California Institute of Arts & Technology Online Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems

This is a certification-heavy, fully online associate degree from a for-profit technology college in National City, California. It stands out for the at-home lab kits, the five-week courses and a prep path through up to seven CompTIA, Microsoft and Amazon exams.

It also costs $42,240 in tuition for 64 credits, far more than public college options, so it only makes sense if the format and certification track are worth that premium to you.

California Institute of Arts & Technology (CIAT) is a private for-profit online college in National City, California, now operating as California Institute of Applied Technology. Every CIAT program is 100% online, and about 2,112 students are enrolled, all of whom study exclusively online.

The Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems is 17 courses and 64 credits. Despite the general name, it sits on the school's cybersecurity track, and the courses lean toward security and cloud skills. The school says it takes, on average, less than 2 years.

Federal data counts 195 awards a year in this field at CIAT, a large number for an associate program. The school's graduation rate is 56%.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

CIAT is institutionally accredited by ACCET, an accreditor focused on career and continuing education. That is a national accreditor, and it is worth confirming how another college would treat your credits before you plan a transfer.

The degree's strongest credential story is the certification list. Tech+, A+, Network+ and Security+ are CompTIA exams, and AWS Cloud Practitioner and Azure Fundamentals are entry-level cloud exams from Amazon and Microsoft. Exam fees are separate unless the school tells you otherwise, so ask.

Federal data shows a 69% 8-year completion rate for students who transferred in, a solid figure for an associate program.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Career changers who learn best by doing and want a hands-on kit at home instead of only simulated labs.
• People with certifications, a professional license or job experience, who can use challenge exams to turn them into credit.
• Students who want to focus on one subject at a time. Each course runs five weeks.
• Aspiring help desk, network and cloud support staff who want exam prep for A+, Network+ and Security+ built into a degree.

Who Should Skip It

• Cost-sensitive students. At $660 per credit, tuition is $42,240, which is many times the $7,704 total of Georgia Northwestern's 72-credit associate degree.
• Anyone who wants a purely cybersecurity-named degree. This one is titled Computer Information Systems.
• Students who plan to transfer to a public university and need to confirm how ACCET-accredited credits are treated.

The notable courses read like a modern help desk to junior security path. Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Network Fundamentals cover the base. Azure Cloud Fundamentals and Administration and AWS Foundations add cloud skills for the two biggest platforms, which is useful because so much security work now happens in the cloud.

The program prepares students for up to seven industry certifications from CompTIA, Microsoft and Amazon. The listed exams are Tech+, A+, Network+, Security+, AWS Cloud Practitioner and Azure Fundamentals. That list is the real selling point. A new graduate with several of those credentials has something concrete to show an employer.

Hands-on work comes through immersive at-home lab kits.

Courses the School Names

• Cybersecurity Fundamentals
• Network Fundamentals
• Azure Cloud Fundamentals and Administration
• AWS Foundations

Standout Features

• Hands-on learning with at-home lab kits
• Prepares for up to seven industry certifications from CompTIA, Microsoft and Amazon

Tuition is $660 per credit. Over 64 credits, that totals $42,240. A $600 technology fee and lab fees apply on top of that, so ask for a complete first-year estimate.

Put that next to the public options. A 72-credit associate degree at Georgia Northwestern Technical College costs $7,704 in tuition. The difference buys you five-week courses, the lab kits, and a fully online format. It is a trade you should make on purpose.

If you already hold certifications or have job experience, challenge exams can convert that into credit, which cuts the number of courses you pay for.

64 credits at $660 a credit comes to $42,240 in tuition, before fees.

Everything is online, and the structure is unusual. With five-week courses, you take one subject at a time and finish it before the next begins. For people who struggle with juggling four classes at once, that focus is a real advantage.

The at-home lab kits address the usual complaint about online technology degrees, which is that you only watch demonstrations. Here you handle equipment yourself. Ask what comes in the kit, whether you keep it and what the lab fees cover.

The pace is fast, because five weeks leaves little time to catch up after a hard week at work. The school says the program takes, on average, less than 2 years, and the range runs from 1 to 2 years.

• Tuition of $42,240 plus a $600 technology fee is high for a two-year degree.
• The degree title is Computer Information Systems, not Cybersecurity, which may matter to some employers.
• ACCET is a national accreditor, so credit transfer to other colleges needs checking.
• Five-week courses move quickly and leave little slack for a busy stretch at work.
• A for-profit school's costs are worth comparing with community colleges that offer similar certification-aligned coursework.

• What does the $600 technology fee cover, and what are the lab fees on top of it?
• What comes in the at-home lab kit, and do I keep it?
• Which challenge exams can I take, and how many credits could my certifications or experience replace?
• Are exam vouchers for A+, Network+, Security+ and the cloud exams included or separate?
• How does CIAT's associate degree compare with the Applied Bachelor's in Cybersecurity if I want to continue?
• Will my credits transfer to the public university I might attend later?

Online technology college in National City, California, now operating as California Institute of Applied Technology.

• Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees Rank 8 of 10, associate
• Best Online Associate Programs Rank 8 of 10, associate
• Best Accelerated Online Programs Rank 2 of 9, associate
• Best for Working Adults Rank 2 of 9, associate
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 7 of 10, associate
• Best Programs With Certifications Rank 3 of 10, associate
• Best Online Programs in California Rank 1 of 2, associate

• Applied Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity

  B.A.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $660 per credit Score 56.4

• St Petersburg College

  Cybersecurity (A.S.)

  Florida $386.90 per credit Score 55.4

• Georgia Northwestern Technical College

  Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity (IS23)

  Georgia $107 per credit Score 56.0

• Georgia Military College

  Cybersecurity Associate of Science (Online)

  Georgia Score 55.2

• Western Iowa Tech Community College

  Cyber Security and Digital Crime

  Iowa $234 per credit Score 55.1