College of Lake County in Grayslake has built its baking and pastry training as a three-step ladder. The 17-credit Baking and Pastry Assistant Certificate leads into the 30–32 credit Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate, and both stack toward the 64–66 credit Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. Every level starts with the same first semester, so students can decide how far to go after they begin.
The core of the program is a three-course Patisserie sequence, with added courses in yeast breads, cake decorating, chocolate and confections, advanced pastry, and special diets. Students also gain hands-on practice at Prairie at Brae Loch, the student-managed restaurant near the Grayslake Campus. Information below comes from the 2026–27 CLC catalog and program pages.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | College of Lake County |
| Location | Grayslake, Illinois |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. (Plan 22FK); Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate (22FL); Baking and Pastry Assistant Certificate (22FJ) |
| Credits | 64–66; 30–32; or 17 credits |
| Length | Four semesters plus a summer term; three semesters; or two semesters in the recommended full-time plans |
| Division | Business and Social Sciences |
| Hands-on setting | Prairie at Brae Loch, a student-managed restaurant |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
All three credentials sit within CLC’s Hospitality and Culinary Management program, which also offers culinary, international cuisine, and hospitality credentials. CLC describes its certificates as stackable, and the baking credentials share their entire first semester.
Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S.
The Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. requires 64–66 credits. Beyond the full pastry sequence, it adds Menu Marketing and Management, Nutrition, Purchasing and Inventory Control, Controlling Hospitality Costs, and general education in math, composition, psychology, speech, and humanities. The catalog says the degree also prepares students for managerial positions in the pastry industry.
Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate
The Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate builds on the assistant certificate with Patisserie III and three baking and pastry electives, for 30–32 credits over three semesters. The college’s program page highlights European tortes, chocolate work, and frozen desserts.
Baking and Pastry Assistant Certificate
The Baking and Pastry Assistant Certificate is a two-semester, 17-credit program for entry-level bakeshop work. According to the catalog, students prepare quick breads, yeast breads, pies, tarts, custards, mousses, and cakes, and they earn the ServSafe Foodservice Sanitation license as part of the certificate.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Across the three credentials, the catalog lists these baking and pastry courses:
- Patisserie I, II, and III (4 credits each)
- Advanced Pastry (4 credits, A.A.S.)
- Special Diets and Healthful Baking (A.A.S. requirement; certificate elective)
- Yeast Breads and Advanced Yeast Breads (3 credits each, electives)
- Cake Decorating (4 credits, elective)
- Chocolate and Confections, and Contemporary Restaurant Desserts (3 credits each, electives)
- ServSafe: Food Service Sanitation, Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, and Hospitality Supervision
Every credential includes College Success Seminar, which CLC requires for graduation. Elective lists also allow Culinary Arts Study Abroad and a Culinary and Hospitality Internship. The catalog shows Special Diets and Healthful Baking at 4 credits in the certificate list and 3 in the degree plan, so students should confirm the current credit value.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For Fall 2026 through Summer 2027, CLC’s tuition and fees page lists $144.77 per credit in-district, $372.75 out-of-district, and $505.10 out-of-state. A $33.23 per-credit comprehensive fee applies at every residency level, and CLC does not list a flat per-semester fee. Because costs are purely per credit, the number of terms does not change these estimates, which use each credential’s minimum credits:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-district tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. | 64 | $11,392 | $25,983 | $34,453 |
| Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate | 30 | $5,340 | $12,179 | $16,150 |
| Baking and Pastry Assistant Certificate | 17 | $3,026 | $6,902 | $9,152 |
These totals include tuition and the comprehensive fee only. Each extra elective credit adds $178 in-district. Books, the ServSafe textbook, uniforms, tools, digital materials fees, transportation, and living costs are not included.
Lab courses carry flat fees on CLC’s additional course fees list: $160 for Patisserie I, $180 for Patisserie II, $225 each for Patisserie III and Advanced Pastry, $250 for Special Diets and Healthful Baking, and $275 for Chocolate and Confections. Yeast Breads and Advanced Yeast Breads are $160 each, and Cake Decorating is $180. The two Patisserie courses alone add $340 to the assistant certificate.
Admissions and Financial Aid
CLC’s application process is free. After submitting the admission form, students send transcripts or test scores to show readiness, or take the English Directed Self Placement or ALEKS math placement if needed. A College and Career Navigator then helps them choose and register for first-semester classes, followed by New Student Orientation.
The college asks students to complete the FAFSA or the Illinois Alternative Application using federal code 007694 and to apply for CLC Foundation scholarships. Program pages list financial aid and scholarship opportunities, but CLC does not state Pell eligibility for each baking certificate, so students should confirm it with the financial aid office.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
CLC’s program pages name baker, pastry cook, and retail sales as starting roles, with assistant pastry chef, bakery manager, and food stylist possible with more experience. The ServSafe course includes the State of Illinois sanitation licensing exam. CLC notes that its sanitation and supervision courses meet ACF certification course requirements, but it does not state ACF accreditation for the programs.
The A.A.S. is a career degree. Its composition, math, psychology, and speech courses may transfer more easily than the technical coursework, but students with bachelor’s plans should have a receiving school review their credits early.
Which CLC Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry Assistant Certificate | A two-semester start in baking basics, sanitation licensing, and supervision |
| Pastry Chef Assistant Certificate | Advanced pastry skills and a choice of specialty electives over three semesters |
| Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. | The complete pastry sequence plus cost control, menu management, and general education |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which baking electives are offered each semester, and do any run in the evening?
- Is Special Diets and Healthful Baking currently 3 or 4 credits?
- What uniform, knives, and tools do I need, and where are the baking labs held?
- Is each baking certificate eligible for Pell Grant funding?
- How do shifts at Prairie at Brae Loch fit into the course schedule?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with College of Lake County before applying.