FDTC’s Online College Named Top Program By OnlineColleges.com
Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) was recently named the No. 1 online college in the SC Technical College System for the 2018-19 academic year on OnlineColleges.com.
While being named to top honors in the SC Technical College System by the website, the FDTC Online College was also ranked No. 5 in the state of South Carolina among two- and four-year institutions.
“To be ranked No. 1 among the state’s sixteen technical colleges is truly an honor,” said Derk Riechers, Director of the Online College. “At the FDTC Online College, we always strive to support student success by offering a variety of quality classes and excellent customer service.”
FDTC’s Online College was the first online college established in South Carolina. The program began in 1996 with only nine students and two courses, English 101 and 102. Now, the Online College has grown to more than 120 courses and accounts for about 46 percent of the student population at FDTC. The Online College has also improved online student pass rates by 7.4 percent.
“The FDTC Online College has a long history of success,” said FDTC Interim President Ed Bethea. “Former employee George Whitaker had the vision in the beginning, and Derk Riechers has taken us to new heights.”
Eighty percent of the classes that the Online College delivers are online, 30-79 percent are a blended hybrid, and 1-29 percent web facilitated. The Online College’s program list includes an associate in Arts, Criminal Justice Technology, Leadership and Management, Marketing, or Management. Students can also obtain a certificate in Accounting, International Business or Management.
OnlineColleges.com is one of the top online college resource websites in the country. It collects its data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). With that data, the website ranks more than 2,500 institutions based on a variety of factors.