2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in South Carolina to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Trident Technical College to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in South Carolina. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the fairly large public school awarded 191 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Trident Technical College are $8,690 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $26,670 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Trident Technical College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 89% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Trident Technical College is ranked #1 for overall quality in South Carolina.
The excellent associate degree programs at Florence-Darlington Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in South Carolina. Florence-Darlington Technical College is a public institution located in Florence, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 54 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Florence-Darlington Technical College are $6,742 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Florence-Darlington Technical College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Florence-Darlington Technical College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list.
Out of the 13 schools in South Carolina that were part of this year’s value ranking, Greenville Technical College landed the # 3 spot on the list. GTC is located in Greenville, South Carolina and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 134 associate degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GTC are $9,410 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $23,618 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GTC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 93% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
GTC also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list, coming in at #2.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list. OCtech is a small public school situated in Orangeburg, South Carolina. It awarded 78 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at OCtech are $7,490 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,364 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at OCtech. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
OCtech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Aiken Technical College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Graniteville, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Aiken Technical College are $6,880 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,031 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Aiken Technical College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 89% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Piedmont Technical College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. This small public school is located in Greenwood, South Carolina, and it awarded 100 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Piedmont Technical College are $6,593 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $22,261 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Piedmont Technical College. In fact, around 88% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list. Conway, South Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Horry-Georgetown Technical College are $8,593 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,793 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 63% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Midlands Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. MTC is located in West Columbia, South Carolina and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 143 associate degrees to qualified students.
MTC undergraduate students pay an average of $13,812 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,503 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at MTC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.
MTC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list.
With a ranking of #9, Tri-County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in Pendleton, South Carolina, the medium-sized public school awarded 104 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at TCTC are $10,304 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,135 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at TCTC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #10, York Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the small public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
York Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,354 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,975 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at York Technical College. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #11, Spartanburg Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Spartanburg, South Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Spartanburg Community College are $9,822 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,880 in student loans.
Spartanburg Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 52% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Technical College of the Lowcountry ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Carolina list. Located in Beaufort, South Carolina, the small public school handed out 41 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at TCL are $11,020 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,491 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at TCL. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Central Carolina Technical College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Central Carolina is a public institution located in Sumter, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 75 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Central Carolina are $9,016 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $19,704 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Central Carolina does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 60% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
View Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
More South Carolina Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 13 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |