Pikes Peak State College offers one of Colorado’s broadest selections of college-level baking and pastry credentials. Students can choose a 63-credit Baking and Pastry Associate of Applied Science or shorter certificates focused on baking production, pastry, bread, decorating, and wedding cakes.
Pikes Peak State College Baking and Pastry Quick Facts
| Location | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry AAS; Baking, Baker Production, Pastry, and Pastry Decorator certificates |
| Credits | 63 for the AAS; 14 to 29 for certificates |
| Format | On campus |
| Estimated base resident tuition | About $11,600 for the AAS; about $2,570 to $5,330 for certificates |
| Program length | About two years for the AAS; one to two semesters for most certificates |
Program Overview
Pikes Peak State College provides several entry points into professional baking. The two-year AAS combines baking labs with sanitation, food-service management, purchasing, nutrition, catering, general education, and an internship. Shorter certificates allow students to focus on bread production, desserts, cake decorating, or broader baking skills.
The college lists the complete selection on its official Culinary Arts program options page. Most of the baking courses are offered through the Culinary Arts department at the Centennial Campus.
Credentials, Credits, and Estimated Tuition
| Credential | Credits | Estimated Base Resident Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry AAS | 63 | About $11,600 |
| Baking Certificate | 29 | About $5,330 |
| Pastry Certificate | 15 | About $2,760 |
| Baker Production Certificate | 14 | About $2,570 |
| Pastry Decorator Certificate | 14 | About $2,570 |
Estimates use the 2026–2027 on-campus resident tuition rate with the Colorado Opportunity Fund stipend. Required fees, books, uniforms, tools, ingredients, and other supplies cost extra.
Curriculum and Baking Tracks
Baking and Pastry AAS
The 63-credit associate degree provides the broadest preparation. Students complete general education and business courses along with technical baking classes. The program also includes a four-credit internship.
- Introduction to Baking
- Baking: Decorating and Presentation
- Intermediate Bread Preparation
- Individual Fancy Dessert Production
- Confectionaries and Petit Fours
- Advanced Cake Decorating: Wedding Cakes
- Advanced Baking
- Nutrition for the Hospitality Professional
- Purchasing for the Hospitality Industry
- Internship
The curriculum also addresses food safety, recipe conversion, cost control, equipment use, dessert plating, breads, sauces, and high-altitude adjustments. Students can review the complete course sequence in the 2026–2027 PPSC catalog.
Baking Certificate
The 29-credit Baking Certificate covers a wider foundation than the smaller certificates. Its courses include food-service management, introductory and advanced baking, bread preparation, decorating, individual desserts, nutrition, and purchasing. This option can suit students who want focused occupational training without completing the general education and internship requirements of the AAS.
Baker Production Certificate
The 14-credit Baker Production Certificate focuses on commercial baking fundamentals. Students take Culinary Program Fundamentals, Food Safety and Sanitation, Introduction to Baking, Intermediate Bread Preparation, and Advanced Baking.
Pastry Certificate
The 15-credit Pastry Certificate emphasizes desserts and confectionery. Its course sequence includes introductory baking, individual fancy desserts, confectionaries, and petit fours, supported by culinary fundamentals and food safety.
Pastry Decorator Certificate
The 14-credit Pastry Decorator Certificate centers on cake production and presentation. Students study introductory baking, decorating and presentation, and advanced wedding-cake decorating.
Learning Format and Program Length
The baking and pastry programs require hands-on, on-campus laboratory work. The AAS is structured as a two-year degree for full-time students. The 29-credit Baking Certificate will generally require about one academic year, while the 14- and 15-credit certificates may be completed in one or more semesters depending on course schedules and prerequisites.
Because several certificates share courses with the AAS, students may be able to build from a shorter credential into the associate degree. Students should confirm the sequence with a culinary advisor before enrolling.
Admissions and Program Requirements
PPSC uses an open college admission process, but the Culinary Arts department lists additional readiness and course requirements. Students entering advanced culinary laboratory courses must complete or demonstrate the required preparation.
- Meet the stated readiness level in English and quantitative literacy
- Complete Culinary Program Fundamentals
- Complete Food Safety and Sanitation
- Pass the national ServSafe certification before later culinary laboratory courses
- Meet with a culinary faculty advisor before registration
Prospective students can confirm current steps through PPSC Culinary Arts and the college admissions office.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
For the 2026–2027 academic year, PPSC lists an on-campus Colorado resident tuition rate of $183.75 per credit with the Colorado Opportunity Fund stipend. At that rate, base tuition is approximately $11,576 for the 63-credit AAS and $2,573 to $5,329 for the baking certificates. These figures have been rounded in the tables above.
PPSC also charges student fees and may assess course-specific fees. Students should budget for books, uniforms, knives, tools, ingredients, certification costs, and other supplies. The college publishes current rates and fees on its tuition and fees page. Financial aid and scholarships may be available to eligible students, although aid eligibility can vary by credential.
Career Preparation
The AAS prepares students for positions such as assistant pastry chef, bakeshop station chef, baker, pastry cook, and cake decorator. Its business, purchasing, nutrition, and internship requirements also provide broader preparation for restaurant, hotel, bakery, catering, and institutional food-service settings.
PPSC states that AAS graduates can apply for American Culinary Federation Certified Pastry Cook certification. Certification remains subject to the federation’s current eligibility and application requirements.
Who Is This Program For?
- Choose the AAS if you want broad professional training, general education, business coursework, and an internship.
- Choose the Baking Certificate if you want a substantial baking curriculum without completing the full associate degree.
- Choose Baker Production if bread and commercial bakeshop production are your main interests.
- Choose the Pastry Certificate if you want to focus on desserts, confectionaries, and petit fours.
- Choose Pastry Decorator if cakes, presentation, and wedding-cake work are your priorities.