Trident Technical College
Charleston, South Carolina · Website
$38,253
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$38,253
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Trident Technical College is a public 2-year college in Charleston, South Carolina with 10,512 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $1,406 a year (tuition and fees $4,546 in-state, $8,620 out-of-state). 30% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $38,253 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $13,029 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$1,406
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$4,546
Out-of-state $8,620
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
30%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$13,029
About $138 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$38,253
Rank 3,013 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $1,406
- Tuition in-state
- $4,546
- Tuition out-of-state
- $8,620
- Cost of attendance
- $13,408
- Students with a need-based grant
- 28%
- Students with federal loans
- 13%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $1,057
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $516
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $1,141
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $2,174
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $6,542
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $4,039 in 2015-16 to $4,546 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 10,512
- Part-time students
- 63%
- Women
- 65%
- Students per teacher
- 21
- Completion rate
- 30%
- Retention rate
- 59%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 78
- Endowment
- $6.38M
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 3,013 of 5,094 US colleges and 42 of 78 in South Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $1,406 | $16,583 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $4,546 | $12,978 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 75% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 30% | 46% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 59% | 69% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $13,029 | $15,392 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $33,306 | $33,444 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $38,253 | $38,826 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 29% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 55% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
78 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 449 | $10,256 | Withheld | $51,912 | $44,125 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory ProgramsCertificate | Certificate | 194 | $5,500 | Withheld | $52,550 | $54,229 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 171 | $21,050 | $67,607 | $76,575 | $80,813 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 88 | $11,666 | Withheld | $36,449 | $30,572 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 73 | $2,750 | Withheld | $39,732 | $44,906 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 71 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,589 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 69 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,927 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherAssociate's | Associate's | 66 | $9,000 | $32,725 | $54,774 | $50,491 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 65 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 61 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Data ProcessingOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 54 | Withheld | Withheld | $48,936 | $51,859 |
| Ground TransportationCertificate | Certificate | 52 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | $52,266 | $51,586 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, OtherOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 44 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,083 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 41 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,389 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,605 |
| Human Services, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,422 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,962 |
| Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,127 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | $32,849 | $26,307 |
| Legal Support ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,669 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,073 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,099 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, OtherOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,378 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,706 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: South Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in South Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in South Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does Trident Technical College cost?
$1,406 a year is the average net price at Trident Technical College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $4,546 for in-state students and $8,620 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $13,408. Families earning under $30,000 pay $1,057 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Trident Technical College?
Trident Technical College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Trident Technical College graduates earn?
$38,253 a year is the median pay of former Trident Technical College students who work, 10 years after they started ($33,306 after 6 years). That ranks 3,013 of 5,094 US colleges and 42 of 78 in South Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $67,607.
How much student debt do Trident Technical College graduates have?
$13,029 is the median federal student loan debt of Trident Technical College graduates, about $138 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 13% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Trident Technical College?
30% of first-time, full-time students at Trident Technical College finish within 3 years. 59% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Trident Technical College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (449 associate's graduates), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (194 certificate graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (171 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 78 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.