COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus Technical College graduated a record 1,543 students during Academic Year 2026, awarded 3,091 credentials and reported a record 94.6% in-field job placement rate, according to an announcement the college made in October. The college also recorded its fifth consecutive year of enrollment growth, reaching 5,108 students. The results mark the institution's highest graduate count and its largest number of credentials awarded in the past decade, according to the college's official release.

The figures cover Academic Year 2026, which the college identifies as AY26. They include technical certificates, associate degrees and the college's overall total of academic awards. The employment figures separately measure graduates entering the workforce and finding jobs related to their fields of study.

1,543 Graduates Set a New College Record

Columbus Technical College reported that 1,543 students graduated during AY26, establishing a new institutional record. President Martha Ann Todd said the results reflect the college's work preparing students for employment. The announcement connected the graduation figures with demand for trained workers across several industries.

"We are graduating more students than ever before, and they are leaving our college with the skills Georgia employers need," Todd said in the college's October release.

The graduate count is one of several measures included in the college's annual results. The release also reported a record in-field employment rate and the largest credential total in the past 10 years. Together, those figures describe student completion, academic awards and workforce outcomes, although each measures a different aspect of the college's performance.

The college did not provide a prior-year graduate count in the reported figures. Its announcement instead identified the AY26 graduating class as the largest in its history. The record therefore represents the college's stated institutional milestone rather than a calculated year-over-year increase.

3,091 Awards Include Certificates and Associate Degrees

Columbus Technical College reported 3,091 total awards during AY26, its highest total in the past decade. The college separately listed 2,263 Technical Certificates of Credit, commonly called TCCs, and 622 associate degrees. Those figures were published in the college's official announcement of its academic-year results.

The college reported 3,091 total awards, including 2,263 Technical Certificates of Credit and 622 associate degrees. The announcement does not explain how those figures relate to one another, and the certificates and degrees should not be read as adding up to the total. Columbus Technical College reported each number separately, and each is presented here as the college gave it.

The distinction between graduates and awards is also important when reading the results. The college reported 1,543 graduating students but 3,091 academic awards, meaning the two totals do not represent the same measurement. Some graduates receive more than one academic credential.

Dividing the 3,091 reported awards by the 1,543 graduates produces approximately 2.0 awards per graduate, according to a Columbus Times calculation using the college's figures. That ratio is a mathematical comparison of the reported totals, not a statement that every graduate earned two credentials. The college's announcement does not provide an individual breakdown of how many awards each graduating student received.

Job Placement in Graduates' Fields Reaches 94.6%

The college reported a record 94.6% in-field job placement rate for AY26. According to its announcement, nearly 95% of graduates who entered the workforce found employment in the field in which they studied. The placement rate measures employment related to graduates' training rather than simply whether graduates have jobs.

"When nearly 95 percent of those entering the workforce are employed in the field they trained for, that tells us our programs are aligned with the opportunities area employers are creating," Todd said in the official release.

Columbus Technical College also reported that all of its graduates were either employed, enlisted or continuing their education. That broader outcome statement differs from the 94.6% in-field job placement measure. The first describes graduates' overall employment, military or education status, while the second focuses on graduates entering the workforce and obtaining employment related to their studies.

The college did not provide separate counts for graduates in each of those categories in its announcement. Its stated placement percentage therefore should not be interpreted as the percentage of all 1,543 graduates working in their fields. The college specifically described the measure as applying to graduates who entered the workforce.

Enrollment Grows for Fifth Consecutive Year

Columbus Technical College also reported its fifth consecutive year of enrollment growth, bringing enrollment to 5,108 students. The October announcement described the increase as part of a five-year trend. The college presented the enrollment figure alongside its graduation, credential and employment results.

Enrollment and graduation totals measure different parts of the institution's activity. The 5,108 enrollment figure represents the college's reported student population, while the 1,543 graduate count represents students completing their studies during AY26. Both numbers were included in the college's official report of academic performance.

The announcement did not provide separate enrollment totals for each of the previous five years. It also did not identify which individual programs accounted for the enrollment increases. The trend described by the college is the college's stated five consecutive years of growth and its reported enrollment of 5,108 students.

College Points to Workforce Demand Across Six Industries

In its October announcement, Columbus Technical College identified healthcare, advanced manufacturing, construction, transportation, information technology and logistics as industries seeking skilled workers. The college linked its graduation and employment outcomes with workforce opportunities in those sectors. Its president specifically emphasized the relationship between college training and the skills employers need.

The six industries cover different types of technical and professional training. The college's release identified them as areas of employer demand without providing separate employment totals for each industry. It also did not rank the industries by the number of graduates hired or the number of credentials awarded.

The 94.6% placement rate applies to the college's reported graduates entering the workforce, not to any one of the six industries individually. The institution did not publish separate placement percentages for healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transportation, information technology or logistics in the announcement. The college's reported overall rate remains the measure of employment within graduates' fields of study.

Puckett Workforce Development Center Opened in July

The academic results follow another development at Columbus Technical College: the opening of the COL Ralph Puckett Workforce Development Center. According to the college's official ribbon-cutting announcement, the center held its opening ceremony Friday, July 31, 2026, at 9 a.m. The center is part of the college's broader workforce development activities.

The Puckett Center announcement also identifies Columbus Technical College as a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. The center opening and the AY26 graduation results were reported in separate official releases. Both announcements concern the college's training and workforce development operations.

The college provides information about the Puckett Center through its website at columbustech.edu/puckettcenter. Its broader academic offerings are available through the college's Programs of Study page. Those resources are listed separately from the academic-year performance statistics in the October release.

Foundation Awards 51 Scholarships to 34 Students

The Columbus Technical College Foundation also reported scholarship activity for Fall 2026. According to a separate official foundation release, 51 scholarships were awarded to 34 students through 19 scholarship funds and awards. The announcement provides additional information about the college's student support activities during the same calendar year.

The scholarship totals represent awards and recipients, rather than the college's overall enrollment or graduating class. The foundation's 51 scholarships and 34 recipients are therefore separate from the 3,091 academic awards and 1,543 graduates reported for AY26. The college published the scholarship information in a separate release from its graduation record announcement.

Susan Sealy is identified as the foundation's executive director in the college's scholarship information. The college release names her in connection with its scholarship activities. The reported Fall 2026 totals remain 51 scholarships, 34 recipients and 19 scholarship funds and awards.

Where to Find College Information and Official Results

Columbus Technical College publishes institutional news and announcements through its official website at columbustech.edu. Its newsroom includes the October 2026 announcement containing the graduation, credential, enrollment and job placement figures. The college's main telephone number is 706-649-1800, according to its newsroom information.

The official AY26 graduation and employment announcement contains the college's record 1,543 graduates, 3,091 total awards and 94.6% in-field placement rate. It also identifies the fifth consecutive year of enrollment growth and the current 5,108-student enrollment figure. These are the figures the institution released for Academic Year 2026.

Tara Askew, vice president of Student Affairs and Communications, is listed as the media contact for the college's graduation announcement at 706-649-1901. The college also maintains separate information about academic programs, scholarships and the Puckett Workforce Development Center on its website. Those official resources provide the institution's published information alongside its reported academic-year results.