The College of Industrial Technology (CIT) was formerly the college department of the Ilocos Norte College of Arts and Trades (INCAT) in Laoag City which was integrated into the university by P.D. 1279 or the decree creating the Mariano Marcos State University on January. 6, 1978.  Its campus is located in Laoag City, with external campus in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

The College is an accredited trade skills training and testing center of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Region I and a Regional Training Center In Product Design And Development of the Product Design and Development Center of the Philippines. The College hosts a Toyota Technology Center (TTC), one among 18 established in nominated partner schools in the country under the Toyota Automotive Education Program (TAEP). Supported by Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation (TMPF) Inc., it is envisioned to become the regional skills development center in automotive servicing.

The College was originally named as the Institute of Industrial Technology. It was then offering the degree programs, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education (BSIE) and the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology (BSIT); the non-degree programs, the two-year Associate in Industrial Technology (AIT) and the two-year General Radio Communication Operator (GRCO) course; and the master's degree, Master in Teaching Vocational Education (MATVE).

In 1983, the Institute started to offer the courses in engineering and business administration. This paved the way for the renaming of the college to the Institute of Technology (IT).

The college started in 1985 to offer the three-year non-degree Diploma of Industrial Technology (DIT) program, later named the Diploma of Technology (DT), replacing the two-year AIT program.

In 1986, the engineering courses were transferred to the Batac Campus with the creation of the College of Engineering (CoE), and the business administration courses towards the establishment of the College of Economics and Management (CEM), now the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) also at the main campus. Also, the MATVE was transferred to the Graduate School.

In August 1995, the Board of Regents of the University, through a resolution, renamed it to the College of Technology (COT). To focus on tertiary education, a reengineering of the DT and GRCO non-degree programs was instituted in June 2004, which resulted to the development of a ladderized curriculum towards the four-year BSIT degree program.

Meantime, the Board of Regents approved in June 8, 2004 the college's renaming to the College of Industrial Technology (CIT) through Resolution No. 649, s. 2004.  This is to reflect the college's role of providing education and training in the specific field of industrial technology.