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Community college · Public

Trident Technical College

North Charleston, SC6,345 online only

Trident Technical College is a public community college in North Charleston, SC, with about 7,680 students on campus and 6,345 more studying only online.

Visit www.tridenttech.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
7,680
plus 6,345 studying only online
Admission rate
Open
open enrollment
Net price a year
$1,406
tuition and fees $4,546; the net price adds housing and food
Graduation rate
30%
lower than at 91% of 2-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$38,253
lower than at 59% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Trident Technical College

Trident Technical College is nearly free for lower-income families

Families earning under $30,000 pay about $1,057 a year after grants. Families earning $48,000–75,000 pay about $1,141, and those over $110,000 pay about $6,542. What it costs ↓

A lower graduation rate than at most 2-year colleges

Only 30% of students graduate within three years, fewer than at 91% of 2-year colleges. 59% of first-year students come back for a second year. Most students here study part-time, and the rate only counts first-time, full-time students. Outcomes ↓

Most students study part-time

63% of undergraduates attend part-time, and 37% are 25 or older. The students ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $13,408 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $8,620

Tuition & fees (in state) $4,546Books & supplies $1,495Other costs $7,367

After grants, the average family on aid pays $1,406.

Tuition and fees are $4,546 a year. The net price also counts housing, food and other costs at full price, so a student living at home pays less than it shows.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$1,141

About $2,282 over 2 years · 91% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Trident Technical College?

Open

anyone with a high school diploma can enroll

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Trident Technical College is likely test-optional.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
30%
within 3 years · Pell students 28%
Come back for year two
59%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$38,253
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$13,029
about $138 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

5%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$138 a month against about $2,776 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

29%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 15% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$35k
Middle income$30–75k
$44k
Higher incomeover $75k
$45k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Health professions 26%Liberal arts 20%Business 15%Computer science 10%Culinary & personal services 7%Mechanic & repair 5%Everything else 18%

Associate degree programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities449 graduates a year · typical debt $10,256
$52k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing171 graduates a year · typical debt $21,050
$77k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General69 graduates a year
—not reported
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other66 graduates a year · typical debt $9,000
$55k4 yrs out
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management65 graduates a year
—not reported
Business Administration, Management and Operations61 graduates a year
—not reported
Data Processing54 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions41 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

10,512 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 47%Hispanic 10%Black 31%Asian 2%Two or more 7%

Women and men

Women 65%Men 35%
21 : 1
students per teacher
28%
get Pell grants (lower income)
13%
take federal loans
37%
undergrads 25 or older
63%
study part time
The town around it

Living in North Charleston

7% of North Charleston’s 129,245 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ North Charleston pages.

North Charleston →
North CharlestonNorth Charleston, SC
$1,430/momedian rent · 21% above the state$309Ktypical home valueD−Safety Grade38° / 92°January low / July highB−Health GradeAll colleges in and near North CharlestonCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Trident Technical College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Charleston Southern UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · North Charleston
4.4 mi2,966 students
American College of the Building ArtsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Charleston
9.8 mi140 students
Citadel Military College of South CarolinaUniversity or college · Public · Charleston
10 mi2,976 students
Charleston School of LawUniversity or college · For-profit · Charleston
11 mi675 students
Medical University of South CarolinaUniversity or college · Public · Charleston
11.1 mi2,521 students
College of CharlestonUniversity or college · Public · Charleston
11.3 mi10,861 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.