| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit career school (Porter and Chester Institute, Inc., privately held); campus-based, most programs blended |
| Campuses | 7 in 2 states: 4 in Connecticut, 3 in Massachusetts |
| Credentials | Diplomas only; no degrees |
| Program length | 10 to 12 months for most programs; Practical Nursing as few as 15 months |
| Accreditation | ACCSC, as two institutions: the Bridgeport group (next review January 2027) and Porter and Chester Institute of Hamden (renewed January 2026) |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell, FSEOG and Direct Loans |
| Founded | 1946 in Hartford, CT, as the Porter School of Engineering Design |
| Students | 1,373 in fall 2024 at the Bridgeport institution (all campuses except Hamden), 69% full-time |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
PCI: a diploma-only trade and health school in Connecticut and Massachusetts
Porter and Chester Institute, usually called PCI, dates to 1946, when it opened in Hartford as the Porter School of Engineering Design; it merged with the Chester Institute for Technical Education in 1973. It is a privately held, for-profit company that also owns YTI Career Institute in Pennsylvania, a separate school. PCI awards only diplomas, in programs of 10 to 12 months (Practical Nursing as few as 15), and most combine online lectures with labs on campus. It has seven campuses, four in Connecticut and three in Massachusetts. In 2023 PCI was the main teach-out partner for students of Stone Academy, a Connecticut nursing school that closed. Its fully online programs are closed to new students.
Programs at PCI’s seven campuses
PCI teaches ten main diploma programs. All three Massachusetts campuses teach electrical, HVACR and dental assisting; plumbing, welding, practical nursing, low voltage and computer networking are taught only in Connecticut. Every program page listed a next start of 19 October 2026 except Dental Assisting, and PCI says sessions start on a regular basis.
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Campuses | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Technology | Diploma | 12 months | Blended at the CT campuses; on-ground sections planned at six campuses | All 7 campuses | CT E-2 and MA Class B journeyman related hours; OSHA-30 |
| HVACR | Diploma | 12 months | Blended; on-ground sections planned at four campuses | Bridgeport, Hamden, Waterbury, Brockton, Springfield, Worcester | EPA 608, OSHA 30; CT B-2, D-2, S-2 related hours |
| Plumbing | Diploma | 12 months | Blended; on-ground planned at Hamden and Waterbury | Bridgeport, Hamden, New London, Waterbury | CT P-2 related hours; OSHA 30 |
| Welding | Diploma | 10 months | Fully on campus | Bridgeport, New London | SMAW, GTAW, GMAW and FCAW skills |
| Low Voltage Technology | Diploma | 12 months | Blended | Hamden | CT C-6, L-6, T-2 related hours |
| Automotive Technology | Diploma | 12 months | Blended; on-ground planned at Waterbury | Bridgeport, Waterbury, Springfield, Worcester | ASE tests; ASE refrigerant recovery and recycling |
| Computer & Network Technology | Diploma | 12 months | On campus only | Waterbury | CompTIA A+, Network+, Cloud+ |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma | 10 months | Blended, day or evening labs; 335-hour externship | Bridgeport, New London, Waterbury, Brockton, Springfield, Worcester | DANB RHS and ICE exams |
| Medical Assisting | Diploma | 10 months | Blended; externship | New London, Waterbury, Brockton, Worcester | CMA or RMA exam |
| Practical Nursing | Diploma | As few as 15 months | Day only, on campus plus clinicals | Hamden, Waterbury | NCLEX-PN (LPN licence) |
PCI’s online Computer Aided Drafting & Design and online Computer & Network Technology programs no longer take new students, and online students are pointed to YTI. The Industrial, Commercial & Residential Electrician program in Massachusetts is also closed to new enrollments. PCI has no cosmetology or medical billing and coding program.
What the main programs cover
Electrical Technology
The 12-month diploma is PCI’s most widely taught program, offered at all seven campuses. In Connecticut it provides the 720 approved related-instruction hours for the E-2 licence, and students need a course grade of 75 or more for the hours to count; in Massachusetts the lectures count toward the 600 hours for a Class B journeyman licence. Both states also require 8,000 hours of field work, which the diploma does not provide. OSHA-30 is included. Connecticut campuses teach it blended, with online lectures and campus labs, and on-ground sections are planned for the 19 October 2026 start at six campuses.
HVACR
HVACR is a 12-month diploma at three Connecticut and all three Massachusetts campuses. Training covers heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, and prepares students for EPA 608 certification and OSHA 30. In Connecticut the program supplies related-instruction hours for the B-2, D-2 and S-2 licences. Massachusetts requires no licence for general HVACR work, so no licence hours apply at the three Massachusetts campuses. Most sections are blended, and on-ground sections are planned at Hamden, Waterbury, Springfield and Worcester.
