Maine does not currently have a college that awards a baking or pastry certificate or degree. Baking is taught as coursework inside the culinary arts programs at three community colleges: Central Maine in Auburn, Eastern Maine in Bangor, and Southern Maine in South Portland.
This page lists those programs and is clear about what they are: culinary arts credentials with baking courses, not baking credentials. The amount of baking varies widely, from one pastry course at Eastern Maine to seven baking and pastry labs at Central Maine.
Culinary Programs With Baking Coursework at a Glance
| School | Location | Culinary Credentials, Credits and Estimated Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Central Maine Community College | Auburn | Culinary Arts AAS: 64–66 credits – about $8,864 Culinary Arts Certificate: 34–35 credits – about $4,708 Baking coursework: 7 courses, 14 credits |
| Eastern Maine Community College | Bangor | Culinary Arts AAS: 62 credits – about $8,588 Culinary Arts – Food Service Specialist Certificate: 30 credits – about $4,156 Baking coursework: 1 course, 3 credits |
| Southern Maine Community College | South Portland | Culinary Arts AAS: 67 credits – about $9,278 Baking coursework: 3 courses, 8 credits |
Estimates use the Maine Community College System’s 2026–27 resident tuition of $96 per credit plus mandatory fees of $42 per credit and $16 a year for accident insurance, before financial aid. Where credits are a range, the estimate uses the minimum. They exclude culinary consumables and lab fees, books, uniforms, tools, and living costs. New England regional and out-of-state estimates appear in each profile.
Which Maine Program May Fit You?
Get the Most Baking Within a Culinary Program
Central Maine Community College includes seven 2-credit baking and pastry labs in its Culinary Arts AAS, covering breads, cakes, laminated pastry, petit fours, and chocolate. Four of those labs are in its one-year certificate.
Earn a Culinary Degree With an Externship
Southern Maine Community College offers a 67-credit Culinary Arts AAS with a 400-hour externship and three baking courses. The college states that the program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
Study in the Bangor Area
Eastern Maine Community College offers a Culinary Arts AAS and a 30-credit Food Service Specialist Certificate. Its one dedicated pastry course is in the AAS.
Earn a Baking-Titled Credential
No Maine college offers one. Students who want a baking and pastry certificate or degree can look at programs in nearby states, such as New Hampshire and Massachusetts, or at the online baking schools page.
Certificate or Associate Degree?
Certificates
Central Maine’s Culinary Arts Certificate and Eastern Maine’s Food Service Specialist Certificate each match the first year of the college’s associate degree, so credits carry forward. Central Maine’s certificate includes four baking labs. Eastern Maine’s certificate has no dedicated baking course.
Associate Degrees
All three colleges award a Culinary Arts AAS of 62 to 67 credits. These are culinary degrees: most kitchen courses cover savory cooking, with baking as one part of the curriculum.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Maine’s community colleges share one tuition schedule. For 2026–27, Maine residents pay $96 per credit, students from other New England states pay a regional rate of $144, and other out-of-state students pay $192. Mandatory fees add $42 per credit at each college.
Students should also budget for:
- Culinary consumables or lab fees, such as Central Maine’s $100 per semester
- Uniforms, shoes, and a knife kit
- Food safety certification
- Textbooks and supplies
- Housing, transportation, and living expenses
Programs No Longer Listed
York County Community College offered a Culinary Arts AAS with a Baking and Pastry Option and a 17-credit Baking and Pastry Certificate through its 2021–22 catalog; later catalogs list no culinary program. Kennebec Valley Community College offers a Culinary Arts AAS and a Cooking Skills Certificate with two baking courses and no baking credential. Washington County and Northern Maine community colleges have no culinary or baking program.
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How many of the required courses are baking or pastry courses, and in which semesters are they taught?
- Can I take the baking courses without enrolling in the full culinary program?
- What consumables fees, uniforms, and tool kits are required, and what do they cost?
- Do I qualify for the New England regional tuition rate?
- Do the certificate credits count toward the associate degree?
- Does the externship or internship allow a bakery or pastry placement?
Central Maine Community College
Central Maine Community College does not offer a baking or pastry credential. Its Auburn campus awards a Culinary Arts AAS (64–66 credits) and a one-year Culinary Arts Certificate (34–35 credits), and the certificate is the first year of the degree. The AAS includes seven 2-credit baking and pastry labs covering breads, cakes, laminated pastry, petit fours, and chocolate, and four of them are in the certificate.
See the Central Maine Community College culinary arts profile for the baking courses, costs, and admissions details.
Eastern Maine Community College
Eastern Maine Community College does not offer a baking or pastry credential. Its Bangor campus awards a 62-credit Culinary Arts AAS and a 30-credit Culinary Arts – Food Service Specialist Certificate that matches the first year of the degree. The only dedicated pastry course is the 3-credit Classical European Pastry Arts in the AAS, with introductory and intermediate baking methods taught inside Culinary Arts I and II.
See the Eastern Maine Community College culinary arts profile for the baking courses, costs, and admissions details.
Southern Maine Community College
Southern Maine Community College does not offer a baking or pastry credential. Its South Portland campus awards a 67-credit Culinary Arts AAS with a 400-hour externship, and the college states that the program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation. Baking is covered in three required courses totaling 8 credits: Basic Baking, Advanced Baking, and Advanced Pastry Techniques.
See the Southern Maine Community College culinary arts profile for the baking courses, costs, and admissions details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Maine have a baking and pastry school?
Not one that awards a baking or pastry credential. Central Maine, Eastern Maine, and Southern Maine community colleges teach baking courses within their culinary arts programs.
Which Maine culinary program includes the most baking?
Central Maine Community College’s Culinary Arts AAS includes seven baking and pastry labs totaling 14 credits. Southern Maine’s AAS has three baking courses totaling 8 credits, and Eastern Maine’s has one 3-credit pastry course.
How much do Maine culinary programs cost?
For Maine residents, estimated tuition and mandatory fees run from about $4,156 to $4,708 for a one-year certificate and from about $8,588 to $9,278 for an associate degree, before consumables fees.
Did any Maine college ever offer a baking credential?
Yes. York County Community College listed a Baking and Pastry Option and a Baking and Pastry Certificate through its 2021–22 catalog. It no longer lists a culinary program.
Where can Maine students earn a baking credential?
Nearby states have baking and pastry programs, and some schools teach baking online or in hybrid formats. See the online baking schools page for those options.
Program requirements and costs can change. Confirm all details with the school before applying.