The Midlands Technical College Center for Technology provides a one-of-a-kind advanced manufacturing facility designed to be ever changing and flexible in order to meet the evolving needs of manufacturing. Your needs will determine what the 8,000 square feet of shop floor space looks like tomorrow. It could be an automated assembly operation, a plastics operation or even a biotechnology or nanotechnology center.

There are six universities and colleges located in the Greater Columbia area.  Students and famous researchers come to Columbia from all over the world to obtain degrees and learn from these institutions.

Allen University
www.allenuniversity.edu

Allen University was founded in 1870 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  It has a distinguished history and is widely recognized for its development of African-Americans who have made significant achievements and contributions in varied areas of specialization, nationally and internationally.

Benedict College
www.benedict.edu

Also founded in 1870, Benedict is an independent co-educational college.  Benedict is the fastest growing of the 39 United Negro College Fund Schools.  In addition to an increase in enrollment, Benedict has also seen an increase in average SAT scores, Honors College enrollee rates, capital giving dollars, and the number of research grants awarded.

Columbia College
www.columbiacollegesc.edu

Founded in 1854, Columbia College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college for women with a coeducational Evening College and Graduate School.  The College has been ranked since 1994 by US News and World Report as one of the top ten regional liberal arts colleges in the South.

Columbia International University
www.ciu.edu

Columbia International University is a biblically based, private Christian institution committed to preparing men and women to know Christ and to make him known.  Founded in 1923, CIU is recognized as having one of the leading ministry training programs in the world.

Midlands Technical College
www.midlandstech.com

Midlands Tech is part of the nation's most renowned technical education system. It is a two-year, comprehensive, public, community college, offering a wide variety of programs in career education, four-year college-transfer options, and continuing education. Small classes, individualized instruction, and student support services are provided. Most of the college's teaching faculty holds masters and doctoral degrees.

University of South Carolina
www.sc.edu

USC's several hundred research laboratories pursue some of the most sophisticated scientific and technological research in the world.   Its 100 institutes and centers, many of which work closely with industry, include Centers for Information Technology, Electrochemical Engineering, Electron Microscopy, Mechanics of Materials and Non-Destructive Evaluation, Water Research and Policy, Photonics and Microelectronics, as well as a wind tunnel that studies airplane, building and automobile design.  USC's 2,000 full-time faculty research everything from compressing electronic-image data to using aquatic plants for pollution clean-up to synthesizing wires, switches, and transistors based on single molecules.

-USC's Center for Manufacturing and Technology provides a virtual consulting network, with sites across the state, which allows businesses to consult with faculty face-to-face via free multimedia teleconferences and obtain advice on export issues, international standards (ISO 9000 and ISO 14000), design problems, occupational health, and industrial ecology.

- In 1999, USC opened its new $33 million Graduate Science Research Center, where researchers study groundbreaking questions in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry.

- USC's Darla Moore School of Business ranked in the national top 50 includes:

• The international business master's degree program and undergraduate international business program each ranked second in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.  USC is the only public institution in the top five. 
• The undergraduate insurance program is ranked 5th in the nation and the management program is 25th.
• One of America's top 20 entrepreneurship programs, according to Success magazines. 
• A Small Business Development Center that works with 1,000 SC small businesses a year. 
• The Daniel Management Center, which provides executive training, management, and technical assistance to 7,000 small businesspersons or prospective entrepreneurs a year.

- USC's graduate programs in public relations and advertising have been ranked in the top 15 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, while its graduate programs in Government and International Studies are ranked in the top 20.

- USC has one of the nation's top five programs for geographic information systems and remote sensing and cartography, which provide powerful resources for industrial site selection and development.