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Is ITT Tech. Institute a school that is worth going to, or...

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Answer by gary
Submitted on 4/27/2004
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ITT Tech is a joke. A complete waste of time. The teachers did not what they were teaching at all. In matter of fact a teacher of mine said "They wanted me to teach tech classes and I am a economics teacher, they said it didint matter, just give the students a lab and let them mess around for the remainder of the peiod" another one of my teachers stated on the first day of class "I dont know anyhting about this subject, I am going to be learning with you". The picture I got was students with financial aid were better of passing, almost guaranteed. I paid cash for the school, I took 2 quarters off in pursuit of a better career. Collectors called me to collect my remaining balance of $1600 dollars, I paid for my entire schooling cash...so, doesnt that sound un professional. Itt tech was a dissapointment, I feel like I wasted time and money. In matter of fact many tech pro's stated they would never hire an Itt tech student.

Answer by Robert
Submitted on 6/6/2004
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I am currently attending Itt-Tech and I have to say that I am sort of split down the middle. The teachers that I have DO know what they are talking about, but in the process they don't go into what they are teaching. I mainly blame the books they use, 2 classes we went through the entire book to mark out circuits drawn wrong, bad explanations, incorrect labeling, and labs we couldn't do because they were all wrong. But there is a lot of hands on stuff going on! I graduate in september of 2004 and might be going back for my bachelors. And attending in Louisiana for now for CEET computer Electronic Engineering Tech. Also all my teachers were either in the army, navy, or whatever to get into the field they wanted and all have Masters in what they are teaching. So it really all depends on what state you are in and how qualified your teachers are. P.s. Try not to miss many classes, you tend to miss a hella lot! lol

Answer by ssidrahk
Submitted on 7/21/2004
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I agree fully with Radraver. I also have a 4.0. The books are horrible. ITT wouldn't be so bad if they would stop using books written by the lowest bidder in India (they really are written by the lowest bidder in India). Here's a direct quote from my Novell book "A group is a group of users making up a group." What the f***??!?! The lab assignments in the books are all messed up as well. Most of the teachers are knowledgable in their subjects, but they don't seem to really want to be there and don't care if we learn or not. If ITT charged a normal college tuition, then it would be worth the value; but with them charging us $35k for an associates degree, it's definately not worth the money. And as mentioned above, you can not transfer credits to a different college. Once you start ITT, you're stuck there or you wasted a lot of money. Here in Texas, we don't even have the option of going for a bachelor's degree at all. So if I want to get one, I have to start over again from the beginning at a new college or move to another state to continue with ITT.

Answer by ConfusedInMemphis
Submitted on 8/9/2004
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I'm a current ITT Tech student in Memphis, Tn. I'm starting to worry about the quality of education I'm paying for. The online classes here suck. I, as well as others, have instructors who don't know what they are teaching. A few instructors here are for real, but for the most part, they are there for a paycheck. Our dean just got fired, and so did some other exec. This was due to some financial problems or something. Several of the students that started when I did have already dropped out due to misleading promises made by the recruiters. I don't know what to do. I'm in my second quarter. Just thought I would give my personal insight.

Answer by Anonymous Professor
Submitted on 8/30/2004
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OK. Here's the deal. I am a part time instructor at ITT. I actually started out at a tech school and have been pretty successful in life, so I wanted to sort of "give back" if you will, to really make a difference and teach at a place like I went to. When they hired me, the asked for a list of classes that I felt I could teach. I am a Sr. Software Engineer by day and really wanted to make an impact teaching programming, web design, and database theory to students. However, that list went out the window and they put me down for Networking and Linux classes. Of course I told them I don't know more than the basics of either of those subjects, but that didn't matter to them. "We have all the curriculum. You can just learn it as you go." Understand this: ITT is a for-profit school, meaning if you fail and drop out, they don't get paid. So really, it is the job of the instructor to make sure you pass, regardless of your knowledge. Of course the classes are easy. If it was hard and the pass/fail rate was anywhere near a "real" college, they couldn't stay in business. That being said, you get what out of ITT, or any school, what you put into it. Many professors here, including myself, do care about the students, try to teach to the best of our abilities, and are knowledgeable in the subject. But if your parents, workman's comp, or the army is paying the bills and you really don't care or put an effort in, you still are going to blow $35K on nothing. But that would be the same at a regular school too. My personal advice would be for you to figure out what you want to do and do that at a local junior college, then transfer to a four year university. A two year degree is worthless these days, and with a struggling economy not many people are looking for entry level people with an AA from ITT-Tech. But no matter where you go, apply yourself. It is all about how much you can learn before you hit the job market. Employers want real-world skills, even from entry level applicants. You must be able to demonstrate that you can perform the job in the interview or you�ll never get that job. Good luck

Answer by jex590
Submitted on 9/1/2004
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I DO NOT or WOULD NOT ever recommend anybody going to ITT Tech. I just quit my teaching job there. (I taught Math part time this past year in the Chicago area) First off anyone that said that they don't feel that they learned something is completely correct. The way they have things setup IS NOT an effective way for learning. A 4-5 hour class one day a week is not how you learn anything. (It also SUCKS to teach 1 class for that long of a period of time.) To the person who didn�t like the books, you are right, they do SUCK!!!! Second, for the education that you do get, and the money that you will spend, you are better off at a community college. THEY ARE CHEAPER!!!! I went to a community college, for a while, and I am currently teaching at one. Based on my experiences as a student, and a teacher, I think that you will find that you will get a better education, and if you do decide to transfer to a university, or private college, your credits will transfer. The credits don�t transfer from ITT, because it is not an accredited school. This also effects on how some employers feel about the education received there. The engineering firm that I work for (my �real� full time job is design engineer) wouldn�t even think about hiring somebody from ITT. If we�re talking about ITT�s CAD program, where I was at, they only taught AutoCAD/Mechanical Desktop. This software is great, one because it is very easy teach, and for students to learn and that several companies use it. Except large corporations like John Deere, GM, Ford, they don�t, they use Unigraphics, or Pro-E or something that is more 3-D modeling based. The engineering firm that I work at now, uses Unigraphics, and we are a small place, but since most of the work we do is for the automotive industry, and that is what GM, is using, that is what we use. Where I am currently teaching they not only teach AutoCAD, but CADKEY, Pro-E, Unigraphics, Solid Works, Inventor, and 3-D Studio Max. Finally, if you only want associates degree, you are better off at a community college. With your associates, you WILL get a job, just about anywhere that they want an individual with a technology based education. When I got mine, I got the associates, along with a certificate that said that I was proficient in Mechanical Design. I worked my way through college at various manufacturing/engineering corporations working in either drafting departments, or in test labs. Unless you are overwhelmingly impressed by the commercials on TV, I would seriously look into what your local community or city college can offer. If the one in your district doesn�t offer you something that you feel you need, you can always petition the department, and the college to let you take something out of district for the same cost. You will get a better education, and more importantly if you want to go higher with you education, you will have more options.

Answer by Ryan
Submitted on 9/7/2004
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I am a third quarter ITT Tech student at the Canton facility in Michigan. In the two years before I started attending ITT, I had gone through failure after failure in different community colleges in my area. After all of the upset of failed attempts at college, I took a chance and went down to the ITT campus in Canton. When I got there, I was greeted by an ITT representative who gave me the full break down on the accomplishments ITT has established in the past twenty years. To say the least, the information impressed me. So I saddled up and moved into the technical realm studying for CNS (Computer Networking Systems). Now, after my first two quarters here, I have grown quite attached to my little single hall campus. Like every school that I have attended, you occasionally get a teacher with a little bit of a "learning dissability" but for the most part, every teacher I've had have been incredible teachers. Most of my teachers have been pulled from the corporate world and understand the things that will make you successful in a technical enviroment. I will agree on one point that I heard in a posting on this page and that was the information in the text books that we recieve. There are a fair amount of errors in the books they supply us with, but a good teacher will notice those mistakes and adapt his/her technics to make sure you are still getting just information. So all in all, I would have to say that ITT has saved me from a life of flipping burgers and the McDonalds down the road or taking orders from a training managment at the local hardware store. For this alone, I am very grateful.

Answer by Fane
Submitted on 9/10/2004
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i just finished my first session at ITT, and low and behold, i have learned..well nothing. I had an online class thata third grader could have passed, and a math class that was something a third grader would pass also. I am Paying money for Cisco like corses that arent cisco. and I HAVE ALREAY HAD ALL FOUR SEMESTERS. They are trying to charge me AGAIN to take something I took, IN HIGH SCHOOL, that counted for college credit. The more I think about it, the more I am really starting to hate this school. Another thing I dislike, is the fact that They said they would work with me on my schedule. I work full time and support myself so I have to work full time(it takes care of benefits, and rent, and insurance, and bills) BUT they didnt, They gave me classes that conflict with my work schedule, so I had to go to my boss and work out something completely stupid so I could attend school. now I dont have much of a weekend because I have to work to make up the time I have to be at school. My rep wrote down the days I can attend school, and the times, Sadly, He achieved neither. I MIGHT finish this semester, then I'm getting the hell out of here. Join the Air force and have them pay me to go to school, and get an education that I can actually use instead of piddle farting with stuff I already know.

Answer by Doogie
Submitted on 9/13/2004
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I have an associate�s degree from ITT out of Spokane, Washington. In hindsight, I think it would have been a better move to attend a state university. At the time I was sold on the fact that you finish the program in 2 years. Now, I need a piece of paper that says "bachelor�s degree" on it to be promotable at work. So my options are limited to returning to ITT for a year. Unless I opt to spend the next 6 years attending a state school (no thanks). In my opinion, an education is what you make of it. I work with ITT students that run circles around employees with "real" bachelor degrees. ITTs tuition costs are higher than tuition at a state school. But, tell that to my brother. He is getting a bachelor's from Montana State this year and he is approaching $50k in total debt. Ouch!

Answer by Jekler
Submitted on 9/17/2004
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I'm in my first quarter at ITT. I have to say it's a good school so far. The teachers are knowledgeable for the most part, the books and teachers do make mistakes, but that's not a symptom unique to ITT Tech. Almost every published technical manual or reference I've ever seen has a large number of mistakes. There's not a single book on programming out there where all the code actually works. "I have a 4.0 and hardly even opened a book." To this I say, if you're not getting an education, start trying. You're not getting one because you're not seeking one. They give you material, if you don't read it, don't do further study or research on the subject matter, then you are just wasting your money. I really have to say, the experience is what you make of it. If you put forth the effort, you'll get something back. If you sit back and just saunter through, completing exactly what's required and no more, that's a pretty good analogy to how you're going to lead the rest of your life. Minimum effort, minimum wage. I'd have to say the school is for self-motivated people. They don't jab you with a cattle prod to get you going. Either you're into IT stuff or you're not. There's a few people at the school I go to (Norwood OH) who are taking courses for the second or third time who just didn't try the first time through and aren't motivated to really do it. I think I have an advantage because I was 100% certain that I wanted to do it, and I knew what program of study I wanted to go through. As for credits not being accepted at some other schools, why was that a surprise? ITTs accreditation is readily available, and most every university in the US publishes a list of accreditations they accept transfers from. Of course, even if your transfers are rejected, you can always write an appeal to the college you're applying to, make an appearance and argue your case (That you really know what you're doing and that you'll make a wonderful asset to the school). They might very well accept your transfer credit solely on the basis that you were ambitious enough to write a letter of appeal.

Answer by John
Submitted on 9/17/2004
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ITT Tech and similar schools are rip offs, offering a technical education that will become obsolete in a few years while charging tuition that is comparable to state universities. The schools are a scam to siphon federal finachial aid money. Some of the programs in their curriculum rely on teaching the current technology (programming languages, system-specific software and hardware) and not the science and theory behind it (e.g. compiler design and automata theory haven't changed much since the 1960s and before). New programming languages and hardware architectures come out all the time, your technical knowledge from ITT Tech will be obsolete within 10 years, most likely sooner than that.

Answer by Joe from NC
Submitted on 10/4/2004
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Personally I feel ITT Tech is a good school overall, the books do suck though. The only reason I am attending is to get my degree. I already have a job as a Programmer for an Engineering firm. I recommend you just learn the stuff on your own, you are alot better off getting a job. The only down fall I see with ITT tech is they are not keeping up with the job market. I currently work as a .NET Developer and ITT Tech doesnt teach any .NET stuff. I wouldnt even have my job without going out reading programming books on my own. I say if you are in it for CAD it's ok. But I dont know about the multimedia and programming you might not have the most up to date skill when you graduate though.

Answer by Confidential
Submitted on 10/12/2004
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My experience at ITT was ok but not as rewarding as I hoped it would be. I mastered and became the best at AutoCadd there.Thats simple I could have learned that software as a kid. The school never gave the students actual on the job training like reading and studying Details and Blue Prints. And the differences in symbols in the different fields of Drafting.I learned that on the job and I found MY OWN LEADS"". I practically had to force the information out of my instructors to get the education I wanted. My suggestion to all those interested in the school know what your getting into before going in talk to the People employed by Drafting Companies. My advise go to a 4 Year university. ITT only teaches the basics.

