The Culinary Arts Program at University of Hawai’i Maui College (UHMC) has been included on the 2016 list of 50 Best Culinary Schools in the United States.

The program has been ranked Number 29 in the nation, the highest ranking of any college-level culinary program in the state of Hawai‘i.

“We’re thrilled to be recognized,” says Program Coordinator Chef Teresa Shurilla. “It’s great to be included with schools that operate at such a high level. Our program is a true group effort – faculty, staff, students, advisors – and this really validates all the hard work that every single person puts in.”

Lei’s Family Class Act Restaurant at UHMC just opened for the season on August 31, and will be ope for lunch Wednesday and Friday through December.  See the rotating menu and more here.  The student-run restaurant was recently rated the #2 overall restaurant in Hawai‘i by OpenTable.com.

Chef Teresa Shurilla explaining dessert to student servers at Leis Family Class Act Restaurant on the first day of service this season. Courtesy photo.

Hamachi Crudo at Leis Family Class Act Restaurant. Courtesy photo.

The national list was compiled by Best Choice Schools, the free

Chef Tom Lelli instructing how to plate salad at UHMC’s restaurant. Courtesy photo.

online resource for helping students select college and academic degree programs, and make career changes.

According to the website, this is how the list was compiled: “We looked at culinary schools across the United States to develop a list of what we believe to be the 50 best culinary schools or programs in the nation. From our initial list, we looked for schools that offer hands-on experience, internship/externship opportunities, student operated restaurants, modern facilities, and a solid reputation in the industry. We only looked at schools that were nationally accredited or accredited by the American Culinary Federation. We came up with our list of the 50 Best Programs and ranked them based on the information we reviewed and our overall impression of the school, information from College Navigator, internet reviews, and the school website. All of these schools offer quality programs which can help students be successful in the field of culinary arts.”

For complete details on Maui’s program, please visit the UHMC Culinary Arts webpage.