Columbia’s biggest training option is Midlands Technical College, the public technical college for Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties, which teaches HVAC, welding, electrical, automotive, CDL and nursing at about $206 a credit for local residents. Around it are private nursing and health colleges (ECPI, Fortis and Southeastern), two truck-driving schools and a one-day contractor exam prep class. This page compares Midlands Tech and the 6 Columbia-area schools we have profiled.
Columbia at a glance
- Schools listed
- 7: 1 public technical college, 3 private health and technology colleges, 2 CDL schools and 1 contractor exam prep class
- Lowest-cost route
- Midlands Tech, $206 a credit for Richland, Lexington and Fairfield residents; $75 a credit in lottery tuition assistance and up to $5,000 a year from SC WINS for eligible residents
- Short programs
- Class A CDL in about 4 weeks (Roadmaster, SAGE); 1-day contractor exam review (Paul Calvo, $700)
- Nursing
- RN and practical nursing at Midlands Tech, ECPI and Fortis; RN at Southeastern. 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates range from 50% to 95.80%
- Licensed trades
- South Carolina licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors (home jobs over $500, other jobs over $10,000), not the electricians and technicians who work for them
- Local median pay
- Electricians $60,390; HVAC mechanics $57,610; truck drivers $51,280; LPNs $62,110; registered nurses $81,920 (Columbia area, BLS 2025)
- More in South Carolina
- All South Carolina trade schools, including Denmark Tech and Aiken Tech within about an hour
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile.
Columbia Trade Schools and Vocational Schools
Grouped by type, not ranked. Each profiled school links to a full profile with programs, outcomes and sources; the public technical college links to its own site. Each trade’s pay, length and license are in Trades and licensing.
Colleges (4)
Midlands Technical College
Midlands Tech is the Columbia area’s public two-year college. Trade programs include HVACR, welding, electrical wiring, automotive, machine tool, mechatronics, building construction and CDL; health programs include RN and practical nursing, CNA, radiologic and surgical technology, dental, pharmacy technician, medical assisting and massage. Its ADN graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 95.80% in 2025 (SC Board of Nursing). We have not profiled it yet, so check its program list.
- Length
- Short workforce courses to 2-year associate degrees
- Accredited
- The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC)
- Federal aid
- Yes; SC Lottery Tuition Assistance and SC WINS for eligible residents
Cost: $206 a credit for Richland, Lexington and Fairfield residents, $258 for other South Carolina residents, plus $55 or $32 a credit in course fees (current published rates)
Visit the website →ECPI University
ECPI’s Columbia campus teaches practical nursing, the ADN, medical assisting, healthcare administration and bachelor’s degrees in cybersecurity, cloud, AI and data analytics, software development and UX/web development, on year-round 5-week terms. Unlike the other South Carolina campuses it has no engineering technology or mechatronics. Its practical nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-PN first time at 86.96% in 2025 (115 tested).
- Length
- About 15 months (practical nursing, medical assisting) to 18 months (ADN); bachelor’s degrees about 2.5 years
- Accredited
- SACSCOC; ACEN Initial Accreditation for the Greenville ADN
- Federal aid
- Yes; GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon
Cost: Per semester: $9,991 (practical nursing), $10,200 (ADN), $8,088 (medical assisting), $8,976 (technology), plus a $495 technology fee (ECPI tuition page, no effective date)
View school profile →Fortis College
Fortis College Columbia teaches an associate degree in nursing approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing and an ACEN candidate until July 2027; 88.37% of its 43 graduates passed the NCLEX-RN first time in 2025. It also teaches practical nursing, medical and dental assisting and HVAC-R.
- Length
- Examples from Fortis catalogs: about 36 weeks (medical assisting), 60 weeks (practical nursing), 96 weeks (ADN)
- Accredited
- ABHES; ADN an ACEN candidate
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: Fortis catalog totals with fees and supplies: medical assisting $18,572, HVAC-R $23,759, dental assisting $23,849, practical nursing about $29,200 to $29,500, ADN about $54,900 to $56,300 (2026-27)
View school profile →Southeastern College
The Columbia campus is Southeastern’s only one with cosmetology, a 1,500-hour certificate. It also teaches a nursing associate degree (conditional Board of Nursing approval; 50% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate on the board’s listing, 48 testers), JRCERT-accredited radiography, sonography, surgical technology, medical assisting and a 740-hour massage program. Medical billing and coding is not offered here.
- Length
- 8 months (medical assisting, massage) to about 25 months (nursing)
- Accredited
- ACCSC; JRCERT for radiography
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $12,756 per 16-week semester for credit-hour programs, plus $700 in semester fees and program fees; massage and cosmetology $9,200 per pay period (2026-27)
View school profile →Truck driving schools (2)
Roadmaster Drivers School
Roadmaster’s only South Carolina location teaches a full-time Class A CDL course, Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, with new classes starting weekly. Attendance rules are strict. Partner carriers such as Werner, Covenant, Stevens and May Trucking reimburse tuition in monthly installments to graduates who drive for them.
- Length
- About 4 weeks full time (160 hours in Roadmaster’s 2025 Florida and California catalogs)
- Accredited
- None; listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry
- Federal aid
- No; WIOA accepted
Cost: No South Carolina price published; Roadmaster’s 2025-26 Florida and California catalogs list $7,495 tuition plus fees
View school profile →SAGE Truck Driving School
SAGE’s Midlands location teaches Class A CDL training, usually 150 to 160 clock hours over about four to five weeks, and Class B. We could not read its South Carolina catalog, so confirm the schedule and price with the location; SAGE’s prices differ by state.
- Length
- Class A 150 to 160 hours, about 4 to 5 weeks; Class B 40 or 80 hours
- Accredited
- None
- Federal aid
- No; a $1,000 Howes scholarship at selected locations
Cost: Not published for South Carolina; SAGE’s 2025 Class A prices in other states were about $4,550 to $5,595
View school profile →Contractor exam prep (1)
Paul Calvo School for Contractors
Paul Calvo runs one-day, eight-hour review classes for South Carolina’s PSI contractor exams: general contractor, residential builder, electrical, HVAC and plumbing, each with Business Management and Law. It does not teach the trades and awards no certificate; it is for people who already have the experience the state requires.
- Length
- One day, 8 hours
- Accredited
- None
- Federal aid
- No
Cost: $700 a class (October 2026 to March 2027); code books and PSI exam fees extra; a free repeat within six months after a failed exam
View school profile →No profiled schools on this page match. The technical college above may still teach it, or see all South Carolina trade schools.
Central Carolina Technical College (Sumter) and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (Orangeburg) are the nearest other public technical colleges. Denmark Technical College, the state’s two-year HBCU, teaches barbering, cosmetology, welding and practical nursing with residence halls, about an hour south. Strayer University no longer lists a Columbia campus.
- A certificate is not a license. South Carolina licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors; employed technicians learn on the job, and contractors need an exam (and two years of experience for jobs over $10,000).
- Nursing pass rates differ a lot: on the SC Board of Nursing’s listing, Southeastern Columbia’s first-time NCLEX-RN rate was 50%, Fortis 88.37% and Midlands Tech 95.80% (2025).
- Roadmaster and SAGE do not take federal aid and publish no South Carolina prices. Ask for the total in writing, and read any carrier reimbursement terms before you sign.
- Paul Calvo is exam review for people who already have trade experience, not trade training.
More in South Carolina: All South Carolina trade schools
Where to start, by goal
| Your goal | Schools to consider | What it leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Midlands Tech (electrical wiring, industrial electrical maintenance); Paul Calvo for the contractor exam once you have the experience | Work under a licensed contractor; residential specialty or mechanical contractor (electrical) license to run your own jobs |
| HVAC technician | Fortis (HVAC-R) and Midlands Tech (HVACR degree, diploma and certificates) | EPA 608; HVAC contractor license to run your own jobs |
| Truck driver | Roadmaster (Class A, about 4 weeks), SAGE (Class A and B, Lexington) and Midlands Tech (CDL) | South Carolina commercial driver’s license |
| Nurse (LPN or RN) | ECPI, Fortis and Midlands Tech (practical nursing and ADN); Southeastern (ADN) | NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN and a South Carolina nursing license |
| Medical assistant or imaging | ECPI, Fortis and Southeastern (medical assisting); Southeastern and Midlands Tech (radiography, surgical technology) | CMA or other certification; ARRT for radiographers |
| Cosmetology | Southeastern (1,500-hour certificate, Columbia campus only) | South Carolina cosmetology license after 1,500 hours |
| IT and cybersecurity | ECPI (bachelor’s degrees in cybersecurity, cloud, software development) | Degree plus industry certifications |
These match goals to published program features. They are not rankings.
Costs and financial aid
Public technical colleges charge by the credit, with lower rates for county residents; private colleges charge by the semester or program, and CDL schools one price per course. These are the prices each school published, with the date.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public technical college | Midlands Tech | $206 a credit for Richland, Lexington and Fairfield residents, $258 elsewhere in South Carolina, plus $55 or $32 a credit in course fees | Current rates |
| Private college, per semester | ECPI; Southeastern | ECPI $9,991 (practical nursing), $10,200 (ADN), $8,088 (medical assisting) plus fees; Southeastern $12,756 for credit-hour programs | No date (ECPI); 2026-27 |
| Private college, whole program | Fortis | Medical assisting $18,572, HVAC-R $23,759, practical nursing about $29,200 to $29,500, ADN about $54,900 to $56,300 with fees and supplies | 2026-27 |
| CDL course | Roadmaster; SAGE | No South Carolina prices published; Roadmaster lists $7,495 tuition in its Florida and California catalogs | 2025-26 |
| Contractor exam prep | Paul Calvo | $700 a class; books and PSI exam fees extra | Oct 2026 to Mar 2027 |
Books, tools, uniforms, fees and licensing exam fees are often extra. Ask any school for the total in writing before you sign. School prices are from our school profiles, where the original sources are linked.
Paying for training
- SC Lottery Tuition Assistance: South Carolina residents of at least a year who take 6 or more credits in a certificate, diploma or degree at a technical college can get lottery-funded tuition help, regardless of need (§ 59-150-360). For 2026-27 Greenville Tech lists $75 a credit, up to 15 credits. File the FAFSA; it cannot be combined with a LIFE Scholarship, and after 24 credits you need a 2.0 GPA.
- SC WINS: the technical colleges’ workforce scholarship pays up to $5,000 a year toward tuition, fees and course costs for South Carolina residents in eligible career programs, after other grants. University transfer programs do not qualify, and each college sets its own maximum.
- Federal aid: every public technical college on this page, ECPI, Fortis, Southeastern, Laurel, Arizona College of Nursing and PIA take federal aid through the FAFSA. The CDL schools and Paul Calvo do not.
- Truck driving: CDL schools here do not take federal aid. Roadmaster accepts WIOA workforce funding (ask SC Works about eligibility), and its partner carriers reimburse tuition to graduates who drive for them.
- Veterans: ECPI accepts the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bill and takes part in Yellow Ribbon; ask any school whether its program is approved for VA benefits.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in South Carolina, how long training takes, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the Columbia-area median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine).
Electrical
South Carolina licenses electrical contractors, not individual electricians. Electricians usually start as helpers or apprentices with a licensed contractor and learn on the job, often with technical college classes. To run your own jobs you need a residential specialty license from the Residential Builders Commission for home jobs over $500 (by exam), or a mechanical contractor license in the electrical subclass from the Contractor’s Licensing Board for jobs over $10,000, which needs a passing exam and two years of full-time electrical experience within the last five. Some cities and counties add their own rules.
- Length
- 1 semester to 2 years at a technical college; most electricians then learn on the job
- Columbia-area median pay
- $60,390 electricians
- License
- Residential specialty (electrical) or mechanical contractor (electrical) license; none for employed electricians
Schools on this page: Midlands Tech (electrical wiring and industrial electrical maintenance); Paul Calvo (one-day contractor exam review, $700).
Passing a contractor exam is not the same as training. Paul Calvo School runs one-day prep classes for these exams in Simpsonville and Columbia ($700 a class) for people who already have the experience. Sources: S.C. Code ch. 40-11 and ch. 40-59 (contractors); ch. 40-13, ch. 40-7 and ch. 40-30 (beauty and massage); our school profiles.
HVAC and plumbing
Plumbing and HVAC follow the same contractor rules: a residential specialty license by exam for home jobs over $500, with a surety bond for jobs over $5,000 for a homeowner, and a mechanical contractor license (plumbing or air conditioning subclass) for jobs over $10,000. HVAC technicians also need federal EPA 608 certification to handle refrigerants. Welders and carpenters need no state license; employers test welders to AWS or other codes.
- Length
- About 36 weeks to 2 years (HVAC programs)
- License
- Residential specialty or mechanical contractor license to run your own jobs; EPA 608
Schools on this page: Fortis (HVAC-R, $23,759) and Midlands Tech (HVACR associate degree, diploma and certificates). Guide: How to become an HVAC technician in South Carolina.
Sources: S.C. Code ch. 40-11 and ch. 40-59 (contractors); ch. 40-13, ch. 40-7 and ch. 40-30 (beauty and massage); our school profiles.
Truck driving and automotive
South Carolina has no license for auto technicians or welders; ASE and AWS certifications are the usual credentials. Truck drivers need a commercial driver’s license from the SC DMV after federal entry-level driver training from a provider on the FMCSA registry, and aircraft mechanics need the FAA’s A&P certificate.
- Length
- About 4 to 5 weeks (Class A CDL)
Schools on this page: Roadmaster (Columbia), SAGE (Lexington) and Midlands Tech (CDL and automotive technology).
Sources: our school profiles; Midlands Tech program pages.
Nursing and healthcare
Nurses are licensed by the SC Board of Nursing after the NCLEX. Check each program’s board approval, accreditation and recent pass rates before you apply: they range widely in South Carolina, from 50% to more than 95% among the schools on this page. Nurse aides take the state exam after an approved course; medical assistants usually earn national certification such as the CMA.
- Length
- About 36 weeks (medical assisting) to about 2 years (RN)
Schools on this page: Practical nursing and ADN at ECPI, Fortis and Midlands Tech; ADN, radiography, sonography and surgical technology at Southeastern; medical assisting at all three private colleges.
Recent first-time pass rates: ECPI Columbia NCLEX-PN 86.96%, Fortis NCLEX-RN 88.37%, Southeastern Columbia NCLEX-RN 50%, Midlands Tech NCLEX-RN 95.80% (SC Board of Nursing, 2025). Sources: our school profiles.
Cosmetology and massage
South Carolina requires 1,500 hours of training for a cosmetology license, 450 hours for estheticians and 300 hours for nail technicians (SC Board of Cosmetology). Barbers are licensed by the SC Board of Barber Examiners after 1,500 hours over at least nine months, or a 12-month apprenticeship of at least 1,920 hours. Massage therapists need 650 hours.
- Length
- 300 hours (nail technician) to 1,500 hours (cosmetology, barbering); massage 650 hours
- Columbia-area median pay
- $30,710 hairstylists and cosmetologists
Schools on this page: Southeastern (1,500-hour cosmetology and 740-hour massage, Columbia campus); Midlands Tech (clinical massage therapy).
Sources: S.C. Code ch. 40-11 and ch. 40-59 (contractors); ch. 40-13, ch. 40-7 and ch. 40-30 (beauty and massage); our school profiles.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best trade schools in Columbia, SC?
It depends on the trade. Midlands Technical College is the lowest-cost route for HVAC, welding, electrical, automotive, CDL and nursing. For nursing and health care, ECPI, Fortis and Southeastern College also have Columbia campuses, and Roadmaster and SAGE teach Class A CDL. We list schools by type, not by rank.
How much does trade school cost in Columbia?
Midlands Tech charges $206 a credit for Richland, Lexington and Fairfield residents, plus course fees, and eligible residents get $75 a credit in lottery tuition assistance and up to $5,000 a year from SC WINS. Private programs cost more: Fortis lists $18,572 for medical assisting and $23,759 for HVAC-R with fees and supplies (2026-27).
Where can I get CDL training in Columbia, SC?
Roadmaster Drivers School on Andrews Road teaches a full-time Class A course of about four weeks, SAGE Truck Driving School on Dooley Road in Lexington teaches Class A and Class B, and Midlands Tech offers CDL training. Neither private school takes federal aid or publishes South Carolina prices, so ask for a written total.
How do I become an electrician in South Carolina?
South Carolina does not license employed electricians, so most people start as a helper or apprentice with a licensed contractor, often while taking technical college classes such as Florence-Darlington Tech’s 8-month electrician certificate or Laurel’s 12-month diploma in Fort Mill. To contract on your own you need a residential specialty license (home jobs over $500, by exam) or a mechanical contractor license in the electrical subclass (jobs over $10,000), which requires two years of full-time electrical experience in the last five and a passing exam.
Which Columbia nursing programs have the best pass rates?
On the SC Board of Nursing’s 2025 listing, Midlands Tech’s ADN graduates passed the NCLEX-RN first time at 95.80% and Fortis Columbia’s at 88.37%, while Southeastern Columbia’s rate was 50%. ECPI Columbia’s practical nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-PN at 86.96%. Check the board’s newest report before you apply.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked; Midlands Tech facts come from its own tuition and program pages, and nursing pass rates from the SC Board of Nursing. Licensing rules are from the South Carolina Code of Laws (S.C. Code ch. 40-11, ch. 40-59, ch. 40-13, ch. 40-7, ch. 40-30 and § 59-150-360). Pay figures are Columbia-area median annual wages from BLS 2025 data, via O*NET OnLine.