Most of the colleges in Florida are near the central part of the state or on the eastern coast. Like most other states, schools range from four year colleges to vocational schools. Let’s look at some NCES stats about the Sunshine State:
- Florida is home to 173 four year colleges. The majority of them, 68%, offer masters or doctorate programs in addition to undergraduate degrees.
- There are 218 two year or less colleges. Only 53 of them are public community colleges.
- Over the past 5 years Florida colleges have seen a small 7.2% drop in students. In 2017, 1,071,484 students were enrolled in college.
- In total, there were 240,683 degrees awarded for the 2016 school year. That is the 4th most in the nation. 43% of those awards were bachelor's degrees.
Salary Breakdown
College Scorecard tells us alums from the University of Miami earn among the highest average salary. 10 years after starting school, the average alum earns $60,100. Meanwhile, the 2018 mean annual wage earned in Florida is $46,010. You do the math!
Florida's Tuition Programs
There are multiple tuition savings options in Florida. The state offers 5 options for a prepaid tuition plan. As a resident you select which type of degree and which type of school your child is likely to attend. You then make monthly payments calculated to when your child will finish college.
The Florida College System also provides for a state wide transfer agreement between Florida Colleges and it's 4 year universities. Once you have earned an associate in arts degree, transfer to one of the 12 state universities to earn a bachelors degree and retain all of the credits you have earned.
Florida is also a member of the Academic Common Market. This tuition savings plan is offered when a desired degree is not offered by a college in that state. Students can enroll in an out of state college that offer their degree program and pay the school's in state tuition rate. Member states include nearby states Georgia and Alabama.
Top Florida colleges were ranked by total student population.
Thousands of students have rated these Colleges in Florida. Discover what they have to say. Find out about campus life, academics and more!
Source for school statistics and data is the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.