Educational Options in Florida Choosing a college is a major decision. Understanding what is important to the student is the first step. Then it’s time to do some research. What are the school’s acceptance and graduate rates? Are unique study programs available? How much will it cost? What’s the campus like? And that’s just the start … To provide your family with some starting knowledge, we created the Florida Education Guide, a true resource for comparing and contrasting Florida’s post-secondary educational options. Begin your journey to learning more about Florida’s colleges, universities an ..read more

Florida’s State Colleges are the primary point of access to higher education in Florida, with 65% of the state’s high school graduates pursuing postsecondary education at one of these 28 colleges. Virtual tours of all the colleges are available on the Florida College System website. DATA KEY: Enrollment: Total undergraduates, Fall 2022. Tuition/Fees: Lower Division, per credit hour for Florida residents, Fall 2022. Florida State Colleges are open access institutions that generally do not have strict application deadlines. However, specific deadlines do apply to certain academic programs. Conta ..read more

The following is a sampling of nonpublic, postsecondary educational institutions licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education. A complete list is available at www.fldoe.org/cie.   * Non-profit COSMETOLOGY / MASSAGE American Institute of Beauty Largo, St. Petersburg Aveda Institute Brandon, Clearwater, Davie, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee Bene’s Career Academy New Port Richey, Brooksville, Spring Hill Boca Beauty Academy Boca Raton, Parkland Cortiva Institute Orlando, Pompano Beach, St. Petersburg Empire Beauty Schools Lauderhill, Lakeland, Tampa, West Palm Beach Flori ..read more

Florida’s 30 not-for-profit, private schools offer programs offered on main campuses, at more than 100 satellite sites and through more than 500 online degree programs. All are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools. DATA KEY: Enrollment: Full-time undergraduates, Fall 2022. Accepted: Percentage of first-time-in-college applicants admitted, Fall 2022. Tuition/Fees: One academic year, Fall 2022-23. Room/Board: Double occupancy dorm room and meal plan for one year, 2022-23. Deadline: Fall term. Data provided by ICUF. AdventHealth University Orlando | (407) 303-7742 ..read more

These nonpublic educational institutions hold a license from the Florida Commission for Independent Education. Schools with enrollment less than 200 are not included. Go to www.fldoe.org/cie for a complete list. *Non-profit Ana G. Mendez University System* Orlando, South Florida, Tampa Art Institute of Tampa* Tampa Baptist College of Florida* Graceville Chamberlain University Jacksonville, Miramar City College* Fort Lauderdale, Altamonte Springs, Gainesville, Hollywood, Miami Columbia College* Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Orlando DeVry University Jacksonville, Miramar, Orlando ..read more

The State University System includes 12 universities making it the second-largest public university system in the nation. DATA KEY: Enrollment: Undergraduates, Fall 2022. Tuition/Fees: For new undergraduate Florida resident at main campus per credit hour, Fall 2023. Room/Board: Double occupancy dorm room and meal plan for one academic year, 2023-24. Accepted: Percentage of first-time-in-college applicants admitted, Fall 2022. Deadline: Application deadline for Fall 2024 term; special financial aid and housing deadlines are listed first. Sources: State University System of Florida; FloridaShine ..read more

I had a very special insight into your lives this year: my own kiddo was a high school senior. As we faced the whole “What are you going to do with your life?” scenario, we had arguments and moments of total agreement; exciting explorations and frustrating setbacks; and a whole mess of deadlines, score reports, applications, and frantic phone calls. It made me appreciate in a new way just how complicated and overwhelming your senior year can be. So as we started thinking about this issue, it was really important to me that we try to provide a whole range of options for what comes next after hi ..read more

Tom McGuirk has worked as a Level 3 IT professional for Sarasota County for nearly twenty years, but he got his start as an aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Army. What’s the connection? “I graduated [from high school] by the skin of my teeth,” laughs McGuirk. He started working at a local fitness center, where he met a lot of interesting people, many of whom had been in the service. It started to seem like a calling. McGuirk signed up for the U.S. Army, earning his first-choice assignment in aviation. After six months of training school, he was sent to Korea, where he not only got invaluable expe ..read more

“Creativity and communication.” That’s how Marketing and Communications Manager Veronica Matthews fits together the many and varied pieces of her career puzzle. “When I look back, I see that every experience has informed where I am now,” says Matthews. She started in homeschool, which allowed her to pursue an early career in professional theater and dual-enroll in St. Petersburg College. She graduated with a diploma and an associate’s degree at the same time. Next stop? University of South Florida in St. Petersburg. Matthews was “absolutely certain” that she would become a news anchor, but jus ..read more

Support analyst George Argiropoulos has heard every joke in the book when it comes to working in IT. In fact, he’s cracked most of them himself. His sense of humor and easygoing nature suit him well in customer-facing jobs, and he loves the sense of accomplishment that he gets when he solves a problem for someone and makes their day. His interest in customer service started early. In grade school, Argiropoulos was a gamer and avid reader of Nintendo Power magazine, whose toll-free hotline he frequently called. “This was before the internet,” he laughs. “They had guides and would walk you throu ..read more