The Top 29 Community Colleges In Florida
Urbanicity: Town
School Size: Small
Florida Panhandle Technical College boasts 30+ programs and focuses on career and technical training. Their goal is to ensure that the Florida Panhandle has a vibrant and educated workforce to support a booming economy. Beyond certificates and degrees in healthcare and community services, FPTC offers tracks to study digital media and video, network admin, and applied IT. Many programs take less than a year to complete, and most students are eligible for grants and financial aid. Some advanced programs have prerequisites, but everything you need is offered at FPTC. The course offerings are broad but focused on helping students gain desirable skills and be prepared for high-demand jobs.
AwardIntelligent Pick
Required Credits to Graduate165 – 1,600
Department
Estimated Cost per CreditResident: $2 – 3 Non-Resident: $10 – $11
accreditationCommission of the Council on Occupational Education
AwardBest for Distance Learning
Rankings
Urbanicity: Suburban
School Size: Small
AwardBest for Distance Learning
Delivery FormatOn-Campus
Required Credits to GraduateCertificate: 27 Associate: 60
Estimated Cost per Credit$111- $122
accreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
Required Credits to GraduateCertificate: 27 Associate: 60
Urbanicity: Suburban
School Size: Small
AwardBest Real-World Experience
Required Credits to Graduate1,050 – 1,700
Department
Estimated Cost per Credit$3 – $4
AwardBest for Occupational Education
Rankings
Department
Miami Lakes Educational Center And Technical College
Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College provides a variety of adult basic education, including a GED high school diploma. They have flexible options for learning through daytime and evening classes. MLEC offers programs in a variety of areas including programs in business, technical programs, and health sciences programs.
What Makes Studying In Central Florida So Perfect
The Orlando area has a variety of attractions, from beaches ready for splashing to scenic parks perfect for biking to world-famous theme parks. Then there are the everyday diversions, like a vibrant arts and performance culture that celebrates all things creative, from art gallery openings to museums to high-profile musical artists.
Find your program
Dr. Janell Robinson knows that a well-built network is important not only for computers, but people too. She aims to include more women and people of color into STEM areas and designed the curriculum for former Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordons inaugural CodeOrlando summer camp for underprivileged youth.
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Tips For Finding A Job After College
While community college graduates career opportunities are in abundance, finding a job will always be an uphill task. Below are a few tips to help one find a job after graduation.
List Target Companies
While pursuing the degree, you should already know some of the postgraduate opportunities you have. Try and make a list of around ten companies you would want to work for once youre done with school and make an effort to make contact with at least one person in each of these companies. By creating a network, you will be increasing your chances.
Customize Your Resume
Companies receive hundreds of resumes, so you must try and make yours stand out. Customize your resume for each job application and explain what makes you suitable for that particular position in that particular company. Include certifications or relevant experiences that could help you stand out from other candidates.
Take an Internship as Early as Possible
Employers will always lean towards candidates with a little bit of experience in that particular field. Many fresh graduates dont have any experience, so you need to take up an internship any time the opportunity arises. Internships, even unpaid ones, are great ways to advance ones career.
Have A LinkedIn Profile
This is one of the largest networking tools available. With a good LinkedIn profile, you will improve your chances of being contacted by recruiters.
Santa Fe College In Gainesville Fl
With a tuition fee of $1,872, Santa Fe college offers various academic studies ranging from Arts and Sciences programs to Technology and Applied Sciences and Bachelors degrees. The institution had over 18,000 students in 2020 and includes satellite campuses in Alachua and Bradford counties. The total annual cost of these colleges stands at $17,500.
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Gulf Coast State College
Gulf Coast State College offers a wide variety of options for learning in class, online, or through hybrid programs. According to the school website, 95 percent of GCSC college graduates find employment or continue their education within a year of graduating. As one of the lowest tuition colleges in the state , students can earn a two-year college degree at an affordable cost.
Frequently Asked Questions On The Best Community Colleges In Florida:
Is community college a good idea?
Students can ease into the world of higher education and learn at their own pace by enrolling at a community college. According to experts, this is especially true for students who struggled in high school or are unclear if they want to make the substantial time and financial investment in college.
Is community college in Florida free?Is it smarter to go to community college first?
You will still receive a strong education, be instructed by skilled instructors, and gain the necessary academic experience for success. In other words, attending community college initially is not a bad idea. Community colleges simply provide a distinct form of higher education with distinct objectives from other higher education options.
Is community college worse than a university?
The curriculum is on par with what youd find at a university, and the classes themselves can be just as demanding as those there. However, numerous studies have demonstrated that students who transfer from a community college to a four-year institution perform better than their university peers.
