Best Community Colleges in Florida

Founded in 1968, George Stone Technical Center serves high school students and other learners in Pensacola, Florida. The school offers full- and part-time non-degree certificate programs in business, health, industry, and criminal justice. Some programs qualify for college credit under articulation agreements.

GSTC’s business programs include accounting, cybersecurity, and network systems administration. Students may also prepare for jobs in healthcare, including emergency medical technician and nursing assistant. Through the school’s law enforcement academy, learners may train to become correctional officers or law enforcement officers. A wide variety of industrial programs qualify students for jobs in construction, automotive services, aircraft mechanics, and hospitality, among other fields.

GSTC accepts students ages 16 and older through an online application or dual-enrollment form. Students meet with a counselor to schedule their classes. GSTC holds accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.

Located in Panama City between Tallahassee and Pensacola, Tom P. Haney Technical Center offers career and technical programs, GED preparation, and general education under the authority of Bay District Schools. The school features an FAA-certified Aviation Academy that prepares graduates to repair and maintain aircraft with hands-on training.

Haney’s career and technical education programs train students for careers in fields such as business, automotive and marine services, construction, manufacturing, and healthcare administration. These programs range in length from 600 to 1,400 clock hours; full-time learners can typically complete 900-1,100 hours in a year. Haney also offers licensure programs in aviation, cosmetology, massage therapy, and practical nursing.

Students requesting financial aid must complete the FAFSA and meet with a financial aid counselor. Haney also offers career services such as resume help through the Haney Career Center. The school holds accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.

Established in 1984, City College began in 1896 as a branch of a Kentucky junior college of business. City College now operates five campuses throughout Florida, including the Alamonte Springs campus in Orlando.

City College-Altamonte Springs offers two-year associate of science degrees in business administration, healthcare, and legal assisting. Students can train for healthcare occupations such as medical office administration, nursing, surgical technology, and emergency medical services. The school also offers paralegal training. City College provides interactive online courses -- as well as on-campus courses -- through its online learning platform, MyCity Online. Faculty-led online classes feature weekly lectures, videos, and assignments.

Interested learners must interview with an admissions representative and complete all necessary forms. The admissions process requires assessment and program placement standards. City College holds accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

As the first career and technical center established in Miami-Dade County, Lindsey Hopkins Technical College serves more than 10,000 students in Miami, each year. The school offers general education, ESOL, and career and technical education programs. Students enrolled at ten local high schools may also attend LHTC through dual-enrollment programs.

Most of the school’s career and technical programs accept students on an open-entry basis, and learners complete course requirements at their own pace. LHTC operates on a trimester schedule and provides day and evening classes. Program areas include construction, personal services, transportation, culinary arts, childcare, and healthcare. Students may enter numerous training programs such as commercial art, fashion technology, marine services, and dietetic management.

LHTC is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and offers financial aid to qualified students. Students ages 18 years or older (or at least 16 with an age waiver) may register.

Located in Starke, North Florida Technical College operates under the authority of the Bradford County Board of Public Instruction and offers career, technical, and general education. NFTC offers career and technical education programs in early childhood education, health sciences, hospitality, human services, manufacturing, information technology, and transportation.

Career programs at NFTC range from 120 to 1,350 hours long. The school’s health sciences programs include medical assisting, nursing assistant, and practical nursing; however, students must meet special admission requirements for these programs. Learners may also train to become early childhood educators, welders, cosmetologists, or commercial truck drivers. Additionally, NFTC offers a one-year program in computer systems and information technology.

Students at this community college in Florida can take day or evening courses. NFTC requires learners to maintain a 2.0 GPA, and Pell grant recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress. The school holds accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.

As the only public postsecondary school in central Florida’s Osceola County, Osceola Technical College operates three campuses in Kissimmee, St. Cloud, and Poinciana. The school offers career certificates in business, law enforcement, health sciences, hospitality, and human services as well as several industrial training programs.

The training programs in business at oTech range in length from 750 to 1,050 hours and include cybersecurity, digital design, legal administrative support, and network support services. Located on the Kissimmee campus, the school’s criminal justice academy offers basic training programs in law enforcement and corrections. Students at oTech can choose from nine health sciences programs that take 165-1,350 hours to complete, including options in dental assisting, medical assisting, pharmacy tech, phlebotomy, and practical nursing.

Additional programs prepare graduates for jobs in the hospitality and human services industries, as well as training in trades such as electricity and plumbing. The school also provides continuing education courses and dual-enrollment options for high school students.

Set outside Miami in the suburban town of Miami Lakes, Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College offers a dual-learning environment for 1,500 high school students and other learners enrolled in technical education. The school organizes the secondary students into six career academies, including communications and health sciences.

MLEC & TC offers a variety of career and technical programs for adults through open-entry enrollment. One exception to open entry remains the school’s two-year advanced automotive cohort program, where applicants must interview with an instructor. Other automotive programs take 16-20 months to complete. Additionally, students can pursue programs in dental assisting or practical nursing and graduate in 15-28 months.

Prospective students ages 16 and older who are not currently enrolled in high school may apply. Miami Lakes holds accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.

Situated on 106 acres in southwest Orange County, Orange Technical College’s Mid Florida Campus houses several community centers and training centers. OTC-Mid Florida offers career training programs in construction and manufacturing, digital and information technology, health sciences, and hospitality.

OTC offers some high-tech career programs only at the Mid Florida location, such as CAD, drafting, electronic systems, 3D animation, digital cinema production, digital photography, gaming, automotive services, and machining technology. Students can complete these career training programs in 600-1,500 hours, or two years. Learners also receive hands-on learning experiences that directly prepare them for the workplace.

Prospective students should complete an application and take it to campus. OTC-Mid Florida holds accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Council on Occupational Education.

Located next to the Miami International Airport, George T. Baker Aviation Technical College prepares approximately 1,000 secondary and postsecondary students for careers in aviation. The college offers courses in avionics, aviation assembly, and aircraft maintenance and students may earn certificates from the NCATT, FCC, and FAA.

George T. Baker Aviation Technical College's postsecondary programs include a 1,200-hour avionics technician program where students earn a completion certificate. The FAA-approved aircraft maintenance technician program prepares graduates to become entry-level aircraft mechanics. The program includes a one-year general block of instruction and two years of training as an airframe technician or powerplant technician programs. Upon completion, learners qualify to take FAA exams and earn FAA ratings.

Any high school student in the Miami-Dade Public Schools system may dual enroll, and anyone 16 or older not currently in school may also enroll. The school encourages interested students to visit on a weekday to apply. George T. Baker Aviation Technical College holds accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education and the National Center for Aircraft Technician Training.

As the newest of City College’s five campuses, the City College-Hollywood location boasts lab classrooms that simulate the current working conditions of medical professionals. City College-Hollywood also confers six two-year associate of science degrees in fields like business administration, healthcare, and veterinary technology.

Students at this location can train for careers in healthcare including cardiovascular sonography, emergency medical services, and medical assisting and administration. All programs include opportunities for hands-on learning. The school’s vet tech program, for example, includes a 300-hour internship. Students may also select from on-campus or online courses. City College offers instructor-led, interactive online classes with weekly assignments through an online learning platform.

To apply, students must meet with an admissions representative and complete an assessment. City College holds accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.