| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college, North Carolina Community College System; campus-based, with some online classes |
| Teaching sites | 8, all in North Carolina: five in Winston-Salem plus centers in Kernersville, King and Walnut Cove |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, plus AA, AS, AE, AFA and AGE for transfer), diplomas, certificates and non-credit continuing-education courses |
| Programs | 184 curriculum program entries in the 2026-27 catalog; the college says “200+ programs” |
| Students | 9,733 curriculum students in fall 2025 (college figure); more than 22,000 a year including continuing education |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC); reaffirmed 2023, next review 2033 |
| Federal aid | Yes (IPEDS 198552); first NC college approved for Workforce Pell |
| 2026-27 tuition | $76 per credit hour for NC residents, $268 for non-residents |
| Founded | 1960, as the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Industrial Education Center |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Winston-Salem’s community college, with eight teaching sites
Forsyth Technical Community College, known as Forsyth Tech, is a public two-year college in the North Carolina Community College System. It opened in 1960 as the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Industrial Education Center. It teaches associate degrees, diplomas and certificates for jobs and for transfer, plus non-credit continuing-education courses, at eight sites in Forsyth and Stokes counties.
Two recent milestones stand out. In June 2026 Forsyth Tech was named one of 10 finalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and it was the first college in the state approved for federal Workforce Pell, which covers six short programs. Enrollment is rising: the college counted 9,733 curriculum students in fall 2025, its highest since 2013, and says it serves more than 22,000 students a year once continuing education is included.
What Forsyth Tech teaches, and where
The 2026-27 catalog lists 184 curriculum programs, and the college describes itself as having “200+ programs”. The table shows the main career programs. The catalog does not say which site teaches most credit programs; a dash in the “Where taught” column means the college does not name one. Published prices are given only for non-credit courses, which charge a fee instead of tuition.
| Program | Credential | Length / schedule | Where taught | Prepares for / accreditation | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing (RN) | AAS, 66 credits | 2 years, day; fall or spring entry | – | NCLEX-RN; NLN CNEA | – |
| ADN Advanced Placement (LPN to RN) | AAS | 1 year, day | – | NCLEX-RN; NLN CNEA | – |
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma | 1 year, day; evening/weekend option in 3 semesters | Evening/weekend option: Stokes County Center | NCLEX-PN; NLN CNEA | – |
| Nursing Assistant I and II | Continuing education | 6–8 weeks, daytime; hybrid option | Northwest Forsyth Center, among others | NC Nurse Aide registry exam | $255 + $140 exam (CNA I) |
| Medical Assisting | AAS, 68 credits; diploma | Day, fall start | – | CMA (AAMA); CAAHEP | – |
| Radiography | AAS | 2 years | – | ARRT; JRCERT | – |
| Medical, Cardiovascular and Vascular Sonography | AAS, diploma and certificates | – | – | CAAHEP; JRCDMS (Medical Sonography) | – |
| Respiratory Therapy | AAS | – | – | CoARC | – |
| Dental Hygiene / Dental Assisting | AAS / diploma | – | – | CODA | – |
| Pharmacy Technology | AAS (full- or part-time); diploma | – | – | ASHP/ACPE | – |
| Therapeutic Massage | AAS, 66 credits; two certificates | 5 terms, day | – | MBLEx; NC massage board | – |
| Emergency Medical Science (Paramedic) | Certificate; AAS | – | – | CAAHEP (Paramedic Academy) | – |
| Phlebotomy | Continuing education | 240 hours incl. 100-hour clinical; mostly online | West Campus sessions | AMT or ASCP exam | $270 (2024) |
| Central Sterile Processing | Continuing education | 15 weeks, hybrid, with externship | Swisher Center | National certification exams | – |
| Automotive Systems Technology | AAS, diploma, certificates; Toyota T-Ten and Honda PACT AAS | – | Transportation Technology Center | ASE Education Foundation | – |