Plumbing
Plumbing is taught only in Connecticut, at all four campuses, as a 12-month diploma. It covers the 720 hours of related instruction that Connecticut requires for the P-2 licence and includes OSHA 30. The diploma alone does not license a plumber: the state also requires 8,000 hours of field experience, which the diploma does not provide. Lectures are online with labs on campus, and fully on-ground sections are planned at Hamden and Waterbury.
Welding
Welding is a 10-month diploma at Bridgeport and New London, and unlike most PCI programs it is taught entirely on campus. Students practise shielded metal arc (SMAW), gas tungsten arc (GTAW), gas metal arc (GMAW) and flux-cored arc (FCAW) welding. The program page does not mention American Welding Society certification, so ask whether any AWS tests are included. Welding applicants from Bridgeport or New London can apply for one of six $2,500 Hornblower Marine Skilled Trades scholarships.
Dental Assisting
Dental Assisting is a 10-month diploma at six campuses. Lectures are online, and the campus labs can be taken by day or evening. The program includes a 335-hour externship, which is unpaid and held during the day, so evening students need to be free during the day for it. The first attempts at the DANB Radiation Health and Safety and Infection Control exams are included; full DANB certification is optional. PCI lists no CODA programmatic accreditation for this program.
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing is taught only at Hamden and Waterbury, in as few as 15 months, and leads to the NCLEX-PN for an LPN licence. Classes run by day only, Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, with clinicals at off-site facilities. Applicants must take the Wonderlic and TEAS entrance tests. PCI’s program page, checked in October 2026, says the program holds conditional approval from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and Board of Examiners for Nursing. Students who want to become registered nurses would need a separate RN program afterwards.
Cost: ask PCI for the program price
PCI charges a price per program, not per credit, and has no in-state or out-of-state tiers. We could not find 2026-27 program prices published where we could read them, so ask PCI admissions for the price of the program and campus you want. As a guide, College Navigator gives average tuition and fees of $14,349 for 2024-25 at the Bridgeport institution and notes that the amount varies by program. It estimates total yearly costs of $35,519 for students living off campus and $21,069 for those living with family. Niche puts the average net price at $17,821 a year for students who receive grant aid (checked October 2026).
PCI takes federal student aid (Pell Grants, FSEOG and Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and PLUS loans). It is approved by the Connecticut and Massachusetts State Approving Agencies for veterans’ benefits and accepts sponsored students from Connecticut’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and Workers’ Rehabilitation program and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. PCI’s scholarships page lists a $2,000 High School Graduate Grant for 2027 graduates (expires 31 October 2027), the Hornblower Marine Skilled Trades Scholarship (six $2,500 awards for welding applicants from Bridgeport or New London), Ford Motor Company scholarships of $5,000 through TechForce, a $2,500 memorial scholarship and a family member tuition discount. Imagine America and mikeroweWORKS scholarships are also listed.
Admissions and schedules
Practical Nursing applicants must take the Wonderlic and TEAS tests, and the program runs by day only, Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. Dental Assisting labs can be taken by day or evening, but the externship is daytime. Welding and Practical Nursing are fully on campus; most other programs are blended, with online lectures and campus labs, and on-ground sections are planned at several campuses. Check the 2026-27 catalog or ask admissions for the general entry requirements and the schedule at your campus.
Accreditation, state approval and results
PCI is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) as two institutions. Porter and Chester Institute, with its main campus in Bridgeport and its other branches, has been accredited since 1972; it was renewed for four years from January 2023 after meeting stipulations, and its next review date is 31 January 2027. Porter and Chester Institute of Hamden was renewed for five years in January 2026. Connecticut’s Office of Higher Education approves PCI, and Massachusetts’s Division of Occupational Licensure licenses its campuses there. No programmatic accreditation is listed: College Navigator shows that Medical Assisting’s MAAB accreditation ended in February 2024.
Practical Nursing is regulated by Connecticut’s Department of Public Health and Board of Examiners for Nursing. In July 2024 the board reviewed a corrective-action plan for PCI’s evening practical nursing groups at Enfield, Hamden and Bridgeport and a memorandum of decision for the Waterbury evening group, and in April 2025 it approved an interim program administrator. PCI’s program page, checked October 2026, says the program holds conditional approval.
| Measure | Result | Group and source |
|---|---|---|
| First-time NCLEX-PN pass rate, Waterbury | 77% day, 100% evening | 2025, Connecticut Department of Public Health |
| First-time NCLEX-PN pass rate, Hamden | 68% day (2025); 74% day (2026, likely partial year) | Connecticut Department of Public Health, checked October 2026 |
| Graduation rate, Bridgeport institution | 45% within 150% of normal time | Full-time, first-time students starting fall 2021, College Navigator |
| Retention, Bridgeport institution | 49% of full-time students returned | Fall 2023 to fall 2024, College Navigator |
| Federal loan default rate, Bridgeport institution | 0% | FY2021 cohort, College Navigator |
Connecticut’s benchmark for practical nursing programs is an 80% pass rate, and several groups at PCI’s open campuses fell below it: Hamden’s day group in 2025 and 2026 and Waterbury’s day group in 2025. Bridgeport’s practical nursing program closed in October 2025. The College Navigator figures cover the Bridgeport institution only; we could not check federal figures for Hamden. PCI publishes per-program graduation and employment rates in its catalog, so ask for the current rates for your program.
Before you enroll
- PCI’s program page (checked October 2026) says Practical Nursing holds conditional state approval, and first-time NCLEX-PN results for the Hamden day group (2025 and 2026) and the Waterbury day group (2025) were below Connecticut’s 80% benchmark, Connecticut Department of Public Health figures show. Ask about the program’s status and current pass rates before you apply.
- We could not find 2026-27 program prices. Get the full program price, including tools, books and fees, in writing for your campus.
- A trade diploma is a first step, not a licence. Connecticut E-2 and P-2 and Massachusetts Class B licences also need 8,000 hours of work in the field, which the diploma does not provide.
- Medical Assisting no longer has programmatic accreditation, and PCI lists none for Dental Assisting. Ask employers and the exam bodies whether that matters for the jobs you want.
- PCI awards diplomas only, and fewer than half of the Bridgeport institution’s full-time students starting in fall 2021 graduated within 150% of normal time.
Seven campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport, CT (main campus) | 156 Boston Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06610 | Automotive, Dental Assisting, Electrical, HVACR, Plumbing, Welding |
| New Haven (Hamden), CT | 1245 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06514 | Electrical, HVACR, Low Voltage, Plumbing, Practical Nursing |
| New London, CT | 351 North Frontage Road, Suite G-1, New London, CT 06320 | Electrical, Plumbing, Welding, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting |
| Waterbury, CT | 881 Wolcott Street, Waterbury, CT 06705 | Automotive, Electrical, HVACR, Plumbing, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting, Practical Nursing, Computer & Network Technology |
| Boston (Brockton), MA | 609 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301 | Electrical, HVACR, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting |
| Springfield, MA | 1250 Saint James Ave., Springfield, MA 01104 | Automotive, Dental Assisting, Electrical, HVACR |
| Worcester, MA | 220 Brooks Street, Worcester, MA 01606 | Automotive (plus Hybrid & Electric Vehicles), Dental Assisting, Electrical, HVACR, Medical Assisting |
PCI’s older campuses in Branford, Stratford, Enfield, Rocky Hill and Chicopee have closed or moved: Branford moved to Hamden in 2019, Stratford to Bridgeport in 2021 and Chicopee to Springfield, while Enfield and Rocky Hill closed.
Externships and career help
Dental Assisting includes a 335-hour unpaid externship and Medical Assisting an externship; Practical Nursing has off-site clinicals. PCI has no student housing. Its campus pages give counts of graduates employed in their field between January 2020 and February 2023, from 89 at New London to 274 at Waterbury, but these are counts, not rates.
Student reviews
We found no review platform with 25 or more reviews of PCI, so we do not summarize reviews. Niche has only one or two reviews for each campus page we checked (October 2026).
Sources
Checked October 2026: PCI campuses · PCI programs · PCI accreditation · 2026-27 catalog · College Navigator · Connecticut NCLEX pass rates · PCI scholarships
Programs & Courses
Electrical and Building Trades
- Electrical Technology
- HVACR
- Plumbing (Connecticut)
- Low Voltage Technology (Hamden)
Welding
- Welding (Bridgeport and New London)
Automotive
- Automotive Technology
- Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (Worcester)
Computers
- Computer & Network Technology (Waterbury)
Healthcare
- Dental Assisting
- Medical Assisting
- Practical Nursing (LPN, Connecticut)
Campus Locations
Bridgeport, CT 156 Boston Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06610
New Haven (Hamden), CT 1245 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT 06514
New London, CT 351 North Frontage Road, Suite G-1, New London, CT 06320
Waterbury, CT 881 Wolcott Street, Waterbury, CT 06705
Boston (Brockton), MA 609 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Springfield, MA 1250 Saint James Ave., Springfield, MA 01104
Worcester, MA 220 Brooks Street, Worcester, MA 01606