Piedmont Technical College Nursing: Programs, Costs & Requirements (2026)
Piedmont Technical College trains nurses from the Lex Walters Campus in Greenwood and extension sites across the Lakelands, combining a TEAS-screened ADN, an NLN-tested LPN-to-ADN bridge with Greenwood versus Laurens clinical starts, and a Practical Nursing diploma. Figures below cite the 2026–2027 PTC catalog, 2025–2026 tuition disclosures, and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education summary of 2024 NCLEX data from the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation—confirm deadlines with Health Care advisors before you apply.
Contents
Quick Facts
Key Takeaway
PTC caps generic ADN cohorts at 32 students each fall and spring yet still runs a separate 40-seat LPN-to-ADN track with different testing (NLN vs TEAS) and campus-specific clinical rotations. That structure rewards applicants who read the Health Care Division worksheets early, budget for county-based tuition tiers, and line up American Heart Association BLS before the first nursing course.
Overview & Why Students Choose Piedmont Technical College
From the Lex Walters Campus–Greenwood and county centers in Abbeville, Edgefield, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda, Piedmont Technical College keeps healthcare jobs local for the South Carolina Lakelands—a region served by systems such as Self Regional Healthcare while remaining within commuting distance of larger markets in Columbia and Greenville.
According to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (February 12, 2025), citing 2024 data from the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), PTC’s associate-degree RN graduates exceeded a 90 percent first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, and PTC was among programs with a 100 percent NCLEX-PN pass rate. South Carolina’s aggregate first-time RN pass rate that year was 94.7 percent (2,964 exams) versus a 91.2 percent national figure in the same release—useful context, but always confirm institution-level percentages on LLR’s nursing statistics page.
NCLEX-RN: CHE’s LLR summary lists Piedmont Technical College among associate programs that exceeded 90% first-time pass rates in 2024—see the institutional table for the exact percentage and tester counts. NCLEX-PN: CHE lists PTC among schools with a 100% pass rate on the 2024 practical nursing exam (SC LLR data via CHE). Confirm both with LLR and the Health Care Division before citing a single headline number.
Reasons students choose Piedmont Technical College
Documented statewide performance context
PTC appeared on South Carolina’s 2024 honor rolls for both RN and PN NCLEX performance in the CHE news release, which points readers back to LLR for line-item detail.
Parallel ADN and LPN-to-ADN tracks
Direct-entry ADN students follow TEAS thresholds, while licensed practical nurses pursue NLN Foundation testing, NUR 201/203 transition courses, and B-grade exemptions spelled out in the catalog.
County-based tuition bands
Residents of Greenwood, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda counties access the lowest per-credit stack before fees; neighboring counties pay slightly higher in-state tiers.
Greenwood vs Laurens clinical routing
The LPN-to-ADN catalog explicitly notes whether fall cohort clinicals convene in Greenwood or summer starts rotate through Laurens—plan housing and travel before you rank choices.
ACEN-backed ADN curriculum
The Associate in Applied Science Nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing alongside South Carolina Board of Nursing approval shared with Practical Nursing.
Nursing Programs Offered
Program names, credit totals, and admission rules below come from the 2026–2027 Piedmont Technical College catalog Nursing and Practical Nursing pages. PTC awards diplomas and associate degrees only—there is no BSN, MSN, or DNP on this campus, though the catalog notes RN-to-BSN articulation conversations with partner universities.
Pre-licensure: Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing — Diploma in Applied Science (D.A.S., catalog credential LPN1)
Prepares graduates to sit for NCLEX-PN. PTC’s accrediting disclosure lists both the AAS Nursing and DAS Practical Nursing programs as approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing; the same disclosure names ACEN accreditation for the AAS Nursing program specifically. Practical Nursing applicants should confirm the latest approval/accreditation letters with the Health Care Division. Detailed semester plans live under Practical Nursing, D.A.S.
Pre-licensure: Associate Degree Nursing (ADN)
Nursing (ADN), Associate in Applied Science — 65 semester hours (catalog ADN3)
Competitive entry capped at 32 students for fall and spring; requires 3.0 GPA on listed prerequisites, minimum C grades in those courses, TEAS ≥65% in math and reading, and continuous American Heart Association BLS certification during major coursework. Four nursing semesters follow acceptance according to the catalog plan of study. See Nursing, A.A.S.
