ITT Technical Institute

Carmel, Indiana, United States · Est. 1946 · Technical / Vocational College

About

Official

Former for-profit technical institute that operated 130+ campuses before closing in 2016.

  • Founded in 1946 as Educational Services, Inc.; operated as ITT Technical Institute from 1969–2016
  • Private for-profit technical institute headquartered in Carmel, Indiana
  • Grew to approximately 130 campuses across 38 US states with 40,000+ students at peak
  • Offered associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees across 49 education programs
  • Closed September 6, 2016, following Department of Education ban on federal student loans
  • Subject to extensive legal scrutiny for recruitment practices, grade inflation, and predatory lending

Academics

ITT Tech offered associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees (business-only, online) across 49 education programs as of December 2015. The institute used a four 12-week quarter system, allowing students to complete associate degrees in 7–8 quarters, bachelor's degrees in 14–15 quarters, and master's degrees in 17 quarters. Classes were available during day and evening hours, with significant practical lab components. The school was nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), though 31 campuses and over 400 programs failed to meet ACICS retention standards by 2015.

Student Demographics & Pedagogy

ITT Tech characterized its students as older learners balancing family obligations with underemployment. The majority worked at least part-time during their studies. Programs employed traditional, applied, and adult-learning pedagogies delivered through traditional, accelerated, and distance methodologies in a learner-centered environment.

Financial & Legal Issues

ITT Tech charged among the highest tuition fees in the industry—between $45,000 and $85,000 in 2014—and had the industry's highest rate of loans defaulting within two years of attendance. In 2014, Time magazine ranked ITT Tech No. 2 on its list of colleges leaving students most crippled by debt. Among 2011 graduates with loans, 22% had defaulted by 2014, compared to a 13.7% national average. The institute faced decades of legal challenges including recruitment fraud allegations (1998), grade inflation investigations (2004–2011), and predatory lending lawsuits (2014–2016). In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Education barred ITT Tech from enrolling students using federal loans, leading to immediate closure on September 6, 2016.

Closure & Debt Relief

ITT Educational Services filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on September 16, 2016. In 2018, a class-action settlement tentatively wiped out student loans for attendees from 2006–2016. By 2021, the US Department of Education allocated $1.1 billion in loan relief to 115,000 former ITT Tech students. In 2022, ITT Tech was included in a settlement for student loan cancellation due to alleged fraud, with the Supreme Court upholding the settlement in April 2023.

Founded
1946
Type
Technical / Vocational College
Courses
3
Total intake
Not yet verified
HousingNot available
Some details are still being verified.

Quick stats

Courses offered
3
Avg career outcomes
Not yet verified
39% placed
Total intake
Not yet verified
Housing
No
Data last verified June 2026 · compiled from official sources