| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college, one of the 16 colleges of the South Carolina Technical College System; campus-based |
| Sites | 6 in South Carolina: the Main Campus and Health Sciences Campus in Florence, the Cosmetology Center (Darlington address), and Hartsville, Lake City and Mullins |
| Service area | Florence, Darlington and Marion counties |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, plus AA and AS for transfer), diplomas and certificates |
| Programs | 56 credit programs in the college’s program finder; noncredit workforce training, including CDL |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (the new name of SACSCOC since 1 September 2026); reaffirmation through 2036 announced July 2026 |
| Federal aid | Yes; the college publishes a net price calculator |
| Fall 2026 tuition | $185 per credit in-district, $196 other South Carolina, $274 out of state, $363 international, plus fees |
| Students | 3,522 undergraduates, about a third full-time (federal data shown by Niche, October 2026) |
| Founded | 1963, as the Florence-Darlington Technical Education Center |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Florence-Darlington Tech: a public technical college for the Pee Dee
Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) is one of the 16 public colleges in the South Carolina Technical College System, governed locally by the Florence-Darlington County Commission for Technical Education. It opened in 1963 as the Florence-Darlington Technical Education Center with about 250 students, and the main Florence campus now covers roughly 234 to 240 acres with eight major buildings.
The college serves Florence, Darlington and Marion counties from six sites. Most programs meet on the main Florence campus, all nursing and allied health programs are at the downtown Health Sciences Campus, and Hartsville, Lake City and Mullins offer a narrower range closer to home. Its program finder lists 56 credit programs, and noncredit workforce courses include Class A CDL training.
Programs at FDTC, and where they meet
The college awards Associate in Applied Science degrees, Associate in Arts and Associate in Science transfer degrees, diplomas and certificates. The table shows the main career programs where the college publishes details; a dash means the pages we checked did not give the figure. Except for the health programs and cosmetology, program pages do not name a campus, so confirm where and when a program meets before you apply.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where and when | Prepares for | Extra program fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (ADN) | AAS, 68 credits | 5 semesters (24 months) | Health Sciences Campus; daytime | NCLEX-RN | Yes ($50 per credit) |
| Practical Nursing | Diploma, 48 credits | 3 semesters (16 months) | Health Sciences Campus; daytime | NCLEX-PN | Yes ($50 per credit) |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS | – | Health Sciences Campus | – | No |
| Expanded Duty Dental Assisting | Diploma | – | Health Sciences Campus | – | No |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS | – | Health Sciences Campus | ARRT | No |
| Respiratory Care | AAS | – | Health Sciences Campus | NBRC | No |
| HVAC | AAS, 77 credits; Essentials of HVAC certificate | 6 semesters (26 months) | Florence (day and evening); HVAC certificate also at Lake City | None named | Yes ($50 per credit) |
| Electrician | Certificate, 29 credits | 8 months | Daytime | None named | No |
| Mechatronics Technology | AAS, 74 credits | 22 months | Daytime | MSSC Certified Production Technician | No |
| Welding | Diploma; three certificates | – | Florence and Lake City | – | Yes ($50 per credit) |
| Diesel Technology (Caterpillar Program) | AAS | – | Florence | – | Yes ($50 per credit) |
| Automotive Technology | AAS; Basic Automotive certificate | – | Florence | – | No (Diesel Option: yes) |
| Cosmetology | Certificate, 42 credits | 16 months | Cosmetology Center; daytime | SC State Board of Cosmetology (1,500 hours) | No |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for Associate Degree Nursing and the Nursing Transition Track, CODA for Dental Hygiene and Expanded Duty Dental Assisting, NAACLS for Medical Laboratory Technology, JRCERT for Radiologic Technology, CoARC for Respiratory Care, CAAHEP for Surgical Technology, ASE for Automotive Technology and CSHSE for Human Services. Practical Nursing is approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing but is not ACEN-accredited.
FDTC has no paramedic, EMT or pharmacy technician program. Its diesel programs train mechanics; truck driving is taught only as noncredit Class A CDL training at the SiMT building in Florence and at Lake City, which takes a few weeks and needs a motor vehicle record, a DOT physical and a commercial learner’s permit before class. Plumbing ran as a single noncredit NCCER cohort at Lake City from January to June 2025, and we found no later cohort.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nursing
The ADN is 68 credits over five semesters, about 24 months, in the daytime at the Health Sciences Campus. Entry is competitive: applicants must first complete BIO 210, BIO 211, ENG 101 and MAT 110, with biology credits under five years old, score Proficient on the TEAS (65.3 overall), hold a 2.75 program GPA and attend an in-person Pre-Nursing Career Talk. The application window for the next intake is 1 September to 30 October 2026. Graduates sit the NCLEX-RN. Licensed practical nurses can apply to the Nursing Transition Track instead.