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How We Ranked The Schools
We work hard to develop lists of the best and most affordable schools, based on factors that are relative to todays prospective students. We ranked each of these Florida Community Colleges by assigning a unique score for tuition and including only properly accredited schools in our listings.
We always strive to do our best to be honest, accurate and fair in our rankings and listing of schools. We do not allow any school to pay us for a higher placement in our rankings. Any school that wishes to be sponsored is listed separately from schools included in the rankings and is clearly listed as SPONSORED.
Please contact us if you would like to include your school in our rankings or if you would like to update the information currently listed for your school.
Florida has a rich higher education culture. The state has 53 private colleges and 40 public colleges. On average, the tuition of in-state students is $6,464. Out-of-state community college students in Florida can pay a tuition fee of up to $11,973. The tuition fee can be slightly higher in private colleges.
Community colleges are cheaper when compared to traditional four-year universities. Florida has some of the best community colleges that favor the demographics of the area. Generally, community colleges are made up of the local population since most students come not far from their preferred schools. The average acceptance rate of community colleges in Florida stands at 86%.
Gulf Coast State College In Panama City Fla
Cost Per Credit Hour: $98.75Located in Panama City and with satellite campuses in Southport and Port St. Joe, Gulf Coast State College offers 75 Associate in Arts degree tracks, 13 Associate in Science degree tracks and four Bachelor of Applied Science degrees. This school offers both traditional classes and online courses with convenient times and in multiple locations. Gulf Coast State College is recognized as one of the top-tier military-friendly colleges in the country. Gulf Coast State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
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North Florida Community College In Madison Fla
Cost Per Credit Hour: $99.80Located in Madison, North Florida Community College has nearly 1,300 students and maintains a 24:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The college offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees with various emphases. The school boasts a 20-acre nature center with marked trails, observation points and picnic sites. There is also a public art collection featuring sculptures, murals and other artwork across the campus. North Florida Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Online Schools In Florida
As stated above, Florida colleges online offer benefits that go beyond the general benefits of online community colleges.
Among these schools, students will find many varieties of associate degrees and certificates most of which can be taken fully online and on a flexible schedule. For example, Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida offers 21 online programs in total. This includes associate degrees in criminology, math education, hospitality administration, and fire science technology. Its programs are designed with transferable credits in mind, leaving graduates with options to apply to a four-year university.
Transferable credits are an important selling point for many online community colleges in Florida.
Furthermore, Florida is a part of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement , which is a national program designed to bolster distance learning initiatives. Florida Gateway College and Eastern Florida State College are two such institutions that offer consumer protections for students engaging in online coursework.
Online community colleges in Florida have several pathways to achieve career advancement. Many institutions, such as Seminole State College, have a long list of technical certificates that students can achieve through remote learning. This includes subjects in IT such as network support and client specialist or project management certificates that can be leveraged into a number of professional fields.
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Benefits Of Community Colleges In Florida
Community colleges offer a cheaper alternative to four-year universities due to their small sizes. The average cost of studying at a community college in Florida is $2,963, whereas studying in a four-year university can cost you up to $9,000. The cost of studying at a private university is even higher. Attending a community college can save students thousands of dollars, especially if they offer a fee waiver. The good thing is that you can always transfer your credits to an accredited four-year university.
Community colleges are also the best option for those not ready to study far from home. You can take your time and learn how college is different from your previous high school. Some students use this opportunity as a way of initiating a smooth transition from high school to college. Studying close to home also gives you the chance to improve your time management skills, develop better studying strategies, and enhance independent learning.
Also, community colleges have smaller class sizes. As a result, community college students can get more individualized attention from their professors. You can always take advantage of this to interact with your professors and ask them any challenging questions that you may come across. With the smaller class sizes, students have easy access to their professors office hours instead of attending a four-year degree program at the university.
Financial Aid For Online Students In Florida
Florida has many resources available for students seeking financial aid to pay for their online college tuition. Some students may qualify for fee exemptions if they are in an early admission program or find themselves enrolled in an approved apprenticeship. If you’re a full-time employee or a student intern supervisor at a state university, you may qualify for tuition-free waivers. Florida also offers a number of scholarship opportunities, as well as financial aid for unhoused students and waivers for military members.
The Bright Futures Scholarship Program is one of Florida’s most important financial aid programs. Students may be eligible for up to 100% tuition coverage based on their academic performance during high school through Florida Academic Scholars , or 75% of their tuition through Florida Medallion Scholars . Eligibility is based on test scores and an individual’s GPA. Keep in mind, the FMS is less competitive than the FAS, which is only awarded to the top performing students in each Florida county.
Aside from Florida-specific aid, there are plenty of ways to seek help through national financial aid programs. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a national program that provides financial assistance to students who need it.
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Is Attending A Community College In Florida Really Worth It
This is a question that some prospective students may ask when considering whether to attend one of the community colleges in Florida. Does earning a certificate really matter? What about an associates degree? The truth is that there is a significant difference when considering whether completing a Florida Community College program really matters in earnings or career progression.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that adults do not necessarily have to earn a bachelors degree to earn higher wages. The BLS lists 99 occupations that typically do not require completion of a bachelors degree program, stating that most of the occupations require only a community college-level certificate or associates degree. The BLS projects that employment for individuals that have an associates degree or a post-secondary certificate is expected to grow by 11 percent through 2026, which is faster than the projected 7 percent average for all occupations.
Consider the comparison between the annual wages of someone with a high school diploma and the wages of someone with an associates degree. A worker with an associates degree in 2017 earned an average of $16,730 more than a worker with only a high school diploma. The authors of a 2019 Business Insider article indicated that the median annual pay range for individuals with an associates degree was between $55,460 to just under $75,000, and that some workers earn over $100,000 a year, depending on the particular job.
What Is The Most Prestigious College In Florida
Finding the right school for you can be a challenge. This guide features rankings of accredited institutions to help prospective students find a school that meets their needs and career goals. Each ranking highlights key school facts, such as location, available programs, and admission and graduation requirements. Community colleges and technical schools differ from four-year colleges and universities in the types of degrees and certifications they offer.
For instance, community colleges confer only two-year associate degrees and occupational training certificates and focus on career and technical education. With an associate degree, learners can typically transfer to a four-year college to complete their bachelors degree or enter the workforce directly with some practical skills job training. Community colleges in Florida offer the added advantage of affordable tuition, which can save students thousands of dollars over the course of a four-year degree.
With 28 colleges serving 733,000 students on 72 campuses, The Florida College System offers programs for students from all walks of life. These institutions are joined by a number of private career colleges in preparing students for some of the states fastest growing jobs.
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What Are The Career Options After College
Once you are done with community college, youll have various options through which you can embark on a successful career. Graduates can choose to further their education and pursue a Bachelors degree or go for job training, among a host of other options.
Below are these options explained in further detail.
Valencia College In Orlando Fla
Cost Per Credit Hour: $103.06Located in Orlando and with satellite campuses in Kissimmee and Winter Park, Valencia College enrollment stands at a whopping 60,000 students. This qualifies it as the third-largest member institution of the Florida College System. Despite the size, the average class size at Valencia College remains 23 students. The school was named the top community college in the US in 2011 by the Aspen Institute, a title based in part on student learning, degree completion and earnings after college.
Valencia College offers a program to all students seeking an associate degree called DirectConnect to UCF. This free program guarantees Valencia graduates admission and a smooth transition to the University of Central Florida, also located in Orlando. Valencia College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
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St Francis Catholic School
St. Francis Catholic School is a private institution founded back in 1958.
As you can tell from its name, its dedicated to serving students of different faiths, specifically Catholics.
If your child is looking for any of the community colleges in Gainesville Florida that focuses on developing their spiritual side, then St Francis Catholic School could be a good fit for them.
Students will learn about many subjects including:
Tcc Fine Art Gallery Presents Two Regimes
The Tallahassee Community College Fine Art Gallery presents Two Regimes. The exhibit will open on Thursday evening, January 12, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., and will run through February 9.Two Regimes is the lifes work of two Ukrainian women: a mother, Teodora Verbitskaya , and her daughter, Nadia Werbitzky . Mother and daughter were survivors and witnesses of the atrocities of two brutal dictators: the Holodomor-Ukrainian genocide und
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The 10 Best High Schools In Florida
Florida is home to an impressive mix of public and private high schools.
Exciting curriculum features from some of the best high schools in Florida include international student exchange programs, internships with community partners, and cutting-edge facilities for STEM and performing arts programs.
The list of Floridas best high schools includes varied school schedules, ranging from 41 to 90 minutes per block.
Some offer semester-long, year-long, or a combination of semester- and year-long courses, in addition to mini-courses, capstone experiences, and breaks in the calendar reserved for exploring personal passions.
Students attending the best high schools in Florida can anticipate richly diverse populations, where students engage in Socratic discussions, project-based learning, and interdisciplinary approaches to their education.
All the schools in this list were chosen from high school rankings posted by major publications like U.S. News and Niche.
Here are ten of the best high schools in Florida.