The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is a private career school that teaches pastry and baking at two campuses, Lower Manhattan in New York City and Pasadena, California (its Los Angeles campus), and online. Both campuses offer the Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma, a 610-hour program that ends in a 210-hour externship. Pasadena also offers a 60-credit Pastry & Baking Arts and Management Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS). Online students can choose a Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations diploma or a matching AOS, with baking labs done in their own kitchens.
ICE is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), with Los Angeles accredited as a branch of the New York school. New York’s Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision licenses the Manhattan campus, and California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education approves Pasadena. ICE charges one program price that covers uniforms, knives, tools, books, and ingredients. New York programs are measured in clock hours only, while Los Angeles and online programs also carry semester credit hours.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School type | Private career school; institutional accreditation from ACCSC |
| New York City | Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma (610 clock hours); Artisan Bread Baking and Art of Cake Decorating continuing education certificates |
| Pasadena, California | Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma (19.5 credits, 610 clock hours); Pastry & Baking Arts and Management AOS (60 credits); Artisan Bread Baking certificate |
| Online | Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations diploma (34.5 credits, 900 clock hours) and AOS (60 credits), each with an in-person externship |
| Typical length | Campus diploma: 8–12 months; campus AOS: 15–16 months; online diploma: 16 months; online AOS: 22 months |
| Program prices (2026 starts) | Diploma: $45,450 day or $41,100 evening/weekend (New York), $41,000 (Pasadena); AOS: $53,000 (Pasadena); online: $22,000 diploma, $32,500 AOS |
| Federal aid | Title IV aid is available for the Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma at both campuses |
| Programmatic accreditation | None stated for pastry and baking |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
ICE publishes separate career catalogs for its campuses: the 2026 New York Career Catalog and the 2025–2026 Los Angeles Career Catalog. The Los Angeles catalog also covers the online programs.
New York City
The New York Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma runs 100 four-hour lessons, then an off-site externship. Day students meet Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–noon or 1–5 p.m., for about 20 weeks of classes, and finish in 8 months. Evening students meet Tuesday through Thursday, 6–10 p.m. (11 months), and weekend students meet Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (10 months). The 210-hour externship takes 6 to 18 weeks. The New York campus awards no college credit and offers no registered degree. The National College Credit Recommendation Service recommends 15–18 credits for diploma graduates, which other colleges may choose to accept.
New York also runs two baking-focused continuing education certificates. The 200-hour Artisan Bread Baking certificate takes about eight weeks of weekday afternoons, and the 240-hour Art of Cake Decorating certificate is also offered. The catalog says these are not designed as vocational training and fall outside ICE’s ACCSC accreditation.
Pasadena, California
The Los Angeles Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma follows the same 610-hour structure and is rated at 19.5 semester credit hours. The morning (7:30–11:30 a.m.) and afternoon (noon–4 p.m.) schedules meet five days a week and take about 29 weeks, including a 6-week externship. The evening schedule (6–10 p.m., three days a week) takes about 46 weeks. ICE describes these as 8-month and 12-month options.
The Pastry & Baking Arts and Management AOS is a 60-credit hybrid degree offered only in Pasadena. It combines the pastry curriculum with Restaurant & Culinary Management courses on campus, 16 credits of applied general education online, and two 4-credit externships. The catalog sets the length at 60 weeks. Pastry classes meet five days a week (morning or afternoon) for 24 weeks, and management classes meet three days a week. ICE notes that this AOS qualifies for F-1 student visa applications. Pasadena also offers the Artisan Bread Baking certificate over 9 weeks (five days a week) or 14 weeks (three days a week).
Online
The online Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations diploma is a 34.5-credit, 900-hour program. Students complete weekly baking labs at home, take chef-led classes live or on demand, and spend about 18 hours a week on coursework over 16 months. It includes foodservice finance, supervision, purchasing, and menu design. The online AOS adds management and general education for 60 credits over 22 months. Both finish with an in-person externship, usually in the student’s home state. Online programs are run through the Los Angeles campus and are available only in states where ICE is authorized to offer distance education.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The campus diploma, in New York and in Pasadena, builds on eight in-class courses:
- Introduction to Baking Techniques and Ingredients, Parts 1 and 2
- Breads and Other Yeast-Raised Doughs
- Pastry Doughs
- Cakes, Fillings and Icings, Parts 1 and 2
- Chocolate Confections
- Cake Decorating, followed by a 210-hour externship
Students progress from sugar cookery, custards, and frozen desserts to laminated doughs, sourdough, and bagels, and then to entremets, plated desserts, bonbons, and a chocolate showpiece. The New York cake decorating course ends with an original three-tiered cake, while the Los Angeles version ends with a two-tiered wedding cake. The online program swaps Chocolate Confections for Plated Desserts & Mignardise and adds food operations courses. All career programs require at least 90% attendance.
