Philadelphia, PA (population: 1,445,993) has nine culinary schools within its city limits. Drexel University, the highest ranked school in the city with a culinary program, has a total student population of 22,493. It is the 108th highest ranked school in the USA and the 8th highest in the state of Pennsylvania (#1 is University of Pennsylvania).
Culinary students from Philadelphia schools who go on to become culinary artists, bakers, chefs, cooks, etc. have a good chance at finding employment. For example, there are 140,510 people working as bakers alone in the US, and their average annual salary is $25,350. Also, Cooks, private household make on average $27,720 per year and there are about 770 of them employed in the US today.
Philadelphia lies in Philadelphia county, which is one of the 32 counties in Pennsylvania. Overall, the Philadelphia Metropolitan area has 1,832,880 total employed workers according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 0.6% unemployment rate, $23.24/hr average worker wage, and a $48,340 average annual salary.
Of the 9 culinary schools in Philadelphia, only 2 have a student population over 10k. After taking into account tuition, living expenses, and financial aid, Drexel University comes out as the most expensive ($31,832/yr) for culinary students, with Community College of Philadelphia as the lowest, reported at only $6,012/yr.
| Name | State | Population | # of Schools | Avg School Rank | Total Programs | Distance from Philadelphia |
| Camden | NJ | 79,551 | 3 | 29.1661 | 117 | 5.0 miles |
| Willow Grove | PA | - | 3 | 11.6322 | 2 | 9.3 miles |
| Cherry Hill | NJ | 67,762 | 4 | 25.0729 | 31 | 10.3 miles |
| Villanova | PA | - | 1 | 40.5194 | 89 | 11.8 miles |
| Bensalem | PA | - | 1 | 22.0218 | 10 | 12.1 miles |
| Lester | PA | - | 1 | 30.6119 | 9 | 12.6 miles |
| Saint Davids | PA | - | 1 | 63.725 | 73 | 13.3 miles |
| Mount Laurel | NJ | - | 1 | 24.9456 | 10 | 13.7 miles |
| Media | PA | - | 3 | 15.9195 | 126 | 15.1 miles |
| North Wales | PA | - | 1 | 28.6361 | 21 | 16.0 miles |
| Sewell | NJ | - | 1 | 12.0629 | 44 | 16.9 miles |
| Immaculata | PA | - | 1 | 58.1716 | 78 | 23.2 miles |
| Ewing | NJ | - | 1 | 79.0387 | 77 | 24.9 miles |
| Exton | PA | - | 3 | 20.3095 | 11 | 26.4 miles |
| Hamilton | NJ | 90,700 | 4 | 37.771 | 92 | 28.0 miles |
| Pottstown | PA | - | 2 | 23.767 | 4 | 31.9 miles |
| New Castle | DE | - | 1 | 19.251 | 66 | 33.4 miles |
| West Windsor | NJ | - | 1 | 10.9855 | 60 | 33.6 miles |
| Center Valley | PA | - | 2 | 15.5079 | 66 | 38.5 miles |
| Vineland | NJ | 59,417 | 1 | 13.5656 | 33 | 38.7 miles |
| Ocean | NJ | - | 1 | 28.4333 | 4 | 43.5 miles |
| Mays Landing | NJ | - | 1 | 11.4678 | 27 | 44.1 miles |
| Lincoln University | PA | - | 1 | 24.1268 | 75 | 44.6 miles |
| Bethlehem | PA | 72,174 | 6 | 30.1067 | 269 | 44.7 miles |
| Allentown | PA | 107,685 | 6 | 40.2718 | 194 | 44.8 miles |
| East Brunswick | NJ | 48,086 | 0 | - | 0 | 47.4 miles |
| Fogelsville | PA | - | 1 | 23.1549 | 18 | 47.7 miles |
| Reading | PA | 80,046 | 7 | 29.6919 | 274 | 48.0 miles |
| New Brunswick | NJ | 52,736 | 2 | 41.2629 | 152 | 48.9 miles |
| Toms River | NJ | 131,619 | 3 | 29.102 | 89 | 51.1 miles |