Institutes of technology or polytechnic institutes are technologically focused universities, many dating back to the mid-19th century. A handful of American universities include the phrases Institute of Technology, Polytechnic Institute, Polytechnic University, University of Technology or similar phrasing in their names; these are generally research-intensive universities with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

In the lists below, an asterisk (*) denotes research-intensive universities that offer up to PhD or DSc degrees.

• Air Force Institute of Technology* (a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force)
• California Institute of Technology*
• Florida Institute of Technology*
• Georgia Institute of Technology*
• Illinois Institute of Technology* (formerly known as Armour Institute of Technology)
• Indiana Institute of Technology
• Lake Washington Institute of Technology
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology*
• New England Institute of Technology
• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology*
• New Jersey Institute of Technology* (formerly known as Newark College of Engineering)
• New York Institute of Technology*
• Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
• Oregon Institute of Technology
• Rochester Institute of Technology*
• Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology (Indiana)
• Stevens Institute of Technology*^[2] (New Jersey)
• Washburn Institute of Technology (Kansas)
• Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston)
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology

• Arizona State University Polytechnic campus
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
• California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• Florida Polytechnic University
• Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus
• Oregon Institute of Technology (officially designated as Oregon's Polytechnic University)
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• University of Wisconsin–Stout (officially designated as Wisconsin's Polytechnic University)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University*
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute*

• Arkansas Tech University
• Clarkson University
• Colorado School of Mines*
• Colorado Technical University
• University of Central Florida (formerly Florida Technological University)*
• Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
• Iowa State University of Science and Technology*
• Lawrence Technological University
• Louisiana Tech University
• Michigan Technological University*
• Montana Technological University
• Missouri University of Science and Technology* (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla)
• Navajo Technical University
• New York City College of Technology
• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology*
• Tennessee Technological University
• Texas Tech University*
• Utah Tech University
• Vermont Technical College^[a]
• Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology

Conversely, schools dubbed "technical colleges" or "technical institutes" generally provide post-secondary training in technical and mechanical fields focusing on training vocational skills primarily at a community college level—parallel and sometimes equivalent to the first two years at a bachelor's-granting institution. The academic level of these schools varies by course of study; some courses are geared toward immediate employment in a trade, while others are designed to transfer into a four-year program. Some of these technical institutes are for-profit organizations (such as ITT Technical Institute) compared to most other non-profit educational institutes.

• Carnegie Institute of Technology (merged to form Carnegie Mellon University*)
• Case Institute of Technology (merged to form Case Western Reserve University*)
• Drexel Institute of Technology (now known as Drexel University*)
• General Motors Institute of Technology (now known as Kettering University)
• Lawrence Institute of Technology (now known as Lawrence Technological University*)
• State University of New York Institute of Technology (merged to form State University of New York Polytechnic Institute)
• University of Minnesota Institute of Technology (now known as University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering)

• The University of Akron (formerly designated as Ohio's Polytechnic University)^[3]
• Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now known as Auburn University)
• Arkansas Polytechnic College (now known as Arkansas Tech University)
• Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (now known as Louisiana Tech University)
• Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (now known as New York University Tandon School of Engineering)
• Rose Polytechnic Institute (now known as Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology)
• Southern Polytechnic State University (merged into Kennesaw State University)
• Tennessee Polytechnic Institute (now known as Tennessee Technological University)

• Institute of technology
• List of schools of mines
• List of institutions using the term "institute of technology" or "polytechnic"
• List of United States technological universities