The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America is moderately difficult to get into.

If you want to apply to The Culinary Institute of America, the application fee is $50.

Students who apply to The Culinary Institute of America for the fall semester should hear back from The Culinary Institute of America by June 1.

The Culinary Institute of America Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here is an overiew of some of The Culinary Institute of America's admissions stats.

The Culinary Institute of America 2023	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.3
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	22%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	5%
Waitlist	No

The Culinary Institute of America Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for The Culinary Institute of America.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	No	–	–
Early Decision II	–	–	–
Early Action	Yes	November 15	December 15

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Want to Apply Early to The Culinary Institute of America?

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The Culinary Institute of America does not offer early decision but does offer early action.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is November 15. The Culinary Institute of America will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 15.

Some students apply early in hopes that it will increase their chances of getting in. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase the chance of being admitted, since it shows your interest in a school.

➡️ Find a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on The Culinary Institute of America Admissions

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How Hard Is It To Get Admitted to CIA?

CIA is a moderately difficult school to get into. CIA evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny.

In 2022, CIA **accepted .

Schools that are moderately difficult to get into, like CIA, accept fewer than 85% of all applicants. At least 75% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 50% of their high school class and scored over 1010 on the SAT or over 18 on the ACT.

Transferring to The Culinary Institute of America

For more information on transferring to The Culinary Institute of America, contact the school directly.

For Students Waitlisted to The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What's Most Important for Getting Into The Culinary Institute of America?

Colleges consider a range of factors when deciding who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are they consider most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that put the most emphasis on the admissions factors where you stand out.

Admissions Factors at The Culinary Institute of America

What does The Culinary Institute of America consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Character/Personal Qualities	Considered
Class Rank	Considered
Application Essay	Considered
Extracurricular Activities	Considered
Recommendation(s)	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Talent/Ability	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Considered

Make sure to check with The Culinary Institute of America for more information on admission factors.

The Culinary Institute of America Application Requirements

Make sure to check in with The Culinary Institute of America's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into The Culinary Institute of America?

Students admitted to The Culinary Institute of America have an average unweighted GPA of 3.3.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

The Culinary Institute of America is test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2021, 22% of The Culinary Institute of America's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 5% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for The Culinary Institute of America?

To be competitive with other The Culinary Institute of America applicants, you should strive to earn between 1000 and 1220 (or higher!) on the SAT. At The Culinary Institute of America 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1220 and 25% of scored lower than 1000, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of The Culinary Institute of America students scored 610 or higher and 75% of students scored 500 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of The Culinary Institute of America students scored 630 or higher, and 75% scored a 500 or higher.

To be most competitive at The Culinary Institute of America, you should strive to earn between 20 and 27 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 27 means you fall in the 75th percentile for The Culinary Institute of America's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 27, and three out of four students scored lower than 27 on the ACT.

A 20 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for The Culinary Institute of America students. Only one out of every four students scored below 20.

More Information on Transferring to The Culinary Institute of America

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is February 1.

Transfer students can enroll in The Culinary Institute of America during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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The Culinary Institute of America Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to The Culinary Institute of America?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to The Culinary Institute of America.

Does The Culinary Institute of America accept transfer credits?

✅ The Culinary Institute of America accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions. The Culinary Institute of America accepts:

• CLEP subject tests • DSST/DANTES

Do I have to submit test scores to The Culinary Institute of America?

❌ No, The Culinary Institute of America is test optional, so you can decide if you want to to send your test scores. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you may want to send them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you may want not want to include them in your application.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at The Culinary Institute of America?

❌ The Culinary Institute of America does not offer early decision.

Want To Learn More About The Culinary Institute of America?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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