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing is a 48-credit diploma over three semesters, about 16 months, also held in the daytime at the Health Sciences Campus. Applicants need BIO 112 or BIO 210 and 211, a TEAS overall score of 58.7 and a 2.0 GPA. The program has full approval from the South Carolina Board of Nursing but is not accredited by ACEN, unlike the college’s ADN. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for a South Carolina LPN licence, and FDTC’s Nursing Transition Track is the college’s own route on to the ADN.
HVAC
The Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Technology degree is 77 credits over six semesters, about 26 months, and is offered on both day and evening schedules. A shorter Essentials of HVAC certificate is also on the program list, and the Lake City site lists an HVAC certificate. The program page does not name an industry certification, and does not mention EPA 608 refrigerant certification, so ask the department how students prepare for it. HVAC is one of the ten programs with a $50 per credit program fee.
Electrician
The Electrician certificate is 29 credits completed in eight months of daytime classes. Its courses are Basic Electricity, AC/DC Circuits I, Residential/Commercial Wiring, Electrical Print Reading, Electrical Measurements, the National Electrical Code, Electrical Installation and Power Systems. The program page names no licensing exam, so ask the department what jobs and exams it prepares students for. Students who want a longer electrical credential can look at Electronics Engineering Technology or Mechatronics Technology, both associate degrees.
Mechatronics Technology
Mechatronics Technology is a 74-credit associate degree taking about 22 months of daytime study. The AMT-160 course prepares students for the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council’s Certified Production Technician credential, and the industrial maintenance courses IMT-210, IMT-211 and IMT-212 are aligned with NCCER modules. The shorter Industrial Maintenance Technology certificate is a related credential and is also listed at Lake City. Advanced machining and additive manufacturing are housed at SiMT on the Florence campus.
Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a 42-credit certificate taught in the daytime over 16 months at the Cosmetology Center on Palmetto Road, which has a Darlington address but which the college places less than a mile from the main campus. The program is built around the 1,500 hours South Carolina requires before a student can sit the State Board of Cosmetology exam. It is the only program taught at the center. Books, tools and supplies are not included in tuition and fees, so budget for them separately.
Tuition and fees for fall 2026
The college lists these rates alongside its fall 2026 due dates (fall tuition was due 3 August 2026). Residency for the in-district or state rate must be established at least a year before the term starts.
| Fall 2026, per credit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition: Florence, Darlington and Marion county residents | $185 |
| Tuition: other South Carolina residents | $196 |
| Tuition: out-of-state students | $274 |
| Tuition: international students | $363 |
| Technology fee | $10 |
| Course fee (general education $50; technical education and health sciences $60) | $50-60 |
| Program fee in 10 trade and nursing programs | +$50 |
| Activity fee | $50 per term |
The ten programs with the extra $50 per credit are HVAC, Automotive Technology Diesel Option, Diesel Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Nursing, Practical Nursing and Welding. Fees add up: by our arithmetic from the college’s rates, an in-district student taking 12 credits of technical courses in one of these programs pays about $3,660 a term, plus the $50 activity fee, before books, uniforms, tools and supplies.
FDTC takes federal student aid and publishes a net price calculator on its tuition page. Niche, using federal data, shows an average net price of about $2,772 a year (checked October 2026).
Open admission, with selective health programs
FDTC is open-admission: applicants who meet the college’s general requirements are admitted. The health programs add their own steps, including prerequisite courses, minimum TEAS scores and GPAs for nursing, and a fixed application window for the ADN. Machinist I is open only to dual-enrollment high school students. The ADN, Practical Nursing, Cosmetology, Electrician and Mechatronics programs run in the daytime; the HVAC degree and the Automotive Technology Diesel Option run by day and evening, and the Diesel & Heavy Equipment certificate in the evening.
Accreditation and results
FDTC is accredited to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates by The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the new name of SACSCOC since 1 September 2026; the college’s own pages still use the SACSCOC name. On 6 July 2026 FDTC announced that its accreditation had been reaffirmed through 2036.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing (ADN), first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 52.50% (42 of 80); state average 91.63% | 2025, SC Board of Nursing |
| Nursing (ADN), first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 88.16% | 2024, SC Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 84.21%; state average 91.51% | 2025, SC Board of Nursing |
| Graduation within 150% of normal time (IPEDS) | 14.74% | Fall 2019 cohort, college’s student achievement page |
| Student success rate (graduated, transferred within SC or still enrolled after three years) | 45.06% | 2019 cohort, college’s student achievement page |
| Graduate placement (employed or continuing education) | 85% | 2021-22 graduates, college’s student achievement page |
| Licensure pass rate, all programs, first-time takers | 87% | 1 Apr 2022 to 31 Mar 2023, college’s student achievement page |
The 2025 NCLEX-RN result comes from the South Carolina Board of Nursing’s pass-rate report and is a sharp drop from earlier years (81% to 88% from 2021 to 2024); the program page still lists full Board of Nursing approval. Check the board’s latest figures before you apply. The college-wide figures on its student achievement page are three to four years old, and no newer cycle had been posted.
Before you enroll
- Only 52.50% of FDTC’s first-time ADN graduates passed the NCLEX-RN in 2025, against a state average of 91.63%. Ask the nursing department what has changed and check the board’s newest report.
