Tennessee has five schools with baking or pastry training: four community colleges and one private college, serving Nashville, the Knoxville area, Morristown, and Memphis. Options include a dedicated baking and pastry diploma, baking-focused technical certificates of 21 and 27 credits, an associate degree with a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration, and broader culinary credentials that include baking.
The community colleges on this page charge residents $197 per credit through 12 credits in a term, plus standard fees. Estimated standard tuition and fees run from about $4,493 to $5,213 for the baking certificates and about $10,752 for four 15-credit terms of an associate degree, before culinary fees. Remington College publishes a single tuition price for its diploma.
Baking and Pastry Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Programs, Credits and Estimated Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville State Community College | Nashville | Culinary Arts technical certificate: one year – about $4,726 Culinary Arts A.A.S.: two years – about $9,490 |
| Pellissippi State Community College | Knoxville area | Culinary Arts A.A.S., Baking and Pastry Arts concentration: 60 or more credits – about $10,752 General Culinary Arts certificate: one semester |
| Remington College | Nashville | Baking and Pastry diploma: 52 quarter credits – $13,697 |
| Southwest Tennessee Community College | Memphis | Baking/Pastry technical certificate: 21 credits – about $4,493 |
| Walters State Community College | Morristown (certificate); Sevierville (A.A.S.) | Culinary Arts Baking/Pastry and Hot Foods technical certificate: 27 credits – about $5,213 Business – Culinary Arts A.A.S.: 60 credits |
These figures use different bases, before financial aid. Nashville State’s are the school’s own published tuition and fee estimates; its profile gives lengths but no credit totals, and it is unclear whether the estimates include the $30-per-credit culinary course fee. Pellissippi State’s is four 15-credit resident semesters at the published 2026–27 term total of $2,688, and no program figure is given for its one-semester certificate. Southwest’s is a 12-credit plus a nine-credit resident term from its published chart, and Walters State’s is estimated standard resident tuition and fees for a 12-credit plus a 15-credit term, with its $20-per-credit culinary fee extra; no figure is given for the Walters State A.A.S. Remington College’s figure is its published diploma tuition only, in quarter credits, which should not be compared directly with semester credits. All figures exclude lab and culinary fees, tools, uniforms, books, ingredients, and living costs.
Which Tennessee Baking Program May Fit You?
Earn a Baking-Focused Associate Degree
Pellissippi State Community College in the Knoxville area offers a Culinary Arts A.A.S. with a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration. The degree pathway names Fundamentals of Baking, Advanced Baking and Pastry, European Cakes and Tortes, Artisan and Special Breads, Plated Desserts and Presentations, and an internship.
Earn a Baking Certificate at a Public College
Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis lists a 21-credit Baking/Pastry technical certificate at its Macon Cove campus. Walters State Community College in Morristown offers a 27-credit technical certificate that combines baking and pastry with hot foods and can apply to its 60-credit culinary associate degree.
Earn a Dedicated Pastry Diploma in Nashville
Remington College offers an eight-month Baking and Pastry diploma of 52 quarter credits that concentrates on breads, cakes, desserts, chocolate, and bakeshop operations, in a hybrid format with supervised in-person kitchen work.
Study Culinary Arts With Baking in Nashville
Nashville State Community College offers a one-year Culinary Arts technical certificate and a two-year Culinary Arts A.A.S. Both include baking within wider food preparation and operations study, with most culinary classes at the Southeast campus.
Certificate, Diploma, or Associate Degree?
Technical Certificates
The 21-credit Southwest certificate and 27-credit Walters State certificate offer shorter public-college routes than an associate degree. Southwest specifically names Baking/Pastry, while Walters State combines baking and pastry with hot foods. Nashville State’s one-year certificate and Pellissippi State’s one-semester General Culinary Arts certificate are broader culinary credentials. Check class scheduling before assuming a certificate can be finished in two terms.
Baking and Pastry Diploma
Remington’s diploma is dedicated to baking and pastry and has an eight-month published length. Its quarter-credit total should not be compared directly with community college semester credits. Compare the actual kitchen hours, written total price, and transfer options.
Associate Degrees
Pellissippi State’s A.A.S. names a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration. Nashville State and Walters State offer broader culinary associate degrees. An applied degree adds time and cost, but may include management, general education, an internship, or applied service. Ask any future transfer school to evaluate individual courses.
Tuition and Additional Costs
For 2026–27, Pellissippi State and Walters State charge residents $197 per credit through 12 credits in a term and $44 for each additional credit, plus standard fees; Southwest’s resident schedule also charges $197 per credit up to 12 credits. Published resident term totals are $2,542 for 12 credits at Southwest and $2,688 for 15 credits at Pellissippi State. Culinary courses carry extra per-credit fees of $20 at Walters State and $30 at Nashville State.