Pre-licensure: LPN-to-ADN transition
LPN to ADN Program — 69 semester-hour curriculum (catalog ADN5)
Requires an active unencumbered PN license, the same 3.0 prerequisite GPA, completion of NUR 201 and NUR 203 with grades of B or better to receive exemption credit for early ADN courses, and a National League for Nursing Foundation for Nurses score at or above the 65th percentile. Admission is capped at 40 students for summer/fall; clinical cohorts alternate between Greenwood and Laurens starts as noted in the catalog. See LPN to ADN Program and ptc.edu/transition.
Graduating from any PTC nursing curriculum does not guarantee a nursing license. Work with the South Carolina Board of Nursing for eligibility questions, and verify ACEN status for the ADN track directly with ACEN and the college.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education reported on February 12, 2025 that, according to 2024 data from the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for South Carolina-educated candidates averaged 94.7% on 2,964 exams, compared with a 91.2% national pass rate in the same narrative. Piedmont Technical College was listed among associate-degree programs whose graduates exceeded a 90% pass rate, but the CHE summary does not print the precise institutional percentage—retrieve the exact rate from LLR’s downloadable tables.
For NCLEX-PN, the same CHE article states that South Carolina’s 651 first-time PN testers averaged a 97.1% pass rate, and it names Piedmont Technical College among programs with a 100% pass rate on the 2024 exam (SC LLR data as summarized by CHE). Treat that 100% figure as state-reported summary data for the stated year; confirm methodology and cohort size with LLR.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate (PTC, 2024) | Reported by SC CHE (Feb 2025, citing LLR) as above 90% for Piedmont Technical College’s associate-degree program; confirm the exact percentage on LLR’s institutional statistics. |
| NCLEX-PN pass rate (PTC, 2024) | Listed at 100% in the same CHE article summarizing SC LLR results—confirm cohort definitions with LLR before treating the figure as a guarantee for future classes. |
| South Carolina aggregate RN pass rate (2024) | 94.7% first-time on 2,964 exams per CHE/LLR summary. |
| National aggregate RN pass rate (2024) | 91.2% per CHE article. |
| Source | SC Commission on Higher Education — NCLEX news release (Feb 12, 2025) · SC LLR nursing statistics. Confirm current cohorts with PTC and the Board. |
NCLEX performance changes with each graduating cohort. Use CHE’s summary as a directional snapshot for 2024 and then verify the latest first-time tester tables from LLR and Piedmont Technical College outcomes disclosures.
International Students & Internationally Educated Nurses
Requirements for international students and internationally educated nurses vary by institution and state. Use the points below as a checklist; verify everything with Piedmont Technical College and the South Carolina Board of Nursing.
- English-language proficiency: TOEFL, IELTS, or other requirements and minimum scores for this school.
- Transcript / credential evaluation: WES, CGFNS, or other evaluators required by the school.
- South Carolina Board of Nursing: For RN licensure (with or without a U.S. degree), confirm NCLEX eligibility and document requirements with the Board.
- Immigration & visa: Program eligibility for F-1 or other visa types and impact on clinical placements.
Policies change frequently. Verify with Piedmont Technical College admissions, the Health Care Division, international student services (if applicable), and the South Carolina Board of Nursing.
Admissions: A Realistic Look
Piedmont Technical College nursing tracks are limited enrollment; completing prerequisites does not guarantee acceptance. New students must apply to the college, follow the Health Care Division “program ready” steps, submit official transcripts early, and complete testing before the narrow online application windows listed in the catalog.
Application windows (catalog excerpts)
| Program / entry | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing (fall) | May 1–16 | Acceptance emails mid-June; only the first application is reviewed. |
| Associate Degree Nursing (spring) | September 1–16 | Acceptance emails mid-October; ensure TEAS scores are loaded in Pathway before applying. |
| LPN to ADN (fall, Greenwood clinicals) | June 1–16 | Acceptance emails mid-July per catalog. |
| LPN to ADN (summer, Laurens clinicals) | February 1–16 | Acceptance emails mid-March per catalog. |
Admissions snapshot
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Seat caps | Generic ADN accepts up to 32 students per fall and spring; LPN-to-ADN accepts up to 40 students for combined summer/fall entry cohorts. |
| Acceptance rate | Not publicly disclosed |
| Prerequisite GPA (ADN & LPN-ADN) | 3.0 on specified general-education courses, each at C or higher (per catalog pages ADN3/ADN5). |
| Standardized tests (generic ADN) | TEAS ≥65% in math and reading on the Nursing A.A.S. page. |
| Standardized tests (LPN-ADN) | NLN Foundation for Nurses score at or above the 65th percentile; plus NUR 201 and NUR 203 completed with B grades to earn exemption credit for early ADN courses. |
| Practical Nursing (general) | Follow Health Care Nursing Fact Sheets, TEAS guidance on the Healthcare Testing page, and program-ready calculators referenced from the Practical Nursing catalog page. |
PTC publishes application worksheets, GPA calculators, and historical “Health Care Program Acceptance Data” PDFs that explain point systems—those PDFs describe past accepted applicants, not automatic cut scores for the next cycle.
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
Piedmont Technical College posts 2025–2026 tuition bands that already include a $5.00 per credit technology fee. Add the college’s flat registration, facility, orientation, digital infrastructure, and other mandatory charges, then budget for nursing uniforms, vaccines, background checks, and clinical travel.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Part-time (<12 credits) — In County 1 (Greenwood, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda) | $195.17 per credit hour |
| Part-time — In County 2 (Abbeville, Edgefield, Laurens) | $217.67 per credit hour |
| Part-time — Out of region (in-state) | $228.92 per credit hour |
| Part-time — Out of state | $284.67 per credit hour |
| Part-time — International | $364.17 per credit hour |
| Full-time (12 credits) — In County 1 | $2,342.04 flat term rate; additional credits billed at the part-time per-credit rate |
| Other 2025–2026 fees (examples) | Facility fee $55 full-time / $45 part-time; Registration $25; Safety and Security $20; Orientation $45; Digital Infrastructure $45; On-Campus Student Engagement $45 (per PTC Tuition & Fees page) |
| Illustrative nursing subtotal (65-credit ADN, In County 1, part-time math) | 65 × $195.17 ≈ $12,686 tuition+embedded tech fee only—exclude other mandatory fees, supplies, housing |
| Source | PTC Tuition & Fees (2025–2026) · Catalog — consumer notes |
PTC states that more than 90% of students receive aid and promotes the financial aid office for Lottery Tuition Assistance, Pell Grants, and Scholarships—confirm eligibility with a financial aid advisor.
Student Outcomes & Career Prospects
Use multiple sources: statewide licensure summaries for NCLEX benchmarks, college consumer disclosures for retention and completion, and local labor-market proximity for employment planning.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN (2024, PTC) | South Carolina CHE (Feb 2025, citing LLR) lists PTC among associate-degree programs exceeding 90% first-time pass rates—see LLR tables for the precise percentage. |
| NCLEX-PN (2024, PTC) | CHE lists PTC among programs with a 100% pass rate on the PN exam in 2024 (SC LLR data summarized by CHE). Confirm cohort size and methodology with LLR. |
| Overall graduation rate (IPEDS disclosure) | PTC reports a 33% graduation rate for first-time full-time freshmen who entered in Fall 2021 within 150% of normal time—this is an institution-wide metric, not nursing-specific. |
| Source | SC CHE — 2024 NCLEX release · PTC Student Right to Know. Confirm nursing-specific tables with PTC Institutional Research. |
Macro demand: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes national RN job outlook data—pair that with recruiters in Greenwood, Columbia, and Greenville for localized hiring insight.
Is Piedmont Technical College the Right Fit for You?
PTC nursing favors students who thrive in high-structure programs: strict TEAS or NLN thresholds, short application windows, BLS compliance, and clinical routing that may differ between Greenwood and Laurens for the LPN bridge.
✓ Good fit for students who—
- Want a public technical college footprint across the Lakelands with documented 2024 NCLEX performance on South Carolina’s honor-roll lists.
- Can hit a 3.0 prerequisite GPA plus TEAS ≥65% in math/reading for generic ADN—or NLN 65th percentile work for LPN-to-ADN.
- Plan to ladder from Practical Nursing into the ADN while working locally.
- Prefer staying near Greenwood, Laurens, or Newberry for clinical commuting rather than moving to a distant university town.
✗ May not be ideal for students who—
- Need rolling admissions or guaranteed seats once prerequisites are complete.
- Cannot travel between county campuses for general education and clinical blocks.
- Expect a fully online pre-licensure program.
- Require immediate ACEN accreditation language identical for both PN and ADN—PTC’s disclosure currently names ACEN for the AAS Nursing program specifically.
Local Healthcare Ecosystem
Greenwood anchors the Upstate’s Lakelands corridor, where community hospitals, outpatient clinics, and long-term care partners feed clinical placements for PTC Health Care programs. Larger metro systems in Greenville (~45 miles northwest) and Columbia (~70 miles southeast) broaden employer demand after licensure.
| Facility / system | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Self Regional Healthcare (Greenwood) | Regional referral center near the Lex Walters Campus; common touchpoint for med-surg, intensive care, and specialty shadowing. |
| Laurens County Hospital / Prisma-affiliated sites | Supports the LPN-to-ADN summer-start option that the catalog routes through Laurens clinical sequences. |
| Greenville & Spartanburg systems | Atrium Health, Bon Secours, and Spartanburg Regional expand job pipelines for graduates willing to commute north. |
Clinical contracts rotate; request the current affiliation list from the Health Care Division before assuming a specific employer placement.
Student Experience & Campus Life
The Lex Walters Campus–Greenwood houses more than 390,000 square feet of classrooms, labs, library, student center, and allied health simulation infrastructure described on PTC’s location page. County centers across Abbeville, Edgefield, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda let students complete portions of general education closer to home before joining concentrated nursing labs in Greenwood or Laurens.
Support services—including Registration and Advising, CARE planning, TRiO, veterans services, and accessibility—sit alongside Health Care Division offices in the contact directory. Student nursing organizations fluctuate by cohort; ask the Health Care Division what groups are active during your entry year.
Resources & Next Steps
Contact & location
- Main campus
- Lex Walters Campus–Greenwood
- Address
- 620 N. Emerald Road, Greenwood, SC 29646, US
- Telephone
- +1-864-941-8324 (Greenwood)
- Health Care Division
- 864-941-8536 (Room 149-H) · Staff directory / email
- General admissions
- 864-941-8369 (Room 101-B) · Admissions hub
- Website
- ptc.edu
Official links
Your “Next 7 Days” checklist
- Download the ADN and LPN-to-ADN fact sheets plus application worksheets from the Nursing Application Process section of each catalog page.
- Run your prerequisites through the Program-Ready GPA Calculator.
- Register for TEAS (generic ADN) or NLN testing (LPN-ADN) via the Healthcare Testing Center instructions.
- Map clinical feasibility for both Greenwood-only and Laurens-start pathways if you are an LPN.
- Meet with Health Care advisors about transcript evaluation and competitive point totals.
- Calculate tuition using your county tier on the PTC Tuition & Fees page plus mandatory fees.
- Set calendar alerts for May 1–16 / September 1–16 / June 1–16 / February 1–16 submission windows—late submissions are not accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What nursing pathways does Piedmont Technical College offer across Greenwood and Laurens?
The 2026–2027 PTC catalog lists a Practical Nursing Diploma in Applied Science (D.A.S.) for NCLEX-PN, a 65-semester-hour Associate in Applied Science Nursing degree for NCLEX-RN capped at 32 new majors per fall and spring, and an LPN-to-ADN transition track capped at 40 students for summer or fall entry with clinical sequencing split between Greenwood and Laurens campuses.
What TEAS scores does Piedmont Technical College require for generic ADN applicants?
Per the Nursing A.A.S. catalog page, eligible applicants need a TEAS score of 65% or higher in math and 65% or higher in reading, plus a 3.0 program-ready GPA across specified prerequisite courses with minimum C grades, before competing for one of 32 seats.
How does Piedmont Technical College admit licensed practical nurses into the ADN?
