Maryland has four public community colleges with baking and pastry credentials, in Cumberland, Arnold and Glen Burnie, Frederick, and Columbia. All four offer a baking certificate of 21 to 39 credits, and Anne Arundel, Frederick, and Howard also offer an associate degree of 60 to 63 credits.
Maryland community college tuition depends on where a student lives, and in-county students usually receive the lowest rate. In-county tuition at these colleges is $135 to $144 per credit before standard fees. No program is fully online, because baking and pastry courses require commercial kitchens.
Baking and Pastry Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Programs, Credits and Estimated Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Allegany College of Maryland | Cumberland | Baking Essentials Certificate: 26 credits – about $3,720 |
| Anne Arundel Community College | Arnold and Glen Burnie | Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate: 21 credits – about $3,448 Hotel/Restaurant Management AAS, Baking and Pastry Arts concentration: 61 credits – about $9,968 |
| Frederick Community College | Frederick | Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S.: 60 credits – about $10,170 Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate: 39 credits – about $6,610 |
| Howard Community College | Columbia | Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS: 63 credits – about $10,364 Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate: 32 credits – about $5,182 |
Estimates use each college’s in-county tuition and standard fees for the 2026–27 academic year, before financial aid. Allegany’s is tuition plus the student fee for two semesters. Anne Arundel’s and Frederick’s are tuition and standard fees. Howard’s is tuition and consolidated fees and assumes at least 15 credits in each primary semester so the college’s tuition cap applies. All exclude course and lab fees, books, uniforms, tools, ingredients, and living costs. Students from other Maryland counties and other states pay higher rates.
Which Maryland Baking Program May Fit You?
Earn a Short Baking Certificate
Anne Arundel Community College offers a 21-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at its Arnold and Glen Burnie locations, and Allegany College of Maryland offers a 26-credit Baking Essentials Certificate in Cumberland. Each takes about one year.
Move From a Certificate Into a Baking Degree
Frederick Community College offers a 39-credit certificate with the same core technical training as its 60-credit Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S., without most general education requirements. Both include a 240-hour practicum.
Combine Pastry With Bakery Management
Howard Community College in Columbia offers a 63-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS that combines production training with accounting, business, purchasing, cost control, nutrition, and leadership. Anne Arundel‘s 61-credit Hotel/Restaurant Management AAS has a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration.
Study in Western Maryland
Allegany College of Maryland teaches its certificate at the Gateway Center in downtown Cumberland, where students produce food for the student-operated Culinaire Café and catered events. The program includes a five-credit on-site practicum.
Certificate or Associate Degree?
Certificates
Maryland baking certificates run 21 to 39 credits and take about one year. They focus on technical courses such as breads, cakes, pastries, chocolates, and confections, with sanitation and cost control. Allegany’s certificate courses all transfer into its Culinary Arts A.A.S., and Frederick’s certificate shares its core technical sequence with its baking degree.
Associate Degrees
The associate degrees run 60 to 63 credits over about two years and add general education and business or hospitality courses. Frederick’s degree is titled Baking and Pastry Arts, Howard’s adds a management focus, and Anne Arundel’s is a Hotel/Restaurant Management degree with a baking concentration.
Tuition and Additional Costs
In-county students usually receive the lowest rate, while students from another Maryland county may pay more. For fall 2026, Allegany County residents pay $140 per credit plus a $40 student fee each semester. Anne Arundel charges county residents $135 per credit plus standard fees of about $28 per credit and a $25 registration fee. Frederick’s combined in-county tuition and standard fees are $169.50 per credit, and Howard charges $144 per credit plus a consolidated fee equal to $28.74 per credit, with both charges capped at 15 credits per semester.
Eligible residents of nearby counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia may qualify for a regional tuition discount at Allegany.
Baking students should also budget for:
- Course and lab fees
- Chef uniforms, non-slip shoes, knives, and baking tools
- Ingredients, where charged separately
- Textbooks and certification exams
- Transportation, including travel to an internship or practicum site
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What is the full cost after lab fees, ingredients, tools, uniforms, and books?
- Does the certificate transfer into the associate degree without lost credits?
- How many hours each week will I spend in a production kitchen?
- Does the school arrange internships, or must students find their own placements?
- Are evening, weekend, or part-time schedules available?
- Which courses can students complete online?
Allegany College of Maryland
Allegany College of Maryland offers a 26-credit Baking Essentials Certificate at its Gateway Center in downtown Cumberland. The one-year program covers artisan bread, baking fundamentals, advanced baking, specialty cakes and fillings, chocolate and confection work, sanitation, cost control, and international cuisines, and includes a five-credit on-site practicum. Students produce food for the student-operated Culinaire Café and catered events, and all certificate courses transfer into the college’s Culinary Arts A.A.S.
See the Allegany College of Maryland baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Anne Arundel Community College
Anne Arundel Community College offers a 21-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate and a 61-credit Hotel/Restaurant Management AAS with a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration through its Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute. Credit culinary and pastry courses are taught at its Arnold and Glen Burnie locations. The associate degree adds hospitality management, purchasing, cost control, general education, and a three-credit internship, and the college states it is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation.
See the Anne Arundel Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Frederick Community College
Frederick Community College offers a 39-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate and a 60-credit Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. through its Hospitality, Culinary & Tourism Institute. The curriculum covers classical and modern production methods, artisan breads, plated desserts, cakes, confections, sanitation, and cost control, and each pathway includes a 240-hour practicum. Both credentials are accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission, and students can earn ServSafe Food Manager and Certified Guest Service Professional credentials.
See the Frederick Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Howard Community College
Howard Community College offers a 63-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS and a 32-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at its Columbia campus. Technical courses cover artisan bread production, advanced pastry techniques, cakes, plated desserts, candies, confections, and showpieces, and the degree adds accounting, business, purchasing, cost control, and nutrition. Both credentials are accredited by the American Culinary Federation.
See the Howard Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Maryland schools offer baking or pastry programs?
Four community colleges currently list baking and pastry credentials: Allegany College of Maryland; Anne Arundel Community College; Frederick Community College; and Howard Community College.
What is the shortest baking program in Maryland?
Anne Arundel Community College’s Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate requires 21 credits and takes about one year. Allegany College of Maryland’s Baking Essentials Certificate requires 26 credits over two semesters.
Does Maryland offer a baking and pastry associate degree?
Yes. Frederick Community College offers a 60-credit Baking and Pastry Arts A.A.S. and Howard Community College a 63-credit Baking and Pastry Arts Management AAS. Anne Arundel Community College offers a 61-credit Hotel/Restaurant Management AAS with a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration.
How much does a baking program cost in Maryland?
For in-county residents, estimated tuition and standard fees for a certificate range from about $3,448 at Anne Arundel to about $6,610 at Frederick. Associate degree estimates run from about $9,968 at Anne Arundel to about $10,364 at Howard. Lab charges, uniforms, tools, ingredients, and books can raise the final cost.
Can you complete a Maryland baking program online?
No program is fully online. Baking and pastry courses require commercial kitchens, equipment, production labs, and direct instructor feedback. A college may offer some business or general education courses online, but students should expect to complete the technical baking courses on campus.
Which Maryland baking programs are accredited by the American Culinary Federation?
Frederick Community College’s A.A.S. and certificate and Howard Community College’s AAS and certificate are accredited by the American Culinary Federation, and Anne Arundel Community College’s associate program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation. Confirm current status with the college or the ACF.
Program requirements and costs can change. Confirm all details with the school before applying.