Johnson & Wales University-Providence

The first and largest of the four Johnson & Wales University campuses, the Providence campus is home to more than 9,000 students and is spread across 176 acres in the city centre, as well as being among the most highly-regarded culinary schools in the United States.

The school was originally established in 1914 as a business school but over the years it has developed to include a number of other disciplines and the Johnson & Wales Universities are now the largest food service educator in the world. The Providence campus now has a subsidiary campus in Cranston, Rhode Island, which was opened in 1985 and is home to the culinary and graduate programs.

Culinary, hospitality and business programs are by far the most popular courses, although there are also arts & sciences, graduate, engineering and design programs available.

Around half of the JWU student population live in one of the 13 on-campus residence halls, while many others choose to live in downtown Providence, one of the United States’ oldest cities and home to over 30,000 students. The city itself is a renowned cultural centre and has an extensive waterfront full of bars and restaurants, while the cities of Boston, Cape Cod, Newport and New York are a short drive away.

The university has produced some world-famous chefs who work in countries all over the world. Among the famous faces that have graduated from JWU Providence are Randal Tye Thomas, the former mayor of Gun Barrel City in Texas, as well as celebrity chefs Chris Santos and Emeril Lagasse.