10 Best Community Colleges in Florida 2023 (2024)

10 Best Community Colleges in Florida 2023 (1)

Written by James Mielke

Published on January 15, 2023 · Updated on April 29, 2023

Community colleges not only provide an accessible and inexpensive academic option, attending one of these public institutions is a popular choice—Federal data shows thatnearly 40%of undergraduates attend community colleges before enrolling at a four-year school. Florida’s community college system registers hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In the following guide, we highlight ten of the best community colleges in Florida. We review ways to pay for college and spotlight several popular scholarships available to students at Florida community colleges.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the best community colleges in Florida, their academic programs, and the services they provide.

Best Community Colleges in Florida

Students have access to many excellent schools in Florida, but the best community colleges offer learners a wide variety of academic, financial, career, and student services. Additionally, the best community colleges in Florida hold regional accreditation—this institutional stamp of approval means the schools go through a rigorous, peer-review process to ensure students get their money’s worth. You can check out our rankinghere.

Keep reading to see which Florida community colleges stand out.

1.Hillsborough Community College

With its main campus located in Tampa, Hillsborough Community College offers various associate degrees, continuing education, and professional certificate programs. Founded in 1968, HCC is home to affordable academic programs and serves more than 47,000 students each year. HCC holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In addition to an expansive roster of associate degrees, HCC offers learners postsecondary adult vocational certificates (PSAV), advanced technical certificates (ATC), and applied technology diplomas (ATD).

2.Santa Fe College

Based in Gainesville, Santa Fe College is a sizable institution that transfers more students to the University of Florida than any other community college. SFC offers associate degrees in areas spanning from business administration to film studies. The school also offers technical certificates in areas like automotive service technology, carpentry apprenticeship, and chemical laboratory specialist.

3.Lake Sumter State College

Ranked as one of the best community colleges in the nation, Lake Sumter State College boasts a 19:1 student to instructor ratio and offers over $700,000 worth of foundation scholarships each year. LSSC offers various associate degree tracks, including criminal justice technology, health services management, and nursing. The school is also home to an expansive list of student services, including student employment, career services, tutoring, and a 24/7 help desk.

4.Florida Gateway College

Established in 1947, Florida Gateway College serves thousands of students each year. Offering an expansive list of associate in science degrees, popular academic options cover areas like agribusiness management, environmental science technology, and registered nursing. In addition to on-campus options, FGC plays home to an equally sizable list of online degree options. FGC students have access to personal counseling services, community resources, and a grant program for first-generation college students.

5.North Florida College

Based in Madison, Florida, North Florida College offers a wide variety of online and on-campus degrees. In addition to traditional associate degree tracks, NFC also offers a 2+2 articulation track that provides students with a clear path towards enrollment at a four-year institution. Learners also have access to career and technical certificates in advanced manufacturing, commercial vehicle driving, and early childhood education. North Florida College holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

6.Miami Dade College

Offering degree-seekers flexible attendance options through on-campus, online, and hybrid coursework, Miami Dade College serves over 50,000 students annually. MDC is home to 160 associate degree programs covering various disciplines from aviation administration to speech pathology. Like other community colleges in Florida, MDC also offers a relatively short list of bachelor’s degrees, including an RN-to-BSN completion program.

7.Chipola College

Based in Marianna, Florida, Chipola College is home to nine academic departments spanning from business and technology to workforce development. Chipola offers various associate degree programs, technical certificates, and continuing education tracks. Along with academic support, Chipola’s student services include counseling, emergency assistance, family resources, and legal services. Chipola holds regional accreditation from the SACSCOC.

8.Eastern Florida State College

Based in Brevard County, Eastern Florida State College has campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville. Founded in 1960, EFSC serves around 25,000 students annually. In addition to associate degrees spanning from accounting to veterinary nursing, EFSC offers advanced technical certificates in cardiac sonography, network security forensics, and veterinary practice management. Additionally, students have access to online and hybrid academic programming.

9.Valencia College

Located in Orlando, Valencia College was founded in 1967 and serves over 60,000 students every year. Offering more than 60 associate degrees, graduates take advantage of Valencia’s pipeline to various four-year state colleges in Florida. Valencia is also home to an accelerated skills training program and includes specialized areas like advanced manufacturing, health care, and construction and maintenance.

10.The College of the Florida Keys

With a gorgeous home base on Stock Island, The College of the Florida Keys is a public community college that serves over 1,000 learners annually. Established in 1965, this public institution offers various associate degrees, career training programs, and technical certificates. Owing to its location within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, it’s no surprise that the school offers specialized degrees in marine science and marine engineering. Other academic areas include culinary management, nursing, and general studies.’

