| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college and historically Black college (HBCU) in the South Carolina Technical College System; campus-based |
| Campus | One, in Denmark, SC (Bamberg County), with residence halls |
| Credentials | 10 associate degrees, 4 diplomas and 16 certificates in the 2025-26 catalog |
| Typical size | Certificates of about 20 to 37 credits, diplomas of 49 to 55 credits, associate degrees of 60 to 67 credits |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC); reaffirmed June 2026 with a Monitoring Report due in 12 months |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| Tuition | $201 per credit hour in state, $402 out of state (current published rates) |
| Students | 777 in fall 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A two-year HBCU in Denmark, South Carolina
Denmark Technical College is a public, historically Black two-year college in the South Carolina Technical College System, and it describes itself as the state’s only two-year HBCU. It teaches from one campus in Denmark, in Bamberg County, where it also runs three residence halls. The 2025-26 catalog lists 30 credentials: associate degrees in business, criminal justice, early childhood, computer and engineering technology and human services; diplomas in practical nursing, barbering, cosmetology and administrative support; and short certificates in trades such as welding and plumbing. Enrollment was 777 students in fall 2026, the largest fall total in 11 years, as WRDW reported on 2 October 2026.
Programs and the exams they lead to
Most career programs are certificates or diplomas; the associate degrees are mainly in business, criminal justice, early childhood, computer and engineering technology. The catalog does not give program lengths in months or say which classes meet in the day, evening or online, so the table gives credits and licensing exams instead.
| Program | Credential | Prepares for | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | Diploma, 51 credits | NCLEX-PN (SC Board of Nursing approved) | Fall start only |
| Nurse Aide Assistant | Certificate, 30 credits | NNAAP nurse aide exam | Background check and drug screen |
| Barbering | Diploma, 49 credits, or certificate, 37 credits | SC Board of Barber Examiners licence; 1,500 clock hours | Fall start only |
| Cosmetology | Diploma, 55 credits listed | SC State Board of Cosmetology exam; 1,500 clock hours | Program supply costs |
| Welding | Certificate, 20 core credits | Entry-level welding | No AWS certification named |
| Plumbing | Certificate, 21 credits | Entry-level plumbing | No licence named |
| Cybersecurity | Certificate, 33 credits | CompTIA Network+ and Security+ | $1,900 program fee |
| Accounting | Certificate, 33 credits | Bookkeeping, payroll, general accounting | – |
| Business Administration | AAS, 66 credits | General business jobs | ACBSP-accredited |
| Criminal Justice Technology | AAS, 60 credits | Corrections, police, security; SC Criminal Justice Academy prep courses | Police Pre-Academy certificate also offered |
| Early Care and Education | AAS, 66-67 credits | Teacher assistant, child care, Head Start | NAEYC-accredited |
| Electromechanical Engineering Technology | AAS | – | – |
Nursing at Denmark Tech means practical nursing (LPN) only; there is no RN or associate-degree nursing program. Several catalog program pages list course credits that do not add up to the stated total, including Nurse Aide Assistant, Cosmetology, Plumbing and Building Construction Fundamentals, so ask for a current course plan. Short certificates are also offered in culinary arts, building construction, entrepreneurship and multimedia web graphics.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing
The 51-credit diploma combines PNR 110 Fundamentals with three Medical-Surgical courses (PNR 120, 130 and 140), PNR 122 Pharmacology, a family nursing course (PNR 165) and a course on caring for older adults (PNR 170). General education adds biology (BIO 210 and 211), English, math and psychology. The program admits students only in the fall. Applicants need a nursing entrance test score of at least 60, and must pass a background check and drug screen and show immunizations, a TB test and CPR certification.
Barbering
Both barbering credentials share the same core, from BAR 101 through BAR 250, and finish with Clinical Practice I and II (BAR 255 and 256). The 49-credit diploma adds general education; the 37-credit certificate does not, although its catalog page still calls it a diploma program. Either way students must log 1,500 clock hours to sit the South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners licence exam, and new students are admitted only in the fall.
Cosmetology
The diploma moves through eleven cosmetology courses, COS 101, 106, 108, 110, 114, 116, 201, 206, 208, 210 and 212, plus clinical practice. The program requires 1,500 clock hours and prepares students for the South Carolina State Board of Cosmetology exam. The catalog states 55 credits, but its section headers and course lists give different totals. Students also buy program supplies, which the college lists separately from tuition.
Welding
The certificate’s 20 credits of core courses start with WLD 102, 103 and 104 and move to WLD 106 Gas and Arc Welding, WLD 108 Gas Metal Arc Welding I and WLD 111 Arc Welding I. Electives include WLD 113, WLD 136 and WLD 154 Pipefitting. The program is aimed at entry-level welding work; the catalog does not say that students test for American Welding Society certification, so ask before enrolling if that matters to an employer you have in mind.
Plumbing
The 21-credit certificate starts with BCT 102 Fundamentals of Building Construction and BCT 111 Blueprint Reading, then covers residential systems in BCT 151 Introduction to Residential Plumbing and the five-credit BCT 152 Residential Plumbing, and finishes with BCT 221 Construction Building Code and IDS 102. The catalog describes graduates as entry-level plumbers. It does not name a state licence, and its listed courses add up to 20 credits rather than 21.
