Tri-County Technical College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Pendleton, South Carolina. It enrolls 5,071 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Fair
54/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes29
Value37
Affordability42
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Tri-County Technical College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,670 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,448
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,815
Room & Board (off-campus)
$23,472
Books & Supplies
$2,600
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,652
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,057
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$11,937
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,576
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,201
$75,001 – $110,000
$17,105
Over $110,000
$19,459
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,75010%percentile
$3,20425%percentile
$9,000Medianpercentile
$8,50275%percentile
$14,75090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $5,500
↓ $3,500
No Pell $5,500
↓ $3,500
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $3,500
Independent students $9,350
↑ $350
Female students $5,500
↓ $3,500
Male students $5,500
↓ $3,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($9,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
22% of students who start here finish within six years, and 54% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
22%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
54%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $40,101 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,101
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$27,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$36,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,400, about 26% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
10.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 66% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,071 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 39% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
5,071
Part-Time
33%
First-Generation
39%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 71.4%3,618
Black 11.5%584
Hispanic 9.6%487
Other 4.0%204
Asian 1.4%73
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Tri-County Technical College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Tri-County Technical College offers
a varied set of programs:
30 distinct programs across
12 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,482
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$34M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$54,519
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
140 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
No Rank
140
100%
$54,519
Pros & Cons of Tri-County Technical College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Tri-County Technical College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Tri-County Technical College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tri-County Technical College
The questions families ask most about Tri-County Technical College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Tri-County Technical College hard to get into?
Not especially. Tri-County Technical College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Tri-County Technical College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Tri-County Technical College cost?
Budget around $14,670 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Tri-County Technical College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $40,101 a year against a net price of $14,670, about 2.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Tri-County Technical College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Tri-County Technical College graduates earn?
About $40,101 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Tri-County Technical College accredited?
Yes. Tri-County Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Tri-County Technical College?
5,071 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Tri-County Technical College?
22% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Tri-County Technical College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Tri-County Technical College located?
Tri-County Technical College is located in Pendleton, South Carolina.
What programs does Tri-County Technical College offer?
30 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Tri-County Technical College?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in South Carolina
Other colleges in South Carolina share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Liberal Arts
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Nursing
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