Home / Worth-It Scores / South Carolina / Tri-County Technical
Is Tri-County Technical College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Tri-County Technical, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Tri-County Technical sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $46,048 helps, but median debt of $9,350 plus yearly net price of $12,368 creates a tighter path. For context, Tri-County Technical's net price is about 2% above the typical 2-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$7,726
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $171 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $1,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$12,368
Median earnings 10 years out
$46,048
Median debt at graduation
$9,350
Graduation rate
41%
At Tri-County Technical, a typical graduate carries about $9,350 in student debt and earns roughly $46,048 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $106 per month, or 3% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $15,892 more than the typical working high school graduate in South Carolina ($30,156) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
67% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in South Carolina ($30,156).
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
Associate degree · 24 working graduates counted
$33,376
$3,220 above the benchmark
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Associate degree · 104 working graduates counted
$41,384
$11,228 above the benchmark
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Associate degree · 38 working graduates counted
$42,077
$11,921 above the benchmark
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate degree · 22 working graduates counted
$45,462
$15,306 above the benchmark
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Associate degree · 35 working graduates counted
$47,810
$17,654 above the benchmark
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
Certificate · 28 working graduates counted
$51,355
$21,199 above the benchmark
Data Processing
Associate degree · 31 working graduates counted
$52,237
$22,081 above the benchmark
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
Associate degree · 16 working graduates counted
$52,963
$22,807 above the benchmark
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Associate degree · 77 working graduates counted
$62,901
$32,745 above the benchmark
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
Associate degree · 20 working graduates counted
$64,535
$34,379 above the benchmark
34 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Tri-County Technical College and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Tri-County Technical is a two year school in Pendleton, SC. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
University of South Carolina-Sumter
Sumter, SC
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $11,119
2-year
University of South Carolina-Lancaster
Lancaster, SC
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,750
2-year
University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie
Allendale, SC
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,749
2-year
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbia
West Columbia, SC
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $14,672
2-year
University of South Carolina-Union
Union, SC
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $10,545
Common questions about Tri-County Technical
The median net price at Tri-County Technical is $12,368 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in South Carolina? See the most affordable community colleges in South Carolina →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Tri-County Technical in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$12,368a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →