California Institute of Applied Technology is an award-winning technical college helping students launch and advance their career in the competitive job market. Founded in 2008 with two main campuses in National City, CA and Albuquerque, NM, CIAT is committed to personalized training through comprehensive, innovative, and high-quality vocational programs that prepare students for a rewarding career.
California Institute of Applied Technology (ciat.edu) has 133 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.
Also known as
ciat.edu
Website
ciat.edu
Category
Education Services
Location
National City, California
Listed on Five Star Index
2026
About these reviews
Replies
The company replied to 95% of reviews.
Latest
Most recent review: October 2026.
Edits
Reviews are shown as their authors wrote them. The company can reply, but cannot edit them.
Score
This company cannot pay to remove reviews or change its score.
California Institute of Applied Technology reviews
133 approved reviews, newest moderated first
CS
Cole S.
Courteous and professional staff
CAIT has made the entire process seamless. Their staff provides clear guidance, responds quickly, and goes above and beyond to ensure you get the help you need. It’s a professional and supportive environment that makes a real difference.
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 25, 2026
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear that your experience at CIAT has been seamless so far. We’re grateful for your trust and are proud to be part of your journey!
FI
Fii
KNOWLEDABLE INSTRUCTORS
KNOWLEDABLE INSTRUCTORS
PROFESSIONALISM
WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 25, 2026
Thank you for your positive review! We’re thrilled to hear that you’ve had such a great experience at CIAT so far! We’re grateful for the opportunity to support you and appreciate your feedback!
CU
customer
The employees are extremely helpful
The employees are extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and patient. Working with them has been a pleasure this far and I look forward to future encounters throughout my education journey
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 25, 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that working with our team has been a positive experience for you. Supporting you on your education journey is truly our pleasure, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be part of it. We look forward to continuing to assist you every step of the way!
JA
Jesus A.
There dedicated to technology
It's my first semester here at CIAT hopefully it will be a great place to learn.
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 25, 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback! We wish you the best of luck as you continue your journey at CIAT!
BA
Baron
Very helpful and a great staff
Very helpful and a great staff
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 25, 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re delighted to hear that our staff and faculty have contributed positively to your CIAT experience. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback!
CU
customer
Awesome
It was great
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 24, 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re happy to hear that your experience at CIAT has been positive so far. Thank you for sharing!
CU
customer
Great bootcamp
Great bootcamp! Very intensive where you have to spend time reviewing and studying before class and after class 12-14 hour days for 5 days straight, but well worth it! I took the exam the next day and passed!
Make sure you study leading up to the bootcamp to gain the foundational knowledge because otherwise it can be very confusing
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 17, 2026
Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you found the bootcamp intensive, engaging, and ultimately worth the effort — and a huge congratulations on passing your exam the very next day! We appreciate you sharing your experience and wish you continued success on your certification journey!
RI
Ricardo
Took this scam place a while ago
*Response to CIAT reply*
1. You know my name
2. No you don't look at yelp and other areas.
3. I HAVE PROOF OF ALL THIS and MORE. I will post them in multiple areas. Gas light me again.
4. People at your accreditation "ACCET" are bought off/incentivized... I still have proof. Particularly of a Matthew Nistico and Res Helfer
5. And yet I still don't have mine.
6. And yet I don't and repeatedly said this in email to multiple people. Ed Brancheau, Records Specialist... Is also dodging me.
7. And lies, I've literally had to help fellow "alumni" with resumes and other poorly done things by Sydney Young (She/her/hers), Career Services Advisor. And others failed at.
8. Again your job assistance is a joke. Also your job people took me off the job list when I caught them lying in order to apply for a client. I have proof of this too.
IF I'M LYING. SUE ME.
9. No you don't... example 2 or years ago you did a false ad with data left out. The data was how many students you had per class. Reason being is because if you included that data it. would shed the truth on your claims of cert passes, programs etc. IE in a year you had 4 people pass a aws exam... you claimed something like 75%-100%... 4 people out of 30+ people a month x 12 month is HORRIBLE. When it was pointed out, you deleted the comment.
10. Wrong. It was rebranding after reviews on yelp, reddit and other places came out.
11. These are SOME of the names positions of the people at ciat that I contacted and belittled, berated then ignored me.
Sydney Young (She/her/hers), Career Services Advisor
Dina Matheson— The CIAT Team
David Camarena, Career Services Advisor
Claire Park, M.Ed. , Vice President, Compliance
Jamie Doyle, CEO
And more...
Keep playing and I'll put proof on yelp and other places. And again you know who this is. If I'm lying sue me.
If you still don't know... here's more hints. I caught you using Professor Messer free youtube VIDs as graded testing. I also complained about your AWS course that was trash and the abusing dated udemy materials as part of paid curriculum as well. Labeling as "supplemental".
If I'm lying, sue me. Have a great day.
_____________________________________________________
Took this scam place a while ago. They actually still owe me a diploma/graduation certificate. They know about it, because their staff likes to try and belittle you and then run.
I left a review on yelp. A number of things they lie about. The bad part is people don't realize they're being conned till later on. Their career support is a joke. Literally gave me one of the worst resumes I've ever had in my life. All the companies they have on their site that they claim hires their people isn't true either.
I've caught them doing so much unethical sketchy things. It's ridiculous... I was one the main reasons they changed their name. Please go to yelp and also research CIAT California Institute of Arts Technology. T
Response from California Institute of Applied TechnologyMar 13, 2026
Hello,
We take claims like this very seriously. However, statements suggesting CIAT is a “scam” or engages in unethical practices are simply not accurate.
As published in our catalog in accordance with accreditation requirements, diplomas and graduation certificates are issued only after students meet all graduation requirements, including minimum GPA, attendance standards, and financial obligations. If a student has not met these requirements, a diploma will not be issued until those requirements are fulfilled. Students always have access to their official transcripts showing their graduate status to support employment or continuing education goals.
Regarding career outcomes, we stand firmly behind the success of our graduates. The companies listed on our website represent organizations where our alumni have been hired, and this information is reviewed and updated regularly. We are extremely proud of the many students who have successfully launched or advanced their careers after completing our programs.
Transparency is also something we prioritize strongly. We publicly share key student outcome data, including student satisfaction ratings for each 5-week term, completion rates, certification exam pass rates, and placement outcomes. Anyone can review this information on our Trust & Transparency page here:
https://www.ciat.edu/trust
Additionally, our name change from California Institute of Arts & Technology to California Institute of Applied Technology reflects our continued effort to stay aligned with industry trends and emphasize our applied, career-focused approach to technical education.
If you believe there is an outstanding issue related to your academic record or graduation status, we encourage you to contact our Student Services team directly so we can review your specific case.
— The CIAT Team