
These figures cover tuition and per-credit mandatory fees only. They leave out textbooks, uniforms, tools, and course fees. ACC charges a $50 course fee on courses that add instruction beyond standard lecture, such as labs, and some courses carry site or inclusive content fees, so ask which baking courses carry them. The Pastry Arts page shows a higher estimated in-district program cost of $6,973.23 for the AAS, and it is worth asking what that figure includes.
Students must have a uniform and a knife and tool kit by the first day of class. The Uniform and Tools page lists items such as offset spatulas, a pastry wheel, piping tube sets, a bread knife, and a digital thermometer, but it does not post prices. Rates are on the tuition and fees page.
Admissions and Financial Aid
The department lists a high school diploma or GED as a starting requirement. New students meet with an area of study specialist and attend a Culinary, Hospitality, and Tourism information session. Then they submit a culinary student petition form and meet with a culinary advisor about course eligibility. After approval, students register, complete a required orientation, and must have a current food handler certificate on file before the first lab class.
The ACC Free Tuition pilot program covers tuition for eligible graduates of high schools in the ACC service area from the classes of 2024 through 2028, for up to three years. It covers tuition only, not fees, textbooks, or the out-of-district fee. Other students should file the FAFSA and ask about aid for their chosen award.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Highland Campus has five lab kitchens and a stand-alone restaurant, and each baking award includes a practicum in a real baking or pastry setting.
AAS degrees are built for the workforce, not for transfer. The AAS math options include College Algebra and Statistics, and the catalog advises students to consider four-year school requirements when choosing one. The department says credits from other schools can count toward an ACC program after an advisor reviews the transcripts.
Which ACC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Advanced Baking and Pastry Level 1 Certificate | Focused pastry lab training and a practicum in about three semesters, with no general education |
| Baking and Pastry AAS | The full pastry sequence plus general education and an ACF-accredited associate degree |
| Baking and Pastry Entrepreneurship Specialization AAS | Pastry electives combined with licensing, finance, marketing, and a start-up business plan |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which PSTR and CHEF courses carry the $50 course fee or other course fees?
- What do the uniform and tool kit cost at the Highland bookstore?
- In which semesters are the pastry labs offered, and are evening sections available?
- How many certificate credits apply directly to the Baking and Pastry AAS?
- Does the Entrepreneurship AAS share the ACF accreditation of the other pastry awards?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Austin Community College before applying.