What Durham Technical Community College does

Durham Technical Community College is a public two-year institution of higher education founded in 1961 and operating as part of the North Carolina Community College System. It is headquartered in Durham, NC, with additional campuses in Hillsborough (Orange County Campus) and Research Triangle Park, and serves approximately 5,300 average credit students per year across 140 credit and continuing-education programs in five named pathways: Business & Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Creative & Liberal Arts, Building/Engineering & Skilled Trades, and Health & Wellness. The college also operates specialized workforce academies such as the BULLS Life Sciences Academy, the Durham Tech 911 Academy, the Biotech Aseptic Training Program, and apprenticeship pathways delivered with corporate partners.

Durham Tech's revenue is generated through a mix of tuition and fees (including a per-course $11.25 administrative fee for Continuing Education), federal and state financial aid (Title IV, Next NC Scholarship up to $3,000/year, Durham Tech Promise), and significant corporate, foundation, and public grants/donations — including a $6M Novo Nordisk gift (the largest in school history), Duke Energy grants totaling $3.4M, an NC Biotechnology Center grant, a $2M Durham County investment in BULLS, and a portion of a $550.2M county bond passed in November 2022. The college's go-to-market is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer enrollment via CFNC, walk-in advising, and events like Great Start Day; inquiry-based inside-sales support through a Student Resource Center and the 'Let's Connect' request-info form; and channel-partner workforce development with employers including Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Duke Energy, Wolfspeed, VSC Fire & Security, and Made In Durham.

The underlying technology stack is administrative rather than differentiated: an Element451-powered CRM and live chat, a Self-Service Instant Enrollment portal for Continuing Education (no login required), Microsoft Teams for virtual orientation, Maxient for conduct reporting, Wufoo for feedback, and Microsoft Office 365 for student email. Distribution is anchored by three physical campuses, 15 university transfer partnerships enabling four-year degree progression, and an expanding employer-sponsored apprenticeship pipeline — most visibly through the RTP Bio joint venture with Wake Tech that co-locates life-sciences training adjacent to major RTP biopharma employers.

Name

Durham Technical Community College

Legal name

Durham Technical Community College

Website

https://durhamtech.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Durham Technical Community College is a public two-year NC community college in Durham serving ~5,300 credit students across 140 programs in five pathways, with multi-campus delivery and a growing employer-sponsored workforce-training pipeline anchored by life-sciences and skilled-trades partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), Junior Colleges (61121), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Workforce training programs
• Technical career training
• Credit certificate programs
• Continuing education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees (Credit Courses): Primary revenue stream from student tuition for credit-bearing programs leading to degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Eligible students can also receive Title IV Federal Student Aid, Durham Tech Promise scholarships, and Next NC Scholarship (up to $3,000/year).
2. Continuing Education Registration Fees: Per-course fees from non-credit Continuing Education classes, including a $11.25 administrative fee per course covering technology, parking/security, and accident insurance. Senior citizens (65+) receive tuition waivers.
3. Financial Aid Disbursements: Federal and state financial aid funding flowing through the institution, including grants (need-based, non-repayable), scholarships, loans, and work-study programs administered to enrolled students.
4. Major Donations and Corporate Grants: Large-scale philanthropic gifts and grants from corporate and foundation partners, including Novo Nordisk ($6M - largest donation in school history), NC Biotechnology Center ($300K), Fidelity Investments ($250M for minority students), Duke Energy ($2.8M, later $600K), and Durham County ($2M for BULLS program).
5. Emergency and Specialized Grants: Federal and state emergency grant funding (Emergency Financial Assistance Grant, Finish Line Grant, Child Care Grant) channeled through the institution to support student persistence and completion.
6. Sponsored / Third-Party Billing: Employer-sponsored and third-party agency billing (vocational rehabilitation, JOCCA, WIOA) for Continuing Education courses, with formal sponsorship billing letter process for invoicing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Durham Technical Community College delivers postsecondary education through 140 credit and continuing education programs organized into five academic Pathways (Business & Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Creative & Liberal Arts, Building/Engineering & Skilled Trades, Health & Wellness) plus specialized workforce academies. Offerings span associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates, non-credit Continuing Education classes, dual enrollment for high school students, employer-sponsored apprenticeship pipelines, and life-sciences/biotech workforce training (including the BULLS Life Sciences Academy and 911 Academy). Students access the college through three physical campuses (Main, Orange County, RTP) and an online Self-Service enrollment portal.

Product overview

Durham Technical Community College is a North Carolina community college delivering a portfolio of academic and workforce programs organized around five named Pathways — Business & Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Creative & Liberal Arts, Building/Engineering & Skilled Trades, and Health & Wellness — which form the credit-program backbone. On top of these sit specialized Life Sciences offerings including the BULLS Life Sciences Academy (a partnership with Made In Durham) and the Novo Nordisk Life Sciences Training Center, along with targeted workforce academies such as the 911 Academy, the Biotech Aseptic Training Program, and the Plant Science Training Program. Apprenticeship pathways — the ServiceTrade 'Grow Your Own' program with VSC Fire & Security and the 3-year Biotech Apprenticeship Program — extend the workforce mission alongside a Continuing Education division, the Dual Enrollment (Career and College Promise) program for high schoolers, and the Net Price Calculator self-service tool. Underpinning the offering are student-facing technology services including an Element451-powered 'Let's Connect' request-info and live-chat platform, Self-Service online registration, Microsoft Office 365 student email, the Maxient conduct-reporting system, and Microsoft Teams for virtual orientations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health & Wellness Pathway Multi-program academic pathway covering Medical Assisting, Surgical Technology, Respiratory Therapy, and other health programs, with both transfer-ready and career-ready options for university transfer or workforce entry.
• Information Technology Pathway Academic pathway covering IT programs including server configuration, networking, and IT certifications, with both transfer-ready and career-ready options.
• Business & Entrepreneurship Pathway Academic pathway covering business programs, preparing students for careers or transfer to four-year institutions in business and entrepreneurship.
• Creative & Liberal Arts Pathway Academic pathway covering creative arts and liberal arts programs, primarily transfer-ready for students continuing to four-year institutions.
• Building, Engineering & Skilled Trades Pathway Academic pathway covering building, engineering, and skilled trades programs, with both transfer-ready and career-ready options.
• BULLS Life Sciences Academy Life-sciences workforce development partnership between Made In Durham, Durham Technical Community College, and Durham County / NC Biotechnology Center that prepares young adults for life-sciences careers with employer partners including Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Merck, and Lilly.
• Durham Tech 911 Academy Public-safety training program launched in 2022 to address the Durham 911 Center's 43% staffing shortage by training 911 call takers and dispatchers.
• Biotech Aseptic Training Program County-first aseptic training program for biotech workforce, opened August 2021 with a $300K grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
• Plant Science Training Program Program launched July 2021 to train students for plant-science careers, supported by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
• Biotech Apprenticeship Program Three-year apprenticeship program launched May 2021 with a Durham biotech company that pays apprentices a salary while covering their Durham Tech tuition.
• ServiceTrade 'Grow Your Own' Apprentice Program Fire and life-safety apprenticeship pathway with ServiceTrade and VSC Fire & Security, supported by a $5,000 grant to VSC, training apprentices through Durham Tech.
• Continuing Education Non-credit continuing education division offering courses open to adults 18+ in public safety (Emergency Medical Services, Law Enforcement, Fire Services, AHA/CPR), as well as personal enrichment and skill-up courses, registered through the Self-Service portal.
• Dual Enrollment (Career and College Promise) Program providing eligible North Carolina high school students seamless dual enrollment, allowing them to earn college certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees while completing high school.
• Novo Nordisk Life Sciences Training Center Life-sciences training center funded by a $6M donation from Novo Nordisk to expand life-sciences workforce programs in partnership with the company.

