Houston, TXprivate forprofitwww.ict.edu/campuses/tx/north-houston/
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Interactive College of Technology is a private, for-profit career college with a singular mission: to funnel students directly into specific, in-demand technical and office-support roles. With campuses in Georgia, Texas, and Kentucky, its model is defined by open-access admissions, short-duration, hands-on programs, and a student body that is overwhelmingly Black, Hispanic, and Asian. This is not a traditional college experience; it's a vocational training ground where the promise of a quick career launch meets the sobering reality of low graduation rates and modest early-career earnings.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
ICT operates on an open-access model, a stark contrast to the selective admissions processes detailed in Common Data Set (CDS)A standardized report most colleges publish each year with admissions, test-score, and financial-aid figures, making schools easier to compare.s from traditional universities. Multiple sources report a 100% Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. for its campuses, indicating the primary barrier to entry is the ability to enroll, not a competitive selection process. For example, the Newport, KY campus and the Morrow, GA campus both list a 100% acceptance rate. One profile for the Gainesville campus shows that out of 27 applicants, 27 were accepted, and 50 enrolled (though the enrollment number exceeding acceptances suggests potential data inconsistencies or a rolling enrollment model). The enrolled student population is notably diverse, with 61.5% Black or African American, 13.8% White, 13.8% Asian, and 10.8% Hispanic or Latino. There is no available information on standardized test requirements, early decision policies, or the consideration of demonstrated interest, as these are concerns of the selective admissions world documented in Common Data Set guides, not the open-enrollment vocational sector where ICT operates.
The academic offering is tightly focused on practical, career-oriented training. ICT provides associate of science degrees, diplomas, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs across its locations in Georgia, Texas, and Kentucky. The curriculum is concentrated in business, technology, and the trades, with facilities designed to support hands-on learning. Popular programs, as noted, include Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Data Processing, and Medical Office Management. The college explicitly states its focus is on "providing the training required for emerging, in-demand careers." It has established a unique academic pathway partnership with DeVry University, allowing graduates to potentially continue their education. This is not an institution built on liberal arts exploration or theoretical research; every program is engineered for a specific vocational outcome.
Student life at ICT is defined by its vocational purpose, not a traditional residential campus experience. Publicly available information on clubs, athletics, or campus events is sparse. The institution's social media presence promotes specific career training opportunities, like a 5-week hands-on HVAC technician course, rather than community or social activities. A significant window into the student and employee experience comes from third-party review sites, which paint a challenging picture. Reviews on Indeed describe a culture of disorganization, with accusations that the institution "lies to incoming students," "takes advantage of them," and treats instructors poorly, with one summary stating, "ICT loves money and NOTHING else!" While these are anecdotal, the absence of countervailing positive narratives about campus culture in the provided sources is notable. The life of a student here appears to revolve around attending class for career training, without the ancillary social and developmental structures of a traditional college.
Outcome data reveals significant challenges. Graduation rates are critically low. The federal College Scorecard reports a 26% graduation rate for ICT, noting the midpoint for certificate colleges is 68%. Another source for the Houston campus lists an even lower rate of 14%. Data from the Higher Ed Outcomes project shows a 9.68% graduation rate for the Texas sector of ICT. For those who do graduate, early-career earnings are modest. College Factual reports that graduates earn about $25,000 on average in their early career. This figure aligns with a broader national critique highlighted in a Third Way report, which found over 20% of certificate-granting institutions leave most of their students earning less than the average high school graduate. The high transfer-out rate is not reported (N/A), suggesting the model is one of direct-to-workforce entry or dropout, not transfer to a four-year institution.
As a private for-profit institution, cost and aid are central concerns. The published Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost.—what a student pays after grants and scholarships—is $13,775 according to the College Board's BigFuture. Another source calculates the average net price based on various factors after aid. A significant majority of first-time undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid—79% at the Morrow campus, with an average award of $6,587. The institution participates in federal financial aid programs, and students are directed to apply for it and consider private student loans. There is no indication in the provided sources that ICT has a "no-loan" financial aid policy or meets full demonstrated need, which are policies associated with well-endowed non-profit colleges. The financial model appears to be one of tuition-driven revenue, offset by federal/state grants and scholarships, with loans filling the gap for many students.
Interactive College of Technology stands out as a pure example of the for-profit career college model, serving a demographic often overlooked by traditional higher education. Its defining characteristics are its total accessibility (100% acceptance), its intense focus on short-cycle, hands-on training for specific jobs, and its service to a student body that is overwhelmingly minority (over 86% Black, Hispanic, or Asian). It stands in stark contrast to the world of Common Data Set (CDS)A standardized report most colleges publish each year with admissions, test-score, and financial-aid figures, making schools easier to compare.s, early decision, and demonstrated interest. However, it also stands out for the severe challenges documented in its outcomes: alarmingly low graduation rates and early-career earnings that hover near the poverty line. Its partnership with DeVry is a notable attempt to create a longer educational pathway. For a prospective student, ICT represents a high-stakes gamble: the promise of a quick, direct route to a career, weighed against the significant risks of debt, non-completion, and limited economic mobility.