Make your first step count.

Deciding where you want to go to college is hard. Making that decision when you don't know much about community colleges is even harder. We're here to help you understand the pros and cons of technical college, to dispel some of the most prominent myths, and to ultimately help make your decision easier.

First and foremost, you need to know what a community college is — and what it isn’t. 

What is a technical college?

Most technical colleges are 2-year institutions that offer diplomas, certificates, associate degrees, and a clear path to transfer to a 4-year school if you choose. They tend to be commuter colleges – no dorms – but still offer a rich and vibrant student experience, and the opportunity to make lifelong friends. 

Technical colleges are subsidized at the local level, so they tend to have much lower admissions costs than even a comparable in-state university. For instance, attending Piedmont Tech for 2 years instead of the University of South Carolina can save you more than $15,000. At the same time, PTC offers a USC-specific bridge program, meaning that if you have a satisfactory GPA you are guaranteed to be able to transfer into USC to complete your bachelor’s degree.

The top 5 reasons to attend a technical college

  1. Save money while getting a quality education. 

While costs will vary school to school, by attending PTC you can save more than $20,000 over two years when compared to going straight into another public South Carolina institution. (Private schools are normally even more expensive.) 

  1. Earn your associate degree.

According to the American Association of Community Colleges, the average associate degree holder makes about $55,000 a year – almost $10,000 more per year than people whose top degree is their high school diploma.

  1. Because you have no idea what you want to do.

Very few people know what they want to do as they start college. Technical colleges are a great place to try a few things and see if they stick before committing to high loans and debt.

  1. Because you know exactly what you want to do and want to start ASAP.

On the flip side, if you know exactly what you want to do, tech schools may be your best bet. We can help you obtain your certificate or associate degree quickly, and get you started in your chosen career ASAP – again without the high loans and debt.

  1. Easily transfer credits if you want or need to progress to a bachelor’s degree.

Many technical colleges have agreements with nearby 4-year colleges and universities. These agreements are designed to make it easier for you to transfer all of your credits to a 4-year school if you decide you want to earn your bachelor’s degree. In fact, some of these agreements require that the 4-year school accept the credit transfer (assuming you hit a certain GPA threshold). So you can start on your bachelor’s degree, get the same level of schooling and transfer to a 4-year college…without the high loans and debt.