The LPN-to-ADN catalog track requires an active unencumbered PN license, the same 3.0 prerequisite GPA, completion of NUR 201 and NUR 203 with grades of B or better to earn exemption credit for early ADN courses, and a National League for Nursing Foundation for Nurses exam score at or above the 65th percentile. Applications are due June 1–16 for fall (Greenwood clinicals) or February 1–16 for summer (Laurens clinicals).
What did South Carolina report about Piedmont Technical College NCLEX performance in 2024?
According to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education news release dated February 12, 2025—summarizing 2024 data from the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation—Piedmont Technical College’s associate-degree RN program exceeded a 90 percent first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, and its practical nursing program was listed among institutions with a 100 percent NCLEX-PN pass rate. Confirm exact percentages and tester counts on the South Carolina LLR nursing statistics page.
How much is Piedmont Technical College tuition per credit in 2025–2026?
PTC’s Tuition & Fees page for 2025–2026 lists part-time rates of $195.17 per credit for Greenwood, McCormick, Newberry, and Saluda counties; $217.67 for Abbeville, Edgefield, and Laurens; $228.92 out-of-region in-state; $284.67 out-of-state; and $364.17 international, each including a $5 per credit technology fee, plus separate college fees such as facility, registration, and orientation charges.
When are Piedmont Technical College ADN application windows?
The catalog states generic ADN applications open May 1–16 for fall entry and September 1–16 for spring entry, with acceptance emails around mid-June and mid-October respectively; only the first submitted application is reviewed.
Is Piedmont Technical College Practical Nursing accredited by ACEN?
PTC’s institution-wide accreditation disclosure states both the AAS Nursing and DAS Practical Nursing programs are approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing, while only the Associate in Applied Science Nursing program is named as accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Confirm Practical Nursing status directly with PTC, ACEN, and the Board.
Does Piedmont Technical College offer a fully online ADN?
The catalog describes face-to-face nursing courses, labs, and clinical experiences tied to the Lex Walters Campus and Laurens instructional sites; no fully online ADN is advertised.
How competitive is admission to Piedmont Technical College nursing?
Both ADN tracks are limited enrollment with published seat caps, prerequisite GPA minimums, and testing cutoffs, yet the catalog emphasizes that meeting minimums does not guarantee admission because the Health Care Division ranks applicants using worksheets and historical acceptance data PDFs.
Where should applicants verify international or foreign-educated nursing requirements before applying to Piedmont Technical College?
International students must confirm credential evaluation, English proficiency, visa eligibility, and clinical clearance with PTC admissions and the Health Care Division, while internationally educated nurses seeking licensure must follow South Carolina Board of Nursing pathways for NCLEX eligibility.
References
- Piedmont Technical College — Nursing, A.A.S. (ADN3)catalog.ptc.edu
- Piedmont Technical College — LPN to ADN Program (ADN5)catalog.ptc.edu
- Piedmont Technical College — Practical Nursing, D.A.S.catalog.ptc.edu
- Piedmont Technical College — Tuition & Fees (2025–2026)ptc.edu
- Piedmont Technical College — Accreditation Informationcatalog.ptc.edu
- Piedmont Technical College — Lex Walters Campus (Greenwood)ptc.edu
- South Carolina Commission on Higher Education — 2024 NCLEX news release (Feb 12, 2025)che.sc.gov
- South Carolina LLR — Nursing statisticsllr.sc.gov
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)ncsbn.org
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Registered Nursesbls.gov/ooh
Editorial Standards & Review
About the author: Francesco Di Siena, RN, writes evidence-based nursing education guides for NurseOnShift.
Review: This page was reviewed by Araceli Collado, RN, for alignment with the PTC 2026–2027 catalog, 2025–2026 tuition disclosures, ACEN/Board approval language, and the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education summary of 2024 NCLEX data attributed to LLR.
Disclaimer: This page is for general reference only. It does not constitute professional, admissions, or financial advice. Requirements, deadlines, tuition, and policies change; always verify with Piedmont Technical College and the South Carolina Board of Nursing.
Published: 2026-03-31 · Last reviewed: March 31, 2026 · Medical Review Process · Editorial Policy