- The $185 headline rate is not the full price: technology and course fees add $60-70 per credit, and HVAC, diesel, welding, machine tool, nursing and several other programs add another $50 per credit.
- Practical Nursing is approved by the state board but not ACEN-accredited, unlike the ADN.
- Graduation within 150% of normal time was 14.74% for the fall 2019 cohort; many students transfer or take longer.
- Program pages rarely say which campus teaches a program, and the Hartsville, Lake City and Mullins sites teach only part of the list. Confirm where your courses meet.
Six sites: what each teaches
| Site | Address | Main programs there |
|---|---|---|
| Main Campus, Florence | 2715 W. Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29502 | Most programs: business, computing, criminal justice, early care, engineering technology, automotive, diesel, HVAC, electrician, machining, mechatronics, welding, transfer; SiMT (1951 Pisgah Road) for advanced manufacturing and CDL |
| Health Sciences Campus, Florence | 320 West Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29501 | All nursing and allied health programs; student-run dental clinic |
| Cosmetology Center | 122 Palmetto Rd, Darlington, SC 29532 | Cosmetology |
| Hartsville | 225 Swift Creek Road, Hartsville, SC 29550 | Business, Criminal Justice Technology, Management, Marketing, education, human services, transfer courses |
| Lake City | 208 West Main Street (The Continuum), Lake City, SC 29560 | HVAC, Industrial Maintenance and Welding certificates, Welding diploma, Early Childhood Development; noncredit CDL and CNA |
| Mullins | 109 South Main Street, Mullins, SC 29574 | Human services, business, Management, Marketing, education, transfer courses |
Hartsville, Lake City and Mullins each run a testing center by appointment. In October 2024 the college secured $30 million for a new Hartsville facility for manufacturing, health and allied health, and transportation and logistics training; the site and opening date had not been decided when it was announced.
Clinics and workforce training
Dental students train in the student-run dental clinic at the Health Sciences Campus. The Corporate & Workforce Development division runs noncredit courses, including CDL, forklift, manufacturing skills, Certified Nursing Assistant and NCCER Electrical Level 1, and the Charles W. Gould Business Incubator is next door to SiMT.
What students say
On Niche, Florence-Darlington Technical College is rated 3.83 out of 5 from 346 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise supportive professors, small classes, low cost and flexible online and hybrid schedules. The most common complaints are disorganized administrative offices, especially financial aid, uneven instructor quality and slow handling of student concerns, along with gripes about parking, dining and facilities and the lack of housing. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: FDTC campus locations · Program finder · Tuition, fees and payment · Accreditation · Student achievement data · SC Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN pass rates · NCLEX-PN pass rates · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health Sciences
- Nursing (ADN)
- Nursing Transition Track (LPN to ADN)
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Dental Hygiene
- Expanded Duty Dental Assisting
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Radiologic Technology
- Respiratory Care
- Surgical Technology
Automotive, Collision and Diesel
- Automotive Technology
- Automotive Technology Diesel Option
- Basic Automotive (certificate)
- Auto Body Repair (certificate)
- Diesel Technology (Caterpillar Program)
- Diesel & Heavy Equipment (certificate)
Building Trades
- Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Technology
- Essentials of HVAC (certificate)
- Electrician (certificate)
- Industrial Maintenance Technology (certificate)
Welding and Manufacturing
- Welding (diploma and certificate)
- Pipe Welding (certificate)
- Welding-MIG (certificate)
- Machine Tool Technology
- Machine Tool (diploma)
- Machine Operator (certificate)
- CNC Operator (certificate)
- CNC Programmer (certificate)
- Mechatronics Technology
Engineering Technology
- Civil Engineering Technology
- Electronics Engineering Technology
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Computer-Assisted Drafting (certificate)
- General Technology
Cosmetology
- Cosmetology (certificate)
Business
- Accounting
- Bookkeeping (certificate)
- Management
- Leadership (certificate)
- Marketing
- Digital Media and Marketing (certificate)
Computers and IT
- Network Systems Management
- Fundamentals of Networking (certificate)
- Introduction to Cybersecurity (certificate)
- Web Applications and Programming (certificate)
Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice Technology (degree and certificate)
Education and Human Services
- Early Care and Education (including Transfer Track)
- Early Childhood Development (diploma and certificate)
- Child Care Management (certificate)
- Human Services - Psychology Concentration
Transfer degrees
- Associate in Arts
- Associate in Science
Workforce training (noncredit)
- Commercial Driver's License (Class A)
- NCCER Electrical Level 1
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- Forklift
- Manufacturing Skills
Campus Locations
Florence, SC 2715 W. Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29502
Florence, SC 320 West Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29501
Florence (Darlington), SC 122 Palmetto Rd, Darlington, SC 29532
Hartsville, SC 225 Swift Creek Road, Hartsville, SC 29550
Lake City, SC 208 West Main Street, Lake City, SC 29560
Mullins, SC 109 South Main Street, Mullins, SC 29574