Cybersecurity
The 33-credit certificate covers Linux (IST 190 and 193), local area networks (IST 245), forensics (IST 268) and a sequence on network security and IT and data assurance (IST 291 to 294), with CPT 282. The program names CompTIA Network+ and Security+ as the certifications it builds toward. The college charges a $1,900 Technology and Remote Instructional Fee for this program on top of tuition.
Tuition, fees and paying for college
Denmark Tech charges $201 per credit hour for South Carolina residents and $402 for out-of-state students, according to the college’s tuition and fees page, which does not say which academic year the current rates cover. There is no separate county or in-district rate. Mandatory fees add $480 a semester (a $134 technology fee, $161 student activity fee and $185 athletic fee), plus a $150 health services fee for students living on campus.
| Current published rates | South Carolina resident | Out of state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition per credit hour | $201 | $402 |
| Average semester, living off campus (15 credits) | $3,895 | $6,910 |
| Average semester, living on campus | $9,095 | $12,110 |
Other charges include a $325 Cengage textbook fee each semester, a $60 lab fee, a $50 registration fee and a $75 plant fund fee. Barbering, cosmetology, early childhood and practical nursing have program supply costs, and cybersecurity has its own $1,900 fee. First-semester costs are due by 1 August and second-semester costs by 3 January. The college takes federal student aid and has a net price calculator on its website.
Open admission, with extra steps for health programs
Denmark Tech is open admission. Practical Nursing and Nurse Aide Assistant add a background check, drug screen, immunizations and CPR, and Practical Nursing also needs a nursing entrance test score of at least 60 and a TB test. Practical Nursing and Barbering take new students only in the fall. The catalog does not state day, evening, weekend or online schedules for its programs, so ask the college how a program you want is scheduled.
Accreditation and results
The Commission on Colleges and Universities (named SACSCOC until 1 September 2026) accredits Denmark Tech to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. On 11 June 2026 it reaffirmed the college’s accreditation and asked for a Monitoring Report in 12 months, according to the commission’s June 2026 accreditation actions report. The college was on probation from December 2019 until December 2020.
According to the college, the Business Administration degree is accredited by ACBSP, the Early Care and Education degree by NAEYC, and the Practical Nursing diploma is approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing.
Practical Nursing graduates had a 100% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate in 2024 (12 of 12) and 73.3% in 2025 (11 of 15), per the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The cohorts are small, so one or two results move the rate a lot. We found no published job-placement rates and no published barber or cosmetology licence pass rates.
Before you enroll
- The college’s accreditation was reaffirmed in June 2026, but the commission asked for a Monitoring Report within 12 months, so check its status again if you are enrolling in 2027.
- There is no RN program. Practical Nursing leads to the LPN licence; students who want to become registered nurses will need to go elsewhere afterwards.
- The college’s finances have been tight. State budget requests, including a proposed $35 million cybersecurity, energy and healthcare building, went unfunded two years running, and in 2024 the college was allowed to use $2.2 million of maintenance funds for operations, which led to a budget stabilization plan and staff cuts, the SC Daily Gazette reported in July 2025.
- Out-of-state students pay double the resident tuition per credit hour, and living on campus raises the average resident semester from $3,895 to $9,095.
- Some catalog program pages list credits that do not add up, and none states program length or schedule, so get a written course plan before you start.
One campus in Denmark
All programs in the catalog are taught at the main campus, 1126 Solomon Blatt Blvd., Denmark, SC 29042. The college also has off-campus centers in Allendale and Barnwell, which offer admissions, advising, placement testing and financial-aid help.
Housing on campus
Denmark Tech has three residence halls: Edisto, Lorry H. Dawkins and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. halls. A double room costs $2,350 a semester, an Edisto single $3,250 and a Dawkins triple $1,850, and board is $2,700 a semester. Students who live on campus also pay the $150 health services fee.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Practical Nursing (LPN diploma)
- Nurse Aide Assistant (certificate)
- Pre-Medical (certificate)
Barbering and Cosmetology
- Barbering (diploma)
- Barbering (certificate)
- Cosmetology (diploma)
Skilled Trades and Engineering Technology
- Welding (certificate)
- Plumbing (certificate)
- Building Construction Fundamentals (certificate)
- Electromechanical Engineering Technology (AAS)
Business and Office
- Business Administration (AAS)
- Accounting (certificate)
- Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management (certificate)
- Administrative Office Technology (AAS)
- Administrative Support (diploma)
- Word Processing (certificate)
Computers and Information Technology
- Computer Technology (AAS)
- Cybersecurity (certificate)
- Computer Servicing and Repair (certificate)
- Multimedia Web Graphics (certificate)
Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice Technology (AAS)
- Police Pre-Academy (certificate)
Education and Human Services
- Early Care and Education (AAS)
- Early Childhood Development (certificate)
- Human Services (AAS)
Culinary
- Culinary Arts (certificate)
General Studies and Transfer
- Associate in Arts
- Associate in Science
- General Technology (AAS)
- General Studies (certificate)
Campus Locations
Denmark, SC 1126 Solomon Blatt Blvd., Denmark, SC 29042