Best Trade Programs in South Carolina (2026)
Top 100 of 192 programs in South Carolina · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in South Carolina, ranked by overall value. We scored 192 programs across South Carolina trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $47,362/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in SC
192
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$47,362/yr
Avg TSW Score
70/100
#1 Program
Nursing
Aiken Technical College
Top Trade Programs in South Carolina
Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nursing
Aiken Technical College · Graniteville, SC |
83
78–84 |
$72,146/yr | Moderate | 70.5x |
| 2 |
Nursing
Greenville Technical College · Greenville, SC |
82
77–82 |
$72,879/yr | Moderate | 63.6x |
| 3 |
Nursing
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College · Orangeburg, SC |
84
78–84 |
$72,237/yr | Moderate | 67.0x |
| 4 |
Nursing
Tri-County Technical College · Pendleton, SC |
85
80–85 |
$73,667/yr | Moderate | 84.4x |
| 5 |
Practical Nursing
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
82
80–82 |
$54,238/yr | AI-Proof | 103.9x |
| 6 |
Nursing
Technical College of the Lowcountry · Beaufort, SC |
82
75–82 |
$66,628/yr | Moderate | 69.3x |
| 7 |
Nursing
Northeastern Technical College · Cheraw, SC |
81
75–81 |
$68,001/yr | Moderate | 59.0x |
| 8 |
Nursing
Horry-Georgetown Technical College · Conway, SC |
83
77–84 |
$66,034/yr | Moderate | 81.3x |
| 9 |
Nursing
Midlands Technical College · West Columbia, SC |
83
78–84 |
$70,571/yr | Moderate | 77.3x |
| 10 |
Practical Nursing
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College · Orangeburg, SC |
82
80–82 |
$51,754/yr | AI-Proof | 90.3x |
| 11 |
Nursing
Piedmont Technical College · Greenwood, SC |
83
78–84 |
$69,883/yr | Moderate | 78.3x |
| 12 |
Nursing
Spartanburg Community College · Spartanburg, SC |
83
78–83 |
$70,419/yr | Moderate | 74.5x |
| 13 |
Nursing
Central Carolina Technical College · Sumter, SC |
81
76–81 |
$68,914/yr | Moderate | 59.9x |
| 14 |
Nursing
Trident Technical College · Charleston, SC |
83
78–83 |
$67,607/yr | Moderate | 73.1x |
| 15 |
Nursing
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
82
76–82 |
$68,550/yr | Moderate | 68.2x |
| 16 |
Ground Transportation
Miller-Motte College-Charleston · Charleston, SC |
72
71–73 |
$46,909/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 17 |
Ground Transportation
Miller-Motte College-Conway · Conway, SC |
72
71–73 |
$46,909/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 18 |
Practical Nursing
Northeastern Technical College · Cheraw, SC |
78
77–79 |
$47,544/yr | AI-Proof | 84.6x |
| 19 |
Practical Nursing
Midlands Technical College · West Columbia, SC |
80
78–80 |
$46,823/yr | AI-Proof | 80.6x |
| 20 |
Practical Nursing
Tri-County Technical College · Pendleton, SC |
83
80–83 |
$49,100/yr | AI-Proof | 138.5x |
| 21 |
Business Administration
Greenville Technical College · Greenville, SC |
75
71–77 |
$44,362/yr | Moderate | 39.8x |
| 22 |
Practical Nursing
Piedmont Technical College · Greenwood, SC |
77
76–78 |
$42,734/yr | AI-Proof | 88.2x |
| 23 |
Nursing
University of South Carolina-Lancaster · Lancaster, SC |
76
72–76 |
$65,139/yr | Moderate | 42.1x |
| 24 |
Criminal Justice
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
73
69–74 |
$44,401/yr | Resilient | 43.7x |
| 25 |
Precision Metalworking
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
71
70–71 |
$50,309/yr | AI-Proof | 89.8x |
| 26 |
Practical Nursing
Horry-Georgetown Technical College · Conway, SC |