Answer by Radraver
Submitted on 10/13/2004
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After 9 months at ITT (3rd. Quarter) I realized I was learning nothing and going into serious debt. I dropped and now attend community college. I'm learning, my credits are transferable, and the industry recognizes the degree. None of which can be said for at ITT. Not only does the curriculum fail to meet even a High School level of learning, the ITT I was attending failed to meet the minimum requirements set forth by the accrediting council and mandated by State and Federal laws. Not one of my courses met the 'hours of instruction per credit unit' requirements. Since tuition is based upon credit units, not only am I (and many others at ITT) being cheated out of an education, I'm paying for a service I'm not getting. Since ITT does this knowingly and willingly, it's freud.

Answer by VB
Submitted on 10/18/2004
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I have just started at ITT tech and was actually just surfing the net to find out what others thought about the school because thus far I've been unimpressed. Granted, this is my first quarter and therefore the subject matter is probably still very basic,but I am taking an operating systems class, a bull@#$& strategies class, and a hardware class and so far I have a A with zero hours of study. The online class I am taking with them is such a joke that I've spent exactly 1 hour each week on it and I have an A in that class also. I don't know,just wondering what others thought. I think I am going to quit and go back to a regular college next quarter and finish my BBA. Not worth the cash thus far! Thx all!

Answer by EU
Submitted on 11/9/2004
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ITT is a good school if you put in hard work. 1.Community Colleges are over ratio and students can not get needed classes. 2.The schedule from ITT is great because it allows you to go to work and school. 3.Credits do transfer and it is up to the accepting University to accept them or not. However, you need to keep your course catalogs and do the research. FOr example, Devry (a university) will accept an AS from ITT towards their BS. I have also heard of CAL States taking a BS from ITT towards a MASTERS in the correct field. There are also other schools that will take your degree. 4.Since ITT has 70+ schools, you WILL have more BAD students and BAD teachers. One of the best teachers I have had at ITT that runs his class like a real class (Masters from UCLA) has said ITT has the WORST students he has ever taught as a whole. Sure some teachers are BAD but some students are too. I got a job in my field my 3rd quarter in school and have been working as a manager in my degree's field since. I intend to finish my BS next June and possibly continue. ITT is a perfect school for working adults. 1.My company went to HIRE at ITT TECH and another nice company I know of has hired at ITT TECH and is part of the advisor board. 2.I worked with a student from SAN FRANCISCO with a BS in CS and he tells me that career services for his school are non-existent and more of the same type of things that happen at ITT and every OTHER COLLEGE. 3.When it comes to choosing a graduate from any school the interview process is what will win you the job. The degree will put your foot in the door to get the INTERVIEW but if you don�t show your skills at the interview, then you will not get the job. The facts are ITT is a known name in technology so that helps but it will not guarantee you a job. I have heard of students doing stupid things at interviews that have cost them job offers. 4.As far as marketable, you will have to know how to market yourself. That is YOUR JOB. There are people working in the field with only a HS diploma and self taught but they have had to prove more to get were they are at. I think you will able to compete with people with the same type of degree (AS, BS etc) However, since most people with a degree in technology have a BS, an AS will not do much for you in this field so you have to work at it. Experience is also a major factor. It is a very tough market out there, so you have to work hard at it to get in the field.

Answer by Slick
Submitted on 11/14/2004
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I am currently a quarter seven student at ITT. I am currently enrolled in their Applied Associates in Software Application Programming. I agree with everything that has been said about the ITT text books. The only way to learn programming is by having example code to look at to view the structures and variables, etc. The coding examples in the NIIT books are almost always wrong. While this has helped me tremendously with my ability to debug code by eye, it is not conducive to learning a new programming language from the beginning. As far as the teachers are concerned, I have had some that were great and some that were a real disappointment. My Database Administration teacher really motivated and challenged me. He is one of the best teachers i have ever had. On the other hand however, the first programming class I ever took was in Visual Basic. The teacher that I had for that class really let me down. He had never coded anything in VB. Needless to say that i had to teach myself this language. Not an easy task when almost all of the code in the book is wrong. When i graduate i will not be attending ITT for any of the bachelor degrees. It just costs too much money, for the quality of education that i am receiving. I will be attending a local college(University of Southern Indiana.) I believe i have the same odds of getting a job after graduation there as i would have at ITT, and the tuition is only 6k/yr. I can only hope that they will recognize my associates and start me as a junior. For those of you who have not experienced it yet, ITT is trying to send many classes on-line. This means that you may never see classroom time for any of the core classes in the Bachelors. Such as Physics, Statistics, etc. This seems to be pretty rough material to learn from home. In answer to the original post. If i had known, what i know now about ITT i would have not chosen to attend it. There are many better schools for a much lower price.

Answer by Noname32`
Submitted on 11/14/2004
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I also think that you get out of it what you put in. I am a CEET student in quarter 5, 4.0 GPA. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't do here. But college anywhere is better than nothing. Some of the teachers are good some are bad. It all depends on where you are. I live in a navy town so most of the electronics teachers are retired navy/marines and know their s**t. As for the cost of ITT... It seems high because it is. But, the reason for this isn't that they just want to charge that much, the reason is that public colleges get 1/3rd of their funding from the state and another 1/3rd from the feds. You only pay the remaining 1/3rd of the costs to attend. If think about that, the costs of a public school are about the same. P.s. The NIIT books are supposed to be going away very very soon. According to my dean anyway. ... I have never seen a text book that needed a disclaimer for its contents accuracy.

Answer by Brownie
Submitted on 12/8/2004
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I have discovered some interesting things about ITT. One, I can not believe that everyone there (administration) knows whats truly going on. If they do, they are just heartless, or have never opened an ITT text book. Either way, I feel completely scammed. To pay 35-36k for a "specialized" associates degree, a degree with credits that can't be transferred ANYWHERE besides another ITT is utterly ridiculous. They don't even offer bachelors degrees at every campus and there is no way I am completing all of a bachelors degree online. For a bachelors, I'd have to pay for an entirely different education all over again at another school in addition to the 36k for ITT. I'd be eating student loans for breakfast. That right there makes no sense, not to mention the fact that ANYONE can get in be it teachers or students. It's still early in this semester and I am withdrawing completely from the school tomorrow and registering for classes at my local community college. It's not worth it. I'd never pay the price of two cars, or a down payment on a nice house to go to a school where they have to coach the entire administration on what to say to the students. They also say they have flexible class schedules, yet you cant pick your own classes, nor the times. God forbid you have a long commute that takes two hours or more. Save money and time and go to a college that can give you a degree that you can take with you when you graduate. And while you're at it, ask yourself why other schools won't accept ITT credits.

Answer by Aaron
Submitted on 1/28/2005
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I have to agree with most ITT sucks!!!I have a 2-year degree in EET-electronics engineering technology. I was hired by Intel in 2000, 4 months after I graduated, Intel could hire people straight out of high school to to that job. It is a joke but pays close to 50k, the best days at Intel are probably long gone. I now work at Vail Resorts as a lift maintenance technician and make under 40k. But have first dipps on powder days, that is my best benefit here. Now I'm wondering what to do next the rate of pay here sucks. Just wanted to share my opinion so some of you do not make the same mistake I did. Also half the people I went to school with did not know a thing when we graduated, I did only because I had electronics in high school and worked 50 hrs a week at a tv repair shop for the 2 years I was in school. you can have a bachelor's degree for the same price at a respectable school.

Answer by nyguy
Submitted on 2/8/2005
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I went to ITT in Ft.Lauderdale, Fl. At first, i was excited to start and it seemed like a really good school. Then once I started, I realized I made a mistake. There were a lot of students that didn't even want to be there, but because they got financial aid, the advisors did everything they could to keep them there. I didn't even try and I got straight A's. It wasn't the college atmosphere i was expecting. I left the school after my first semester and never looked back, i am now attending community college where I will be applying to FIT, MIT, and FSU for a degree in Management Information Systems. I had to pay $600 bucks in money I owed ITT and I owe the student loan people near 3 grand. (better find out early if its right for you). Oh and don't let the advisor tell you you cant leave, you have the right to do whatever you want with your financial aid, so if you want to leave, you can. It will cost you money but will be far less than 35k for a worthless piece of paper. I also called some tech professionals and asked them about ITT, laughs and profanities is what I got in return. ITT is more of a electronics school then a computer school. So if your in the electronics program, then maybe its right for you, but if your looking to get into information systems then go to community college and transfer to a state or private university (depending on your grade)