Remington College’s Nashville tuition schedule lists $13,697 for the Baking and Pastry diploma. Ask for a written enrollment agreement that separates tuition from fees, tools, uniforms, books, and other required supplies.
Baking students should also budget for:
- Culinary and baking lab fees, including per-credit surcharges
- Tools, uniforms, nonslip shoes, books, and ingredients
- Transportation to the lab campus or an internship site
- Nonresident tuition, if it applies
- Housing and living expenses
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- Which courses are dedicated to baking and pastry, not general culinary work?
- What is the exact required credit total in the current catalog?
- Will required labs run during the terms I plan to attend, and at which campus?
- What is the full cost after course fees, equipment, and supplies?
- Can certificate or diploma credits apply to an associate degree or transfer elsewhere?
- Is the specific credential eligible for federal and Tennessee aid, such as Tennessee Promise or Tennessee Reconnect?
Nashville State Community College
Nashville State’s Randy Rayburn School of Culinary Arts offers a one-year Culinary Arts technical certificate and a two-year Culinary Arts A.A.S. Both include baking within broader preparation for kitchens, restaurants, hotels, and bakeshops, and the A.A.S. adds business, computers, general education, and culinary operations. Most culinary classes are at the Southeast campus, and the school lists American Culinary Federation accreditation for the A.A.S.
See the Nashville State Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Pellissippi State Community College
Pellissippi State offers a Culinary Arts A.A.S. with a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration that reaches 60 or more credits. Its pathway names Fundamentals of Baking, Advanced Baking and Pastry, European Cakes and Tortes, Artisan and Special Breads, Plated Desserts and Presentations, and an internship, alongside sanitation, nutrition, purchasing, and general education. A one-semester General Culinary Arts certificate is a smaller starting point, though it does not include the full pastry sequence.
See the Pellissippi State Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Remington College
Remington College has a dedicated Baking and Pastry diploma at its Nashville campus. Its catalog describes 52 quarter credits over eight months, with 320 classroom hours and 576 supervised lab hours and no externship hours listed. The courses cover breads, pastries, chocolate, cakes and tortes, plated desserts, culinary math, and bakery operations in a hybrid format with in-person kitchen work.
See the Remington College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Southwest’s 21-credit Baking/Pastry technical certificate is taught at the Culinary Institute on its Macon Cove campus in Memphis, which includes kitchen, classroom, and demonstration facilities. The certificate is aimed at entry-level baking and pastry work, including high-production food service. Southwest also lists a broader Culinary Arts pathway, so ask an advisor how the certificate courses apply to a longer credential and when each required lab runs.
See the Southwest Tennessee Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Walters State Community College
Walters State’s 27-credit technical certificate combines baking and pastry with hot food preparation, and its credits can apply to the college’s 60-credit culinary associate degree. The Maples Institute includes a commercial kitchen and bake shop, with opportunities for applied food service work. The certificate page lists Morristown, while the A.A.S. page lists Sevierville, so confirm where each course is held.
See the Walters State Community College baking profile for curriculum, costs, and admissions details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Tennessee schools offer baking or pastry programs?
Five schools are listed: Nashville State Community College; Pellissippi State Community College; Remington College; Southwest Tennessee Community College; and Walters State Community College. Their credentials differ in how much of the coursework is dedicated to baking.
What is the shortest baking program in Tennessee?
Among the focused public-college options, Southwest’s Baking/Pastry technical certificate has the smallest credit total, at 21 credits. Remington lists an eight-month diploma measured in quarter credits. Actual completion time depends on class scheduling.
Does Tennessee offer a baking and pastry associate degree?
Pellissippi State offers a Culinary Arts A.A.S. with a Baking and Pastry Arts concentration. Walters State and Nashville State offer broader culinary associate degrees that include baking coursework. Ask each school how much of its required work is specifically devoted to pastry.
How much does a baking program cost in Tennessee?
For a resident taking the stated course loads, Southwest’s 21-credit certificate is estimated at about $4,493 in standard tuition and fees, and Walters State’s 27-credit certificate at about $5,213 before culinary charges. Nashville State publishes approximate totals of $4,726 for its one-year culinary certificate and $9,490 for its A.A.S., and four 15-credit resident terms at Pellissippi State come to about $10,752. Remington lists $13,697 in tuition for its diploma. Tools, books, uniforms, and aid change the actual cost.
Can I complete a Tennessee baking program online?
The programs listed here require hands-on kitchen work. Remington describes a hybrid format, and Nashville State notes that some courses may be online. Confirm the campus lab schedule before enrolling.
Program requirements and costs can change. Confirm all details with the school before applying.