76
75–77 |
$40,724/yr | AI-Proof | 93.8x |
| 27 |
Precision Metalworking
Midlands Technical College · West Columbia, SC |
71
69–71 |
$47,556/yr | AI-Proof | 98.3x |
| 28 |
Business Administration
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
74
70–76 |
$43,096/yr | Moderate | 38.5x |
| 29 |
Business Administration
Tri-County Technical College · Pendleton, SC |
73
69–75 |
$38,336/yr | Moderate | 44.0x |
| 30 |
Criminal Justice
Tri-County Technical College · Pendleton, SC |
70
65–71 |
$35,726/yr | Resilient | 49.6x |
| 31 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Greenville Technical College · Greenville, SC |
72
68–73 |
$40,140/yr | AI-Proof | 101.3x |
| 32 |
Medical Assisting
Horry-Georgetown Technical College · Conway, SC |
69
65–69 |
$43,389/yr | Resilient | 52.9x |
| 33 |
Nursing
Fortis College-Columbia · Columbia, SC |
71
66–72 |
$69,200/yr | Moderate | 25.0x |
| 34 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Greenville Technical College · Greenville, SC |
63
59–64 |
$38,952/yr | AI-Proof | 47.3x |
| 35 |
Culinary Arts
Horry-Georgetown Technical College · Conway, SC |
65
58–65 |
$24,466/yr | AI-Proof | 46.8x |
| 36 |
Medical Assisting
Midlands Technical College · West Columbia, SC |
67
65–68 |
$43,709/yr | Resilient | 44.6x |
| 37 |
Precision Metalworking
Spartanburg Community College · Spartanburg, SC |
63
63–64 |
$38,147/yr | AI-Proof | 76.1x |
| 38 |
Heavy Equipment Technology
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
64
62–64 |
$51,920/yr | AI-Proof | 56.7x |
| 39 |
Allied Health Professions
Aiken Technical College · Graniteville, SC |
69
66–69 |
$62,216/yr | Resilient | 60.7x |
| 40 |
Medical Assisting
Greenville Technical College · Greenville, SC |
66
63–66 |
$43,962/yr | Resilient | 41.3x |
| 41 |
Business
Horry-Georgetown Technical College · Conway, SC |
71
67–73 |
$36,679/yr | Moderate | 33.9x |
| 42 |
Business Administration
Midlands Technical College · West Columbia, SC |
70
61–72 |
$31,245/yr | Moderate | 47.6x |
| 43 |
Accounting
Midlands Technical College · West Columbia, SC |
69
63–72 |
$41,233/yr | Exposed | 48.9x |
| 44 |
Criminal Justice
Piedmont Technical College · Greenwood, SC |
66
61–68 |
$32,721/yr | Resilient | 43.9x |
| 45 |
Business
Piedmont Technical College · Greenwood, SC |
69
63–71 |
$33,486/yr | Moderate | 42.2x |
| 46 |
Allied Health Professions
Spartanburg Community College · Spartanburg, SC |
69
65–70 |
$59,412/yr | Resilient | 65.3x |
| 47 |
Electrical Repair Technology
York Technical College · Rock Hill, SC |
72
70–72 |
$58,025/yr | AI-Proof | 104.3x |
| 48 |
Business
Strayer University-South Carolina · Greenville, SC |
69
62–71 |
$44,154/yr | Moderate | 19.1x |
| 49 |
Precision Metalworking
Florence-Darlington Technical College · Florence, SC |
61
61–62 |
$34,948/yr | AI-Proof | 80.1x |
| 50 |
Precision Metalworking
Greenville Technical College · Greenville, SC |
62
58–63 |
$34,761/yr | AI-Proof | 84.5x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at South Carolina schools, drawn from 192 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.
Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best trade program in South Carolina?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Nursing at Aiken Technical College ranks #1 in South Carolina with a score of 83/100 and graduate earnings of $72,146/yr.
How many trade programs are in South Carolina?
Our database includes 192 trade programs across South Carolina schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.