Advanced Technology Institute Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

If your son is considering a short technical program, this article gives you a map of one specific option. It does not tell you whether it is the right option for your family. You decide that, together with him, after combining this piece with the other two that only you know: what he wants and what your family can afford.

What Kind of School It Is—and What Kind It Is Not

Let's start with the basics, because an important first decision is already hidden here.

Advanced Technology Institute is a private, for-profit, two-year institution. The highest degree it reports offering is an associate degree. IPEDS—the federal system that collects these data—classifies it as a school that awards associate degrees and certificates. That is an institutional fact: it does not tell you the exact credential awarded by each specific program, so if your son has a particular program in mind, ask in writing what credential he will receive upon completing it.

Here is something worth saying plainly, without dramatizing it: in the most recent federal report on degrees awarded, this school does not appear as awarding any bachelor's degrees. And it is not alone. Of the 256 private two-year schools compared in this same census, 254 are in the same situation. In other words, this fact does not distinguish Advanced Technology Institute negatively from its peers; it is what you would expect at a two-year school. But if your son's ultimate goal is a bachelor's degree, this tells you something crucial: the path would require transferring afterward. And that “afterward” needs to be planned now, with transfer agreements confirmed in writing rather than assumed.

Carnegie, the system that classifies the nation's colleges by what they do—not by how good they are—describes it as a very small, two-year school specializing in a single field: technical professions. That is a snapshot of its identity, not a rating.

Another point that matters enough to mention: Advanced Technology Institute does not have any of three specific designations that exist in this country—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 do have at least one. The fact that this school does not have one says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your son would feel there. Ask directly about that: which student organizations exist and whether anyone in the office speaks Spanish.

Where it is, in practical terms: the campus is in Virginia Beach, within the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metropolitan area, in a city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not mean it is downtown. If your son would live at home, the best advice is simple: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the exact time he would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.

A Small Classroom, with More Adults Than You Might Imagine

When we say a school is “small,” the number makes that concrete: Advanced Technology Institute's official most recent enrollment count was 377. All were undergraduates—no graduate enrollment was recorded that fall. Compared with the 255 private two-year schools in this census, its size is among the most common: neither among the group's largest nor among its smallest.

Being small is neither good nor bad in itself. What is worth asking is something very specific: whether the courses in the program that interests your son are offered every semester or only once a year. That determines how long it will actually take him to finish.

Now, the picture of who would share the classroom with your son includes data worth seeing all at once:

These are four different snapshots and should not be mixed together. Latino representation is a small minority—13 out of every 100—and ranks below the midpoint when compared with the 255 private two-year schools in this census that report the data. That does not remove the school from consideration; it does provide a concrete reason to ask during a visit what is available for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the offices who speaks Spanish.

And another data point changes the image people may have of “college”: among undergraduate students, 44 out of every 100 are between ages 25 and 64. In addition, the undergraduate population is almost entirely male—only 10 out of every 100 are women. If your son enrolls directly after high school, he will not enter a classroom made up entirely of 18-year-old classmates. Ask what weekday schedules are like and what student life actually exists. The data give the ages; they do not say how people interact.

How the Academic Year Works and How Seriously to Take Prior Credits

The academic calendar here is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing exotic and nothing different from what most families already know.

The interesting part involves prior credits. The school reported accepting two pathways: credits from AP exams and what IPEDS calls “credit for life experiences”—learning acquired through independent study, work experience, portfolios, or prior licenses or certifications, including military training. That sounds generous. But here is the hard truth that needs to be stated plainly: reporting that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam or that those credits apply to your son's specific program. The school does not state what scores it requires or how many credits it awards. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not calculate the savings until you have it in hand.

A separate but relevant fact for families with a military connection: if your son has served, the institution does report accepting credit for military training.

Something the school does not offer: it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit. If your son hoped to get an early start on college credits here while still in high school, that pathway is unavailable according to the reported information.

As for instructional staff, the official ratio is 13 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member, a low figure compared with similar schools. It is an aggregate number, not the actual size of a classroom—the file does not say how it was calculated or give the size of first-year classes. Treat it as a signal, not as a guaranteed fact about your son's experience.

One flexibility-related fact is worth emphasizing: the institution reports offering a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends. If your son works, or if you need him to work while studying, this is something specific worth asking about in depth.

Getting In: A Short List of Requirements, but Admission Is Not Guaranteed

Here is something that may surprise you. Advanced Technology Institute reported that it does not have an open-admission policy. At the same time, among the nine considerations reviewed in the federal report, it did not mark any as required. The list of what the school said does not count toward the decision is long: high school record, GPA, class rank, college-preparatory course plan, personal essay, recommendation letters, portfolio, work experience, English-proficiency exam, and whether a family member attended the school.

Put plainly: the list of requirements is short. That does not mean admission is easy. The few things the school does require must be in perfect order. The published application fee is $50.

Now for the actual numbers from the most recent reported cycle. The first-time applicant count was 333, and 203 received an offer of admission. That is 61 out of every 100.

Admission is not automatic, but neither is it a lottery. Applications are reviewed. And here is a distinction many families overlook: being admitted is not the same as enrolling. Among those who received an offer, only 58 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled at this school. Approximately the other half do not appear as enrolled here—the data do not say whether they went to another college or what happened.

That enrollment percentage does not measure quality or prestige. When your son's admission letters arrive, this number will not decide anything. Put the letters side by side and compare net price, program, and distance before the deposit deadline.