| Collision Repair, Diesel & Heavy Equipment, Motorcycle Mechanics | AAS, diplomas, certificates | – | Transportation Technology Center | – | – |
| Aviation Systems Technology | AAS, 91 credits; Airframe and Powerplant certificates | Day and evening | Woodruff Aviation Technology Lab | FAA Part 147 | – |
| Welding Technology | AAS, diploma, certificate | Diploma and certificate day or evening | – | AWS-accredited | – |
| HVAC, Electrical Systems, Plumbing, Carpentry | Diplomas and certificates | – | – | – | – |
| Computer-Integrated Machining; Mechatronics | AAS, diploma, certificate / AAS | – | – | – | – |
| Electrical Lineworker | Continuing education | Two terms of about 11 weeks, weekdays | Northwest Forsyth Center | T&D PowerSkills industry credential | $381 a term |
| CDL Training | Continuing education, Class A | Saturdays and Sundays | Strickland Center (Main Campus) | Class A CDL | $2,300 incl. DOT physical |
| Fire Academy | Continuing education | 24 weeks, Mon–Fri 8–5 | Northwest Forsyth Center | Firefighter and EMT | – |
| Basic Law Enforcement Training | Certificate, 37 credits | Day; fall or spring | Northwest Forsyth Center | NC Criminal Justice and Sheriffs’ commissions | – |
| Paralegal Technology | AAS, diploma, certificate | – | – | NC State Bar-qualified | – |
| Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain | AAS and certificates | Day, evening and online classes listed | – | – | – |
| IT degrees (AI, Cyber Security, Network Security, Information Systems, Data, Programming, Web) | AAS and certificates | – | – | – | – |
Many health programs carry their own accreditation: NLN CNEA for nursing, CAAHEP for medical assisting, sonography, cardiovascular technology and the Paramedic Academy, JRCERT for radiography and radiation therapy, JRCNMT for nuclear medicine, CoARC for respiratory therapy, CODA for both dental programs, CAHIIM for health information technology and ASHP/ACPE for pharmacy technology. In the trades, Welding Technology is AWS-accredited, Automotive Systems Technology is accredited by the ASE Education Foundation and offers Toyota T-Ten and Honda PACT degrees, and Aviation Systems Technology is an FAA Part 147 school. New for 2026-27 are IT-Artificial Intelligence, IT-Network Security and IT-Information Systems, Honda PACT and separate Airframe and Powerplant certificates. Digital Effects & Animation Technology is now Animation & Media Arts.
Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology, despite the name, is a 37-credit printing and packaging diploma (offset lithography, screen printing, imaging) with a single graphic design course. Computer Engineering Technology is not in the 2026-27 catalog.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nursing (RN)
The ADN is 66 credits over two years of day classes, with fall or spring entry. The catalog’s contact hours, summed across the program, are 41 hours of class, 15 of lab and 51 of clinical work a week. Selection ranks applicants on TEAS scores and related coursework, which needs a C or better. Before starting, students need biology, healthcare-provider CPR, an orientation, a medical form and CNA I certification, and they must earn a B or better in every NUR course to continue. Licensed practical nurses can enter through the one-year Advanced Placement route.
Practical Nursing at the Stokes County Center
Besides its day schedule, the Practical Nursing diploma has an evening and weekend option at the Stokes County Center in Walnut Cove that runs for three semesters. Both schedules lead to the NCLEX-PN and share the program’s NLN CNEA accreditation. The college won a state grant in 2024 to add the ADN at the same center, with clinical placements at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist and Novant Health, but we could not confirm whether that option is running yet.
Aviation Systems Technology
The 91-credit associate degree trains airframe and powerplant technicians under FAA Part 147, the federal rule for aviation maintenance schools. Classes run in the day and in the evening at the Mazie S. Woodruff Aviation Technology Lab, a 52,000-square-foot building with its own hangar near Smith Reynolds Airport. For 2026-27 the college added separate Airframe and Powerplant certificates, alongside the full associate degree.
Fire Academy
The academy lasts 24 weeks, about 14 of fire training and 10 of EMT, Monday to Friday from 8 to 5 at the Emergency Services Training Center in King, which has a six-story burn building and a five-story drill tower. Modules include Firefighter, Emergency Vehicle Driver, NIMS/ICS incident command and Technical Rescue. Applicants must be 18 or older with a diploma or GED, pass a physical ability exam and be affiliated with a fire department. The academy is approved for Workforce Pell from January 2027.
Electrical Lineworker
This is a 360-hour pre-apprenticeship for utility line work, taught as two continuing-education terms of about 11 weeks on weekdays from 8 to 5 at the Northwest Forsyth Center in King (Room 111). Along the way students earn National Flagger, T&D OSHA 10, CPR and Pipes Plus 811 credentials, and the college says the course is approved for an industry credential by T&D PowerSkills. Employer partners, among them Pike Electric and Duke Energy, are named on the program page.
Phlebotomy and Central Sterile Processing
Phlebotomy is 240 hours, including a 100-hour clinical rotation, taught mostly as live online classes with in-person sessions at West Campus, and it prepares students for an AMT or ASCP national exam. Central Sterile Processing is a 15-week hybrid course with a clinical externship; its in-person sessions meet at the Swisher Center in Kernersville, and new groups start in January, May and September. Both are non-credit courses, so check how they can be paid for before you register.
Tuition, fees and how students pay
Tuition is set for all 58 North Carolina community colleges by the state, and the 2026-27 rates are unchanged from 2025-26 (NCCCS memo CC26-027, July 2026). There is no in-district or county rate: students pay either the NC resident or the non-resident rate.
| Curriculum tuition, 2026-27 | NC resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Per credit hour | $76 | $268 |
| Semester maximum (16 or more credit hours) | $1,216 | $4,288 |
Forsyth Tech adds per-semester fees: student activity $35, technology $35 (1–8 credits) or $48 (9 or more), access, parking and security $25, student success $10 and student health and wellness $20. That is about $138 a semester for a full-time student, before lab fees of $15 to $200 per course, digital content fees and liability insurance for health students. Continuing-education courses charge a state registration fee instead ($70, $125 or $180 depending on hours), and some publish their own prices, such as $2,300 for CDL training or $381 a term for Electrical Lineworker. College Navigator puts the average net price at $6,917 for 2023-24 (full-time, first-time in-state students who received aid).
Forsyth Tech takes federal student aid (IPEDS unit 198552). It was the first North Carolina college approved for Workforce Pell, the federal grant for short programs, for six courses: Nursing Assistant, Nursing Assistant II, Electrical Lineworker, EMT-Basic, Fire Academy and Welding Industrial.
Open-door admission, with selective health programs
Admission to the college is open, with rolling applications. Several programs set their own entry rules:
- Associate Degree Nursing: ranked by TEAS score and related coursework; CNA I certification, biology and CPR are required.
- Medical Assisting and Therapeutic Massage: limited enrollment; Medical Assisting seats are first-come once requirements are met.
- Fire Academy: age 18 or older, diploma or GED, a physical ability exam and fire-department affiliation.
- CDL Training: background check, DOT physical, drug screen and a permit.
Schedules vary by program. The ADN runs in the day only; Practical Nursing has an evening and weekend option in Walnut Cove; welding diplomas and certificates run day or evening; aviation runs day and evening; business, HR, entrepreneurship and supply chain list day and online classes; CDL meets on weekends; and the Fire Academy and Lineworker run weekdays from 8 to 5. Forsyth Tech takes part in NC-SARA for online courses, but programs that lead to a license are not covered for students living outside North Carolina.
Accreditation and results
Forsyth Tech has been accredited since 1968 by the body now called The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the name the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) took on 1 September 2026. Accreditation was reaffirmed in June 2023, the next reaffirmation is due in 2033, and the commission’s profile lists no public sanctions.
The federal and college graduation rates below measure different things and should not be compared directly: the federal rate counts first-time, full-time students over 150% of normal time, while the college’s 45% is its own three-year measure for a later cohort. Most students attend part-time (70% in fall 2024, per IPEDS).
| Measure | Result | Definition and source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal graduation rate | 34% | First-time, full-time students who started in fall 2021 and finished within 150% of normal time (IPEDS) |
| College’s three-year graduation rate | 45% | Students who entered in fall 2022, the college’s own measure (up from 19% for the fall 2016 cohort) |
| Retention | 73% full-time, 37% part-time | Fall 2023 starters still enrolled in fall 2024 (IPEDS) |
| Associate Degree Nursing | 91.35% NCLEX-RN pass rate, 104 testers | January–June 2026 only, as reported by the NC Board of Nursing |
| Radiography | 92.8% ARRT first-attempt pass rate; 100% job placement | Five-year figures for 2021–25 graduates, from the program’s JRCERT outcomes report |
We give only the January–June 2026 nursing result because it is the only NCLEX figure we could reliably tie to Forsyth Tech’s ADN in the Board of Nursing’s files; practical nursing results are left out for the same reason. We found no published pass rates for dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, sonography, medical assisting, pharmacy technology, BLET or massage.
Before you enroll
- Open admission does not mean an open seat in nursing or allied health. The ADN ranks applicants by TEAS score and requires CNA I certification, and several health programs have limited enrollment.
- Check where your classes meet. The catalog does not say which site teaches most credit programs, and trades and public-safety training are spread across Winston-Salem, King and other centers.
- Many of the shortest job programs, including CDL, Phlebotomy, Central Sterile Processing and Lineworker, are non-credit continuing-education courses. Only six short programs are approved for Workforce Pell, so ask how the others can be paid for.
- Completion is improving but uneven: 34% of first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2021 finished within 150% of normal time, and most students attend part-time.
- Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology is a printing program, not a graphic design degree.
Eight sites: what each teaches
| Site | Address | Main programs taught there |
|---|---|---|
| Main Campus | 2100 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem | Headquarters; CDL Class A from the Strickland Center (1615 Miller St.) |
| West Campus | 1300 Bolton St., Winston-Salem | Continuing-education hub; Phlebotomy and Community Health Worker sessions; GED and adult high school |
| Transportation Technology Center | 4255 N. Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem | Automotive, collision repair, diesel, motorcycle and race car programs |
| Mazie S. Woodruff Center | 4905 Lansing Dr., Winston-Salem | Degree-credit courses, workforce training, enrichment |
| Woodruff Aviation Technology Lab | 2739 Aviation Dr., Winston-Salem | Aviation Systems Technology |
| Grady P. Swisher Center | 1108 Swisher Center Rd., Kernersville | Healthcare, business, technology and transfer courses; Central Sterile Processing |
| Northwest Forsyth Center | 3111 Big Oaks Dr., King | Fire Academy, BLET, EMT, Nursing Assistant, Criminal Justice, Electrical Lineworker |
| Stokes County Center | 1165 Dodgetown Rd., Walnut Cove | Evening/weekend Practical Nursing, Stokes Early College, healthcare, trades and business courses |
Forsyth Tech @ Innovation Quarter (525 Vine St., Winston-Salem) houses the Small Business Center and Business & Industry Services; it serves employers and business owners rather than enrolling students in programs. The Goodwill Training Center on University Parkway is a partner site for a logistics certificate.
Employer partners and early college
Several programs have named employer partners: Toyota (T-Ten) and Honda (PACT) for automotive, Richard Childress for race car technology, Pike Electric, Duke Energy and others for the lineworker course, and Goodwill and Second Harvest for the 12-week Distribution & Logistics Management certificate. Atrium Wake Forest Baptist and Novant Health are named clinical partners for the Stokes nursing expansion. Stokes Early College operates at the Stokes County Center, and the Small Business Center at Innovation Quarter trains people starting a business.
