TL;DR — CAT College is not one course list, it is three. The Legazpi campus carries the full set of degrees; Ligao runs only a two-year associate course at college level, and Polangui runs three programs. Of the Legazpi degrees, three end in a Professional Regulation Commission board exam and the rest do not, including Computer Engineering, which people routinely assume is licensed. Tuition is not published anywhere on the school's site.
The campus address, phone numbers and basic facts are on the Computer Arts and Technological College profile, and other options nearby sit on the Legazpi schools page. This post covers the programs and what each one is for.
Seven sites, three teaching campuses
CAT College publishes seven locations: a high school campus on Balintawak Street, a main campus on Rizal Street, three annexes around Legazpi City, plus separate campuses in Ligao City and Polangui, Albay. For course purposes what matters is the three-way split between Legazpi, Ligao and Polangui.
| Program | Legazpi | Ligao | Polangui |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS Computer Engineering | Yes | — | — |
| BS Electrical Engineering | Yes | — | — |
| BS Electronics Engineering | Yes | — | — |
| BS Criminology | Yes | — | Yes |
| BS Industrial Security Management | Yes | — | — |
| BS Information Technology | Yes | — | — |
| BS Computer Science | Yes | — | — |
| BS Office Administration | Yes | — | — |
| BS Business Administration (Financial or Marketing Management) | Yes | — | — |
| Bachelor in Engineering Technology (Automotive or Electronics) | Yes | — | Yes |
| Associate in Computer Technology (2 years) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Senior high school | ABM, GAS, HUMSS, STEM + 4 TVL | GAS, ABM + 4 TVL | GAS, ABM + 3 TVL |
| Junior high school | Grade 7-10 (ESC) | — | — |
If you live nearer Ligao or Polangui and want anything beyond that shortlist, the daily commute to Legazpi is part of the decision, not an afterthought.
Which of these ends in a licence
Three of the Legazpi degrees lead to a Professional Regulation Commission licensure exam: BS Criminology, BS Electrical Engineering and BS Electronics Engineering. That is the group where your fourth-year performance and the school's review support genuinely matter, because the exam is the hiring gate. Our BS Criminology guide goes through what that exam covers.
BS Computer Engineering is the one people assume is licensed and is not. Computer engineering does not appear among the PRC regulatory boards, so a CpE graduate practises without a government licence, unlike an electronics engineer. Our BS Computer Engineering guide explains how that plays out in hiring.
The rest do not end in a PRC licence either. BS Information Technology, BS Computer Science, BS Business Administration, BS Office Administration and BS Industrial Security Management are all unlicensed exits. That is normal and not a defect, but it changes what you should be optimising for: portfolio, internship placement and certifications rather than a board score.
Bachelor in Engineering Technology sits awkwardly between the two. It is a four-year degree, but it is a technology degree, not an engineering one, and it does not lead to the professional engineer title. Automotive and Electronics Technology graduates are typically hired on skills and TESDA certification rather than on a licence. If the goal is the engineer title, the three BS engineering programs are the right door and Engineering Technology is not.
The two-year Associate in Computer Technology is the shortest route to work here. It is worth asking the registrar in writing whether its units ladder into BSIT or BSCS, and how many, before you enrol in it as a stepping stone.
Senior high school is where the TESDA certificates are
CAT College runs senior high under the government voucher programme, and its TVL track is the part that produces a certificate you can work on immediately. The Legazpi list names Automotive Servicing NC II, Computer Programming NC III, Computer Systems Servicing NC II, and Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing NC II. Polangui carries the same minus Computer Programming NC III.
An NC II or NC III is a national competency certificate, assessed by TESDA, and it is portable in a way a senior high diploma alone is not. Our TESDA courses guide explains how the levels work and what employers actually do with them.
The academic tracks are the conventional four at Legazpi and only GAS and ABM at the two provincial campuses. A student in Ligao or Polangui aiming at engineering will not find STEM on their own campus.
What CAT College publishes about admission
The document lists are short and specific, which is a good sign. They are published on the school's own site rather than left to a phone call.
Junior high school — Form 138 report card, original PSA or NSO birth certificate, certificate of good moral character, two 1x1 photos, two 2x2 photos.
Senior high school — the same list plus a certificate of completion.
College, incoming first year — original Form 138-E, PSA or NSO birth certificate, certificate of good moral character, two 1x1 photos, two 2x2 photos, and a police clearance specifically for Criminology applicants.
College transferees — official transcript of records, PSA or NSO birth certificate, certificate of good moral character, honourable dismissal, photos, and again a police clearance for Criminology.
The school does not publish an entrance examination fee or an exam schedule on its site, so treat the exam arrangements as something to confirm with the registrar.
The money, and what is missing from it
CAT College publishes an unusually detailed scholarship page and no tuition figures at all. Both facts are worth stating plainly.
What it does publish:
- CHED-linked aid — Tertiary Education Subsidy and the Tulong Dunong Program. These are government grants administered through the school, and our CHED free tuition guide explains who qualifies.
- College entrance scholarship — free tuition for students graduating with highest honours, 50 percent off tuition for high honours, 25 percent for honours. The school states this applies during the first semester of first year, which is a real limit: it is an entry incentive, not a four-year grant.
- Reynaldo A. Belleza scholarship — a 100 percent full scholarship for children of economically disadvantaged families, with limited slots and applications announced on the school's Facebook page.
- CAT College senior high graduates — 20 percent discount every semester in college. Where a student qualifies for more than one discount, the school states the higher one applies rather than both.
- Senior high school — free for recent completers of public junior high schools, plus a free uniform set (cloth only), a PE shirt and a transport or load allowance for new junior and senior high students. New college students get a free white shirt for Criminology or a PE shirt for other courses.
What it does not publish: any peso amount for tuition, miscellaneous fees, laboratory fees or the entrance exam. A discount expressed as a percentage of an unpublished number tells you nothing about what you will actually pay. Ask the registrar for a full assessment for your specific course and year level, in writing, before you commit. The published contacts are [email protected] and the mobile numbers on the school's contact section.
Worth asking on a campus visit
- For Criminology: what were the recent licensure exam passing rates for CAT College graduates, and is board review included or billed separately?
- For the engineering degrees: which laboratories are on which campus, and are any subjects taught at an annex rather than the main building?
- For the associate course: exactly how many units ladder into BSIT or BSCS.
- For senior high TVL: who conducts the TESDA assessment, when in the programme it happens, and whether the assessment fee is covered by the voucher.
Sources
- Computer Arts and Technological College, Courses Offered by campus (Legazpi, Ligao, Polangui degree lists, senior high academic and TVL tracks, junior high) — https://www.catcollege.edu.ph/
- Computer Arts and Technological College, Campuses section (seven locations and contact numbers) — https://www.catcollege.edu.ph/
- Computer Arts and Technological College, Scholarship Grants section (CHED TES and TDP, entrance scholarship tiers, Belleza scholarship, senior high and new student benefits) — https://www.catcollege.edu.ph/
- Computer Arts and Technological College, Admission Requirements section (junior high, senior high, college freshmen and transferee document lists) — https://www.catcollege.edu.ph/
- Computer Arts and Technological College, About Us and Contact Us sections — https://www.catcollege.edu.ph/
