Trident Technical College

7000 Rivers Avenue
Charleston, SC 29423
Top Ranked (2025): View Rankings
  • Trident Technical College is a public, two-year, multicampus institution that provides quality education and promotes economic development in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties in coastal South Carolina.

School Highlights

Trident Technical College serves 18,427 students (27% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 21:1 is higher than the state community college average of 18:1.
Minority enrollment is 47% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the state average of 48%.

Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 18,427 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,370
  • Out-state tuition: $7,434
  • Student:teacher ratio: 21:1
  • Minority enrollment: 47%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Trident Technical College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in South Carolina for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size

School Overview

The teacher population of 864 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Trident Technical College
(SC) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional
Associate's Colleges: High Vocational & Technical-High Traditional
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
864 staff
177 staff
This chart displays total faculty of Trident Technical College and community college average number of faculty in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Trident Technical College has grown by 49% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 21:1 has increased from 13:1 over five years.
The Trident Technical College diversity score of 0.64 is more than the state average of 0.63. The school's diversity has grown by 6% over five years.
Total Enrollment
18,427 students
2,253 students
This chart displays the total enrollment of Trident Technical College and community college average number of enrollment of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
21:1
18:1
This chart displays the student staff ratio of Trident Technical College and community college average student staff ratio of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
4,955 students
622 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Trident Technical College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
13,472 students
1,349 students
This chart displays the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Trident Technical College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
This chart displays the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Trident Technical College.
This chart displays community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of South Carolina.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
184 students
279 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
4,955 students
605 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Trident Technical College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
8 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
13,472 students
1,965 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
32 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
260 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Asian
2%
2%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of Asian community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hispanic
8%
9%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
% Black
27%
29%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of Black community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% White
53%
52%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of White community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Two or more races
5%
4%
This chart displays the percentage of Two or more races students in Trident Technical College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Unknown races
3%
4%
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Trident Technical College.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in South Carolina.
Diversity Score
0.64
0.63
This chart displays the diversity score of Trident Technical College and the community college average diversity score of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
0.2382%
0.2579%
This chart displays completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Trident Technical College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
0.172%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$33,700
$28,800
This chart displays average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Trident Technical College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of South Carolina by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $4,370 is less than the state average of $5,692. The in-state tuition has declined by 15% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $7,434 is less than the state average of $10,568. The out-state tuition has declined by 14% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$4,370
$5,692
This chart displays tuition fees for an in-state student of Trident Technical College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$7,434
$10,568
This chart displays tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Trident Technical College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of South Carolina by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
92%
93%
This chart displays the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Trident Technical College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$13,660
$11,729
This chart displays median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Trident Technical College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$6,625
$5,500
This chart displays median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Trident Technical College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in South Carolina by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
88%
SAT Reading
n/a
430
SAT Math
n/a
458
SAT Writing
n/a
413
ACT Composite
n/a
18
ACT English
n/a
17
ACT Math
n/a
18
ACT Writing
n/a
6
Source: 2024 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • Each semester approximately 17,000 credit students enroll in programs leading to college transfer associate degrees and technical associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. The curriculum includes programs in Business Technology; Community, Family and Child Studies; Health Sciences, Film, Media and Visual Arts; Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Industrial and Engineering Technology; Law-Related Studies; Nursing; and Science and Mathematics. Trident Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Trident Technical College.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Trident Technical College cost?
Trident Technical College's tuition is approximately $4,370 for In-State students and $7,434 for Out-State students.
What schools are Trident Technical College often compared to?
Trident Technical Collegeis often viewed alongside schools like Miller-Motte College-Charleston by visitors of our site.
What is Trident Technical College's ranking?
Trident Technical College ranks among the top 20% of community college in South Carolina for: Largest student body.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 18,427 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,370
  • Out-state tuition: $7,434
  • Student:teacher ratio: 21:1
  • Minority enrollment: 47%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

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