How good are SC technical and community colleges? A new study may surprise you
Political and educational leaders in South Carolina have touted the state’s technical college system as an answer to rising tuition prices and an effective way to get more people into the workforce faster. However, a new study from WalletHub suggests technical and community colleges in South Carolina rank among the worst in the country.
Of 42 states that received a ranking, South Carolina ranked 39th. And for the 715 colleges ranked throughout the country, the highest ranked school in S.C., Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, was 496th, according to the study.
WalletHub ranked the schools based on a composite score of 17 factors. Cost, average salary after attending and retention and graduation rates carried the most weight, according to the report.
“This report should help students determine where they can get the best education at the lowest price. It focuses both on quality of education and the cost-benefit ratio,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “We analyzed 13 of South Carolina’s community colleges, and they all ranked in the bottom half for ‘Cost & Financing.’ According to this data, we can say that the state’s community colleges have a higher cost compared to other states.”
The state’s system of technical colleges pushed back on the report, questioning its methods and saying it failed to take into account all of the financial aid available to technical college students.
“Our colleges remain one of the most economical means to a quality higher education in South Carolina,” said Kelly Steinhilper, a spokeswoman for the S.C. Technical College System. “South Carolina’s technical colleges, on average, are 34 percent of the average annual tuition at a four-year institution.
“Our colleges make available flexible course offerings, a wide array of online options and degrees, diplomas and certificates in South Carolina’s high-demand, high-paying fields. Across the system, our colleges offer 77 degrees, 28 diplomas and nearly 1,000 certificate programs,” Steinhilper said.
Denmark Technical College ranked the lowest in the state and 712th nationwide, the fourth-lowest. This comes at a bad time for the college, as the director of the state’s technical college system recommended last winter that Denmark merge with Orangeburg-Calhoun. But it wasn’t the only one to receive low marks.
Williamsburg Technical College tied for 710th in graduation rates and ranked 650th overall.
South Dakota had the highest-ranked technical college system in the country, followed by Minnesota and Montana.
Top S.C. community and technical colleges
For community and technical colleges in the Palmetto State, here are those that rank at the top:
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
Greenville Technical College
Spartanburg Community College
Trident Technical College
Midlands Technical College
Piedmont Technical College
Tri-County Technical College
York Technical College
Aiken Technical College
Williamsburg Technical College
Florence-Darlington Technical College
Northeastern Technical College
Denmark Technical College
This story was originally published August 28, 2018 at 3:16 PM.