Regarding standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not considered in the admission decision, even if they are submitted. But the school does require a different exam for the application—such as the Wonderlic or WISC. Giving no weight to the SAT or ACT does not mean the school requires nothing; it means it requires something else.

And regarding transfers: in the most recent count, the number of students arriving at this school for the first time after attending another institution was 5. It is a count of people, not a proportion, and it goes along with the school's small size. How many credits were recognized for those 5 is a separate question—and one to ask the school directly.

The Money: What It Costs on Paper and What Families Actually Pay

At Advanced Technology Institute, among 34 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $15,870. Among 18 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $20,814; among 11 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $24,004. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.

The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, comprising 34 students, and the average for the highest-income band, comprising 11 students, is $8,134. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $19,127.

The average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23 was $15,870. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.

None of these figures is a quote for your son. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter you receive. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school's website.

Grants, Pell, and Loans: Who Receives What

Among degree- or certificate-seeking students, 47 out of every 100 received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. That is less than half. Compared with 256 similar private two-year schools, it falls in the quarter where grants and scholarships reach fewer students. Among recipients, the average was $6,759.

36 out of every 100 received Pell, the federal grant for families with demonstrated financial need.

Here is a hard truth, stated plainly: more than half of this school's students received no grant or scholarship aid. That does not predict what will happen to your son, but it does say something real about the landscape: here, you need to seek aid actively rather than assume it will arrive on its own.

Regarding federal loans: among undergraduate students, 29 out of every 100 received one in the most recent reported year. That is more than two out of ten, but less than half. Among borrowers, the average that year was $8,267. Compared with 256 similar schools, federal loans are used less here than at almost all of them: nine out of ten comparable schools, or more, had a higher proportion of students taking on debt.

And here I do want to pause, because this number is easy to misinterpret: that average of $8,267 covers only a single year and counts only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation—that would require adding all years together, and that number is not in this report.

This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your son would need to borrow comes from his own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.

For anyone seeking specific payment options, the institution reports offering a guaranteed-tuition plan and an installment-payment plan.

Campus Life: What Is There and What Is Not

It is worth being direct here, because several real absences change a family's logistical plan.

Housing: Advanced Technology Institute does not offer dormitories or apartments under its control, either on or off campus. It also does not report offering meal plans. This does not mean the official financial aid budget ignores the cost of living off campus—those estimates do exist for calculating aid; it means the school itself does not manage where your son will live. If he does not live at home, the family must arrange that part of the plan independently.

Distance education: there is none. Zero percent of students were taking all their classes online in the most recent count. If your son needs scheduling flexibility because he works or cares for someone at home, the schedule must physically fit his life, with classes attended in person, except for the evening or weekend program already mentioned.

ROTC and athletics: no ROTC opportunity was reported. Among the 843 two-year institutions in this guide, 45 do report one; this school is not among them. It also reports no membership in any national athletic association—neither the NCAA nor the NAIA nor any of the others. The fact that it is not marked does not prove that absolutely nothing exists nearby; if this matters to your family, ask admissions directly before ruling it out.

What it does report offering: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military personnel, a student veterans organization, and a webpage for disability services. The fact that these are reported does not say how good they are or how many people use them; ask about them and verify them in person.

What About Those Who Have Already Attended? Retention and Graduation

This part matters because it addresses the question every family silently asks: if he enrolls, will he stay? Will he finish?

In a cohort of 179 first-time, full-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, 145 met the official retention criterion the following year: they were still enrolled there or had already completed their program. That is 81 out of every 100. Compared with 255 similar private two-year schools, this places it in the upper part of the group: it retains a larger proportion than most of its peers. The other 34 were outside that count; the data do not say where they went or why.

For graduation, following the cohort that entered in 2020, 73 out of every 100 completed a program here within 150% of the expected normal time. That is a high figure and deserves to be stated clearly, but it also requires the proper limitation: this is a historical cohort, not a prediction about your son. It counts only those who entered for the first time and attended full time; it does not represent transfer students or those who begin part time.

There is an even longer-term data point: a cohort of 603 students who entered between 2015 and 2016 was followed for eight years. As of August 2023, 78 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 75 out of every 100—only 6 points below the group without Pell. Compared with 183 similar private two-year schools, this places it in the top quarter: three out of four comparable schools, or more, reported an equal or lower proportion earning a credential within eight years.

A high number like this is not a personal promise. It describes a cohort that entered years ago, under circumstances that may not be repeated in exactly the same way today. It is worth asking about the current support available in the specific program that interests your son and about outcomes for more recent cohorts if the school has them available.

What This Article Cannot Tell You

We do not know what happens to Advanced Technology Institute students after graduation: how much they earn, whether they find work in their field, or how much debt they carry when they leave. That information is not part of what the federal government reports in this database, and we will not invent it.

Putting the Pieces Together

You now know in detail one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what Advanced Technology Institute actually is and offers according to its own official reports. It is a small technical school with an admission process that requires few formal items but does review applications, retention and graduation outcomes that look strong compared with similar schools, no housing or online classes, and a cost that varies considerably according to each family's income.

You still need to combine this with what your son actually wants to study and what your family can and is willing to pay. Neither of those pieces lives in a federal report; they live in your home, in the conversations you and he have together. A plan that genuinely works for you comes from that combination—not from this article alone.

Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system and corresponds to different years and cycles as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Advanced Technology Institute or the United States government, and this article is not a substitute for direct verification with the school or with your financial aid office.