What students say
On Niche, Forsyth Tech is rated 3.88 out of 5 from 527 reviews, with an overall grade of B (checked 7 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise approachable faculty who give extra help, small classes, practical programs for both careers and transfer, low cost and flexible schedules. The most common complaints are poor communication between departments and conflicting instructions, uneven teaching quality, fast-paced 8-week math and science courses, limited online-learning resources and concerns about safety around campus. The reviews cover the whole college rather than one program, and we could not see when they were posted, so we cannot say whether they cluster in time. No other platform we checked has 25 or more reviews.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Campus and center locations · 2026-27 catalog programs · Commission on Colleges and Universities profile · NCCCS 2026-27 tuition memo · College Navigator (IPEDS 198552) · NC Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN results, 2026 Q2 · Radiography outcomes report · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Associate Degree Nursing (RN)
- ADN Advanced Placement (LPN to ADN)
- Practical Nursing (LPN), day or evening/weekend
- Nursing Assistant I and II (continuing education)
Imaging and Cardiovascular
- Radiography
- Radiation Therapy Technology
- Nuclear Medicine Technology
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- CT & MRI Technology (certificate)
- Medical Sonography
- Vascular Sonography (certificate)
- Cardiovascular Sonography
- Adult Echo (diploma)
- Interventional Cardiac & Vascular Technology
Other Health Sciences
- Medical Assisting
- Respiratory Therapy
- Dental Assisting
- Dental Hygiene
- Pharmacy Technology
- Therapeutic Massage
- Massage Practitioner I and II (certificates)
- Health Information Technology
- Healthcare Management Technology
- Medical Office Administration (incl. Medical Billing & Coding)
- Outpatient Coding (diploma)
- Phlebotomy (continuing education)
- Central Sterile Processing (continuing education)
- Telemetry Cardiovascular Technician (continuing education)
- Community Health Worker (continuing education)
- Biotechnology
Emergency Services and Public Safety
- Emergency Medical Science (Paramedic)
- EMT-Basic (continuing education)
- Fire Academy (continuing education)
- Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET)
- Criminal Justice Technology
- Forensic Science
- Public Safety Administration
- Emergency Management
Transportation and Aviation
- Automotive Systems Technology
- Toyota T-Ten
- Honda PACT
- Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology
- Diesel & Heavy Equipment Technology
- Motorcycle Mechanics
- Race Car Technology (Richard Childress)
- Aviation Systems Technology
- CDL Class A (continuing education)
Construction, Electrical and Manufacturing
- Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology
- Electrical Systems Technology
- Electrical Lineworker (continuing education)
- Plumbing
- Carpentry
- Welding Technology
- Computer-Integrated Machining
- Mechatronics Engineering Technology
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Electronics Engineering Technology
- Architectural Technology
- Horticulture Technology
Business and Law
- Accounting and Finance
- Business Administration
- Human Resources (certificate)
- Entrepreneurship
- Supply Chain Management
- Global Logistics Technology
- Project Management Technology
- Paralegal Technology
Information Technology
- IT-Artificial Intelligence
- IT-Cyber Security
- IT-Network Security
- IT-Information Systems
- IT-Data Reporting & Analytics
- IT-Programming & Software Development
- IT-Web Technologies
Design, Media and Arts
- Animation & Media Arts
- Audio and Video Production Technology
- Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology (printing)
- Interior Design
Education and Human Services
- Early Childhood Education
- Social and Human Services
- Addictions and Recovery
College Transfer
- Associate in Arts
- Associate in Science
- Associate in Engineering
- Associate in Fine Arts in Visual Arts
- Associate in General Education
- Teacher Preparation (AA and AS)
Campus Locations
Winston-Salem, NC 2100 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Winston-Salem, NC 1300 Bolton St., Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Winston-Salem, NC 4255 N. Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Winston-Salem, NC 4905 Lansing Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Winston-Salem, NC 2739 Aviation Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Winston-Salem (Kernersville), NC 1108 Swisher Center Rd., Kernersville, NC 27284
Winston-Salem (King), NC 3111 Big Oaks Dr., King, NC 27021
Winston-Salem (Walnut Cove), NC 1165 Dodgetown Rd., Walnut Cove, NC 27052