Lackawanna College is a private college in Scranton that teaches baking and pastry through its Kiesendahl School of Hospitality. Classes meet in the Culinary Complex at 409 Adams Avenue, home to 409 on Adams, the student-run restaurant and bar. The college offers a 76-credit Baking and Pastry Associate in Science degree and a 142-credit bachelor’s degree in Restaurant and Food Service Management with a Baking and Pastry Track.
Both programs open with the same two years of pastry labs and a summer externship of at least 120 hours with an industry partner. The bachelor’s track then shifts to management courses that the catalog describes as primarily online. Lackawanna charges one tuition rate regardless of residency. Details below come from the 2026–27 catalog, the college’s 2026–27 curriculum guides, and its 2026–27 tuition and fee schedule.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School type | Private college; accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| Location | Scranton, Pennsylvania; Culinary Complex, 409 Adams Avenue |
| Credentials | Baking and Pastry, AS; Restaurant and Food Service Management, BS, Baking and Pastry Track |
| Credits | 76; 142 |
| Length | Four semesters plus a summer externship; eight semesters plus a summer externship |
| Delivery | AS in Scranton; BS primarily in Scranton for two years, then primarily online |
| 2026–27 tuition | $9,075 a semester for 12–18 credits |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
The 2026–27 catalog lists Baking and Pastry among the associate degrees offered in Scranton and names the Baking and Pastry Track under the Restaurant and Food Service Management bachelor’s degree. Credit totals and course sequences are published in the college’s 2026–27 curriculum guides. No for-credit baking certificate is listed.
Baking and Pastry, AS
The Baking and Pastry associate degree is laid out as 18 credits in each of the first three semesters, 19 in the fourth, and a 3-credit externship in the summer between the first and second years. That adds up to 76 credits, above the catalog’s 60-credit minimum for associate degrees. Twelve 3-credit BAK courses, the externship among them, make up the pastry core. Around them sit Culinary Foundations, Culinary Math, food and beverage management, table service, and general education in writing, speaking, nutrition, and ethics.
Restaurant and Food Service Management, BS: Baking and Pastry Track
The Restaurant and Food Service Management bachelor’s degree has two tracks, Baking and Pastry and Culinary. In the baking track, semesters one through four and the summer externship mirror the associate degree. Semesters five through eight add 67 credits in accounting, marketing, hospitality law, statistics, revenue management, entrepreneurship, and leadership, ending with a one-credit capstone. The guide totals 142 credits, against a 120-credit catalog minimum for bachelor’s degrees.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
Both curriculum guides require the same baking courses, each worth 3 credits unless noted. Lackawanna’s course descriptions give the content:
- Baking Industry Knowledge and Baking and Pastry Foundations (first semester)
- Introduction to Cakes, covering buttercreams, icings, fillings, and basic piping
- Intro to Hot and Cold Desserts, including sorbets, ice creams, and gelatos
- Basic and Artisan Breads, with laminated doughs and the baker’s percentage system
- Plated Desserts, built around à la carte dessert service
- Baking and Pastry Externship (summer, minimum 120 hours)
- Confectionary and Cake Designs, Contemporary Chocolate Techniques, and Advanced Baking Principles (third semester)
- Sugar Artistry and Platter and Production Desserts (fourth semester)
Several zero-credit requirements also appear on the guides: the National ServSafe Exam, a pass/fail Baking and Pastry Extern Prep course, the RAMP exam for responsible alcohol service, and a Baking Practical Exam. Second-semester labs require the first-semester baking and food safety courses, and second-year labs require the externship.
Tuition and Additional Costs
Lackawanna’s 2026–27 tuition and fees page lists undergraduate tuition of $9,075 a semester for 12–18 credits, $650 per credit for part-time study, and $250 per credit in summer. Each semester also carries a $130 activity fee and a $450 technology fee, and Baking and Pastry majors pay a $475 program fee each semester. New students pay a one-time $650 new student fee. Estimates follow the curriculum guide sequences:
| Program | Credits | Terms | Estimated tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry AS | 76 | 4 semesters plus 1 summer | $41,995 |
| Restaurant and Food Service Management BS, Baking and Pastry Track | 142 | 8 semesters plus 1 summer | $78,715 |
The associate figure is four semesters of tuition ($36,300), activity and technology fees ($2,320), and the baking program fee ($1,900), plus the summer externship at $750 with a $75 technology fee, and the new student fee. The bachelor’s figure uses eight semesters of tuition ($72,600) and activity and technology fees ($4,640), with the same summer and new student charges. It leaves out the $475 program fee because the fee schedule names Baking and Pastry majors and does not say whether track students pay it. If they do during the four lab semesters, add $1,900.
Neither estimate reflects scholarships or grants, and both exclude the one-time commitment fee ($100 for commuters, $375 for residents), the $170 graduation fee, commuter parking at $100 a semester, books, uniforms, and tools. The fourth associate semester is 19 credits, one above the flat-rate band, so students should ask how the extra credit is billed. On-campus housing runs $3,535–$5,165 a semester, and the 19-meal plan is $2,415.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Lackawanna’s admissions page asks for an online application, which is free for degree-seeking students, an official high school transcript or GED score transcript, and official transcripts from any college previously attended. Applicants take the ACCUPLACER placement assessment unless they submit SAT or ACT scores or bring acceptable transfer credit. Admission is rolling, and the college accepts applications up to the first day of a semester.
Financial aid starts with the FAFSA. The college states that activity, technology, and program fees are included in the cost of attendance, so financial aid may cover them.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
Program goals for the associate degree center on practical experience in the student-run restaurant and the externship. Students also prepare for ServSafe Manager and RAMP certification. For the bachelor’s track, the college lists careers such as pastry chef, restaurant manager, catering manager, and food and beverage director.
Because the first two years match, associate students can continue into the bachelor’s track at Lackawanna without changing colleges. The catalog lists no American Culinary Federation accreditation for either program.
Which Lackawanna Pathway May Fit You?
| Pathway | May fit students who want |
|---|---|
| Baking and Pastry AS | Two years of pastry labs in Scranton, from artisan breads to chocolate and sugar work, with a summer externship |
| Restaurant and Food Service Management BS, Baking and Pastry Track | The same pastry foundation followed by two years of mostly online business coursework aimed at management roles |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- What would my net price be after Lackawanna scholarships and grants?
- How is the 19th credit in the fourth semester billed?
- Do bachelor’s track students pay the $475 baking program fee, and for how many semesters?
- What uniforms and tools are required, and does the program fee cover any of them?
- Which bachelor’s courses in years three and four can be completed fully online?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Lackawanna College before applying.