Home to four technical colleges and three liberal arts institutions, South Carolina's North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA) Region produces a steady stream of highly skilled graduates, cultural enrichment and world-class workforce training programs. Colleges and universities in the region are known for their partnerships with each other and local industries. 

One top university recognized by Forbes as one of “America’s 100 Best College Buys” and “America’s Best Colleges” is Coastal Carolina University, which provides students with 60 degree options and recently introduced programs in biochemistry, economics, information systems, health administration and accounting. Known for its coastal marine and wetland studies, the Horry County-based university is one of several local organizations working to promote the development of offshore wind energy on the South Atlantic seaboard.

With more than 700 students, Coker College in Hartsville broke enrollment records in 2011 and was ranked among the “Best Colleges in the Southeast” by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. The college, recognized nationally for its interactive-based curriculum, recently added a campus in Marion where students can earn degrees in business, social work and sociology/criminology.

Boosting Business, Culture

U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked Francis Marion University (FMU) in Florence as one of the top universities in the South for business, thanks to its on-campus Small Business Institute and Center for Entrepreneurship. This fall, FMU also opened a $32 million performing arts center in downtown Florence to provide a concert, theater, dance and lecture venue for national, regional and local performing artists.

"After a decade of planning and half a decade of fund-raising and construction, the center is finally here,” says FMU President Fred Carter.

World-Class Tech Training

The NESA Region is home to Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC), which offers 75 areas of study and provides contract job training for thousands of employers and potential employees in engineering, technology and health-care fields through its Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT). SiMT is adding a $4 million business incubation center to its facility with hopes of launching new manufacturing companies.

University, Industry Partnerships

FDTC is also partnering with Francis Marion University and Coastal Carolina University to offer business, nursing and entrepreneurship courses in Marion County.

With campuses in Conway, Georgetown and Myrtle Beach, Horry-Georgetown Technical College has 70 associate degrees and certificate programs of study and provides workforce training partnerships for students interested in construction, financial services, health care, and hospitality and tourism. The college is working with Coastal Carolina University to provide a bachelor’s program for local nurses with associate degrees who want to continue their education.

Williamsburg Technical College in Kingstree offers a range of associate degrees and training certificates as well as continuing education programs, while Northeastern Technical College (NTC) in Cheraw is adding courses to its Dillon and Pageland campuses. NTC recently partnered with Massachusetts-based software company Continuum to train potential employees for a new center the company is locating in the region.