Tuition and Additional Costs
ICE posts one total program price for each schedule. It includes tuition, the application or registration fee, uniforms, knives, tools, books, and ingredients, and online tuition includes a laptop. In New York, credit card payments add a 1.9% service fee. The New York prices apply to classes starting after September 1, 2026. The Los Angeles and online prices apply to classes starting September 17, 2026.
| Program | Location | Hours or credits | Total program price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma (day) | New York City | 610 clock hours | $45,450 |
| Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma (evening or weekend) | New York City | 610 clock hours | $41,100 |
| The Techniques of Artisan Bread Baking | New York City | 200 clock hours | $10,750 |
| The Art of Cake Decorating | New York City | 240 clock hours | $15,500 |
| Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma (any schedule) | Pasadena | 19.5 credits (610 clock hours) | $41,000 |
| Pastry & Baking Arts and Management AOS | Pasadena | 60 credits | $53,000 |
| The Techniques of Artisan Bread Baking | Pasadena | 200 clock hours | $9,950 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations diploma | Online | 34.5 credits (900 clock hours) | $22,000 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts & Food Operations AOS | Online | 60 credits | $32,500 |
These prices are the same for every student, wherever they live. They leave out housing, meals, and transportation, which can be significant in Manhattan and the Los Angeles area. Online tuition includes an optional two-day Palate Development Bootcamp in Pasadena, though ICE does not say whether travel is covered. ICE posts indirect cost estimates on each tuition page and offers discounts, such as for military students, students relocating from more than 100 miles away, and students who enroll in a second diploma.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Career programs at both campuses require a high school diploma, a GED, or another accepted equivalent. The process is to talk with admissions, tour the campus or attend an open house, apply online, meet with financial services, and sign an enrollment agreement. Online applicants also complete an online readiness assessment. For international students, New York admits day students on M-1 visas and does not sponsor F-1 visas, while the Pasadena AOS qualifies for F-1 applications.
Both catalogs state that Career Pastry & Baking Arts diploma students may apply for Title IV federal aid, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, by filing the FAFSA. The Los Angeles catalog’s eligibility list does not name the AOS or online programs, so applicants should confirm their aid options with financial services. The continuing education certificates are not Title IV programs. ICE also lists institutional and third-party scholarships, private loans, and payment plans.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Both catalogs name pastry assistant, pastry cook, baker, and assistant chocolatier as common first jobs for diploma graduates. The AOS adds entry-level foodservice management, and the online catalog lists cake decorator and assistant pastry chef among its targets. Every career program includes externship placement support from ICE’s career services team, and ICE recommends restaurant kitchens but accepts bakeries, pastry shops, hotels, and caterers.
The AOS is the only ICE baking credential that is a degree. Diploma graduates who later want a degree can pursue the AOS, and ICE’s dual diploma discount lowers the cost of adding Restaurant & Culinary Management. Any transfer of ICE credit into another college’s degree is up to the receiving school.
Which ICE Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| New York diploma | Clock-hour pastry training in Manhattan, with day, evening, or weekend schedules |
| Pasadena diploma | The same curriculum in Southern California, with credit hours attached and a single price for every schedule |
| Pasadena AOS | A degree that pairs pastry training with restaurant management and general education in about 15 months |
| Online diploma or AOS | A lower-cost route with home baking labs, for students in authorized states who cannot relocate |
| Bread or cake certificate | Focused continuing education for working bakers or graduates adding a specialty, without federal aid |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Is the online program authorized in the state where I live, and where would I complete the externship?
- Can I use federal aid for the AOS or an online program?
- Which start dates are open for my campus and schedule?
- Would I qualify for the out-of-area, military, or dual diploma discount?
- How much should I budget for ingredients in the online labs?
- Which colleges have accepted ICE credit toward a bachelor’s degree?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with the Institute of Culinary Education before applying.