If you’re looking for other community colleges that offer scholarships, check out the Find Your Perfect “U” tool. You can search over 6,000 colleges and universities with 11 different filters to find theperfect school for you!

Methodology

Universities.comtakes an objective approach when ranking schools. Utilizing our college ranking algorithm and various metrics and data sets, we pay special attention to graduation rates, financial resources, and admissions statistics. You can take a closer look at our full ranking methodologyhere.

How Do I Pay For Community College?

While community colleges offer college-level courses at a reasonable price, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an investment. That said, students have access to a wide variety of financial aid options.Scholarships, loans, and work-study programs all help offset the cost of an education. Additionally, online programs allow students to complete academic requirements while continuing to work. We’ve highlighted several Florida-based scholarships below.

Scholarships for Community College Students

First Generation Matching Grant Program

Offered through the state of Florida, this program offers first-generation college students financial support that’s renewable for each academic term. Applicants must be first-generation college students and demonstrate financial need.

Rosewood Family Scholarship

This scholarship program provides financial assistance to roughly 50 students each year. Applicants must enroll full-time at a Florida postsecondary institution and demonstrate financial need.

Florida Community College Program

Florida A&M University offers a merit scholarship for students graduating from a state community college. Recipients can receive funding for a maximum of four consecutive semesters. To renew, students must maintain a 3.3 GPA.

Is Going to Community College Worth It?

Founded to expand access to higher education, community colleges offer an affordable education that often acts as a gateway to four-year institutions. For many students, completing general education requirements at a community college is a practical way to significantly offset the college cost. Additionally, community colleges are home to extensive continuing education and technical training programs.

Whether you’re planning on transferring to a four-year college or gaining technical certification, attending a community college can enhance academic and career options at a reasonable price.

10 Best Community Colleges in Florida 2023 (2024)

FAQs

Which Florida college is hardest to get into? ›

Probably the school to get the hardest into in Florida is The University of Miami with an acceptance rate of just 32%. The school, a private university, was founded in 1925 and has a total student body of just over 17,000 students. Popular majors include nursing, finance, and economics.

What college has the highest enrollment 2023? ›

The college campus with the largest enrollment is Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

What is the hardest college to get into in the world 2023? ›

Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.

What Florida college is easiest to get into? ›

The easiest colleges to get into in Florida are Broward College, Indian River State College, Keiser University – Fort Lauderdale, College of Central Florida, and Herzing University – Orlando. These universities focus less on past academic performance and more on providing quality education to all students.

What is the #1 college in Florida? ›

The University of Florida, or UF, is located in Gainesville. A beautiful city in northern Florida, Gainesville is best known for UF—that means it's a fun college town! UF alone has 55,000 students, making it a very large university, and UF students are everywhere in Gainesville.

What is the richest college in Florida? ›

No school in Florida has an endowment anywhere close to that. But two campuses in the Sunshine State can boast endowments worth more than $1 billion each. The distinction of the largest endowment falls to the University of Florida, which was $2.4 billion in 2021.

What is the least safe college in Florida? ›

TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida has been ranked as the least safe college in the state, according to a list compiled by Alarms.org. The list was compiled using FBI crime reports, according to the group.

Which is harder to get into, UF or FSU? ›

Acceptance Rate

While both schools are highly selective, UF has a lower acceptance rate of 23% compared to FSU's rate of 25%. Both schools also require high test scores, but the average SAT and ACT scores among accepted students are higher at UF.

What college has the lowest acceptance rate 2023? ›

So – Which College Had the Lowest Acceptance Rate of 2022-2023? Answer: It's Harvard and Everyone Else, Except Maybe Caltech. Below are the overall admission rates for the Class of 2027 among America's most selective national universities.

What GPA is required for Harvard? ›

In truth, you need close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA to get into Harvard. That means nearly straight As in every class while also taking the highest rigor classes available at your high school.

Does any college have a 100 acceptance rate? ›

The College of Staten Island — part of the City University of New York System — accepts 100% of applicants. CSI offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs in business, education, and health sciences.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ray Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 5582

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ray Christiansen

Birthday: 1998-05-04

Address: Apt. 814 34339 Sauer Islands, Hirtheville, GA 02446-8771

Phone: +337636892828

Job: Lead Hospitality Designer

Hobby: Urban exploration, Tai chi, Lockpicking, Fashion, Gunsmithing, Pottery, Geocaching

Introduction: My name is Ray Christiansen, I am a fair, good, cute, gentle, vast, glamorous, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.