Porter & Chester Institute
Bridgeport, CT 06610
About Porter & Chester Institute
Porter & Chester Institute is a private for-profit trade school in Bridgeport, Connecticut, enrolling about 1,373 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $18,348 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $14,349. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $41,588 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Porter & Chester Institute charges 14% below the national private for-profit median tuition ($14,349).
- Versus the Connecticut median, sticker tuition is 32% below.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 45.18%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $41,588.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Porter & Chester Institute is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 467% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porter & Chester Institute | $14,349 | $18,348 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| Connecticut (state median) | $21,044 | $16,798 | 33 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Porter & Chester Institute really?
Key findings
- Porter & Chester Institute charges 14% below the national private for-profit median tuition ($14,349).
- Versus the Connecticut median, sticker tuition is 32% below.
Porter & Chester Institute tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $14,349
Finding Porter & Chester Institute charges 14% below the national private for-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $14,349. That is 14% below the national private for-profit median ($16,637). Versus the Connecticut median ($21,044), sticker tuition is 32% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 21% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private for-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Porter & Chester Institute versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Porter & Chester Institute versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Porter & Chester Institute is $18,348.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $18,348 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $1,550 above the Connecticut median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $300 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Porter & Chester Institute, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Porter & Chester Institute: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Porter & Chester Institute—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$14,349
Avg. net price
$18,348
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $17,540 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $16,886 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $20,045 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $22,936 |
| $110,001+ | $23,441 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $57,396. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Porter & Chester Institute is known for
Top program completions
- Electrician289
- Medical/Clinical Assistant175
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training169
- Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician162
- Dental Assisting/Assistant114
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Porter & Chester Institute a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Porter & Chester Institute is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Porter & Chester Institute.
Campus
Location
Bridgeport, CT
City / state
- ZIP
- 06610
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 2% above the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
Size
Enrollment
1,373
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 2,703
- Full-time share
- 69%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$12,000
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 56.63%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Porter & Chester Institute.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Porter & Chester Institute was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Porter & Chester Institute in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $18,519 | $18,519 | $24,551 |
| 2014 | $17,220 | $17,220 | $23,754 |
| 2015 | $17,220 | $17,220 | $23,263 |
| 2016 | $17,220 | $17,220 | $22,616 |
| 2017 | $17,220 | $17,220 | $20,855 |
| 2018 | $17,220 | $17,220 | $22,076 |
| 2019 | $17,220 | $17,220 | $22,134 |
| 2020 | $17,590 | $17,590 | $22,818 |
| 2021 | $15,775 | $15,775 | $24,416 |
| 2022 | $14,349 | $14,349 | $20,685 |
| 2023 | $14,349 | $14,349 | $17,332 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Porter & Chester Institute reported total enrollment of about 1,373 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 66% male and 34% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Black or African American (31.2%), Hispanic or Latino (29.4%), and White (21.3%). About 56.63% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 53.6% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
68.6% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Porter & Chester Institute in 2024 is 1,373 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 2,703 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
49.1%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
7.53% 100% Completion Time
45.18% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 7.53% of students graduating from Porter & Chester Institute completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Electrician: 95% male / 5% female
- Medical/Clinical Assistant: 2% male / 98% female
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training: 4% male / 96% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Porter & Chester Institute graduates earn a median of $41,588 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Porter & Chester Institute.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $41,588. Median federal loan debt: $12,000. Average net price used in cost models: $18,348.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Porter & Chester Institute graduates report median earnings of $41,588 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Porter & Chester Institute.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (12 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Porter & Chester Institute.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Porter & Chester Institute graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Porter & Chester Institute—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $7,463
- Connecticut median near the median ($7,608)
- New England median 0.73× the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median near the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Porter & Chester Institute at a glance
Porter & Chester Institute
Porter & Chester Institute is a private for-profit institution in Bridgeport, CT.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- ElectricianMedical/Clinical AssistantLicensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training
- Largest enrollment groups
- Black or African American31.2%Hispanic or Latino29.4%White or Caucasian21.3%
Schools near Porter & Chester Institute
Other campuses in Bridgeport, CT when available, plus nearby institutions in Connecticut.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade D) within Connecticut, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Porter & Chester Institute located?
Porter & Chester Institute is located in Bridgeport, CT.
What is Porter & Chester Institute's tuition?
Porter & Chester Institute tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $14,349 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $18,348 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Porter & Chester Institute cost?
Reported tuition is $14,349 and average net price is $18,348 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $14,450 annually.
What explains Porter & Chester Institute's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($18,348), completion (45.2% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($41,588). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Porter & Chester Institute?
Porter & Chester Institute reports undergraduate enrollment of about 2,703 students, Black or African American (31.2%), Hispanic or Latino (29.4%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Porter & Chester Institute?
About 53.6% of students at Porter & Chester Institute are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Porter & Chester Institute earn?
Median earnings are $37,807 six years after entry and $41,588 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Porter & Chester Institute?
The 150%-time completion rate is 45.2% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Porter & Chester Institute students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $12,000.
Is Porter & Chester Institute public or private?
Porter & Chester Institute is a private for-profit institution located in Bridgeport, CT.
Is Porter & Chester Institute an HBCU?
No. Porter & Chester Institute is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Porter & Chester Institute a tribal college?
No. Porter & Chester Institute is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- Connecticut college profile
- Connecticut college costs
- Connecticut colleges by ROI
- Connecticut trade schools profile
- Bridgeport, Connecticut city profile
- New England regional profile
- Suburban college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in Connecticut
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.