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Head chefs generally don't care where or even if you went to school.  In a sense, having a culinary degree on your resume means you have to live up to it.  In my case it was like "hah, you from the CIA?  Let's see what you can do."  Oh you cannot make souffle?  FAIL!  :D

I am always suspicious of "degrees"  in a manual trade like cooking.

Other people aren't, and love to see them.  Some of these are the HR people, new owners, and in the case of one day wanting to own your own place, the banker and the landlord

From my personal experience, having a culinary degree is just a way to get your foot in the door and for networking. I have no degree but was willing to start as a dishwasher and within months worked my way up to the line in a fine dinning restaurant. I just proved my skills by offering to help the cooks with prep work after i would finish my cleaning/dishes. If you have the drive and show the will to learn, it will not go unnoticed. In the end its what you can prove on a consistent basis, but having the degree helps get you the job if your work experience is lacking.

Based on experience, I have met a number of people who do not have degrees but are better than those who have one.

Cooking is about ability and taste. Degrees mean little, its an artisan craft. You learn from those who can cook, and either you can or you can't. In Australia the idea of a degree in cooking seems weird. For us it is a craft passed on to those who wish to learn.

I did the same, worked as a dishwasher and moved up. Now I'm working for a great chef who is showing me the ropes of being a sous. Don't get me wrong, I'd never call myself a chef and i don't get paid like a sous, but I'm learning and I'm filling the role as far as the people working for e are concerned. Of course, if you have the time and money, schooling can't hurt. It will give you a chance to learn things outside of whatever niche your job is in, but working is the only way to get hands on, practical experience.

it all depends.....if your looking for a line cook and see CIA, or maybee to a lesser extenet CCA, I would skip right over him, or her. Too much $ and ego. On the other hand if I see Western Culinary Institute I might take a look at them if they have some previous background.....I really like to see that they were in the biz a while, before attending school....just my opinion