Quantifiable outcome

• BULLS Life Sciences Academy graduation rate improved from 55% to 93% after adding success coaches and corporate partnerships
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Made In DurhamflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2026Co-creator of the BULLS Life Sciences Academy with Durham Tech, funded by Durham County and the NC Biotechnology Center. Trains young adults for life-sciences careers; graduation rate improved from 55% to 93%.
• ServiceTradecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 October 2025Launched the 'Grow Your Own' technician workforce program with a $5,000 grant to VSC Fire & Security to support apprentice hiring and training, with Durham Tech delivering related apprenticeship instruction.
• VSC Fire & SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Industry partner in the ServiceTrade 'Grow Your Own' initiative; receives a $5,000 grant to hire and train apprentices in fire and life safety, with Durham Tech providing related instruction.
• Eli LillyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2023Developed a training-to-job pipeline with Durham Tech; hires BULLS Academy graduates. Durham County awarded Lilly $5M to expand its RTP drug plant, further strengthening the workforce partnership.
• Novo NordiskflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2023Donated $6M (largest donation in school history) to build a life-sciences training center at Durham Tech and partnered on life-science workforce programs. Donations support BULLS Life Sciences Academy and RTP Bio workforce development.
• WolfspeedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2022Workforce development partner gearing up for a $5B expansion; collaborates with Durham Tech to boost the local skilled-worker pipeline.
• Duke EnergyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2022Multi-year energy-workforce development investor: $2.8M grant (2022) and $600,000 (2025) supporting electric line technician training and a new Forward Fund offering zero-interest loans to students.
• Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2022Cross-college partnership launching RTP Bio in Research Triangle Park to meet RTP biotech workforce needs; Wake Tech and Durham Tech jointly operate the RTP location and life-sciences training center.
• 15 University Transfer PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDurham Tech maintains 15 university transfer partnerships enabling credit-bearing students to continue toward four-year degrees at partner institutions.
• Wolfspeed (semiconductor workforce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSee Wolfspeed entry above; covered by WRAL TechWire 12/5/2022.
• Legal Aid of North CarolinaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDurham Tech hosts monthly Eviction Prevention Workshops with Legal Aid of NC; participants can schedule one-on-one appointments with attorneys in English and Spanish. Contact Antonio McNeill (919-536-7200 ext. 1418).
• NC Community College System (NCCCS) / CFNCflagshipTechnology or IntegrationDurham Tech uses the CFNC online undergraduate application portal (cfnc.org) and is part of the NC Community College System; the school's federal School Code is 005448.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wake Technical Community College: Largest NC community college and Durham Tech's direct RTP Bio co-development partner; operates the largest workforce training footprint in the Research Triangle and competes for the same employer-sponsored training contracts.
• Central Piedmont Community College: Major NC Community College System peer serving the Charlotte region with similar credit, continuing education, and corporate workforce training offerings; comparable dual-enrollment and transfer pathways.
• Forsyth Technical Community College: NC Community College System peer in Winston-Salem with similar credit/continuing education programs, healthcare and skilled-trades pathways, and employer-sponsored workforce pipelines.
• Guilford Technical Community College: NC Community College System peer in Greensboro with comparable program mix, university transfer partnerships, and continuing education offerings for adult learners.
• Pitt Community College: NC Community College System peer serving eastern NC with similar credit programs, continuing education, and workforce development academies.

Regional players

• Alamance Community College: Nearby NC community college in the Triangle-adjacent region serving similar populations and competing for the same dual-enrollment and Continuing Education learners.
• Vance-Granville Community College: NC Community College System peer north of Durham serving rural counties with comparable credit, workforce, and continuing education programming.

Broad incumbents

• North Carolina State University (NC State): Major public research university that is one of Durham Tech's 15 university transfer partners and competes for adult learners in the RTP region, particularly in IT, engineering, and life sciences.
• Duke University Continuing Studies: Durham-based university continuing and professional education division that overlaps with Durham Tech's adult-learner and credentialing offerings in the same local market.

Emerging players

• Made In Durham: Local nonprofit co-creator of the BULLS Life Sciences Academy with Durham Tech; comparable as a workforce-development intermediary but narrower in scope and geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/durhamtech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@durhamtech
• Facebookfacebook.com/durhamtech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durham-technical-community-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/durhamtech

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durham Technical Community College