South Florida State College

Community College / Higher Educationsouthflorida.edu

South Florida State College is a public Florida state college operating four campuses across DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties, serving 19,000+ credit-program students and 25,000+ people annually through 70+ associate, baccalaureate, certificate, dual enrollment, adult education, and corporate workforce training programs.

Company typePrivate
Founded1965
HeadquartersAvon Park, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What South Florida State College does

South Florida State College (SFSC) is a public state college established by the Florida Legislature in 1965 and operated as a government state entity under a District Board of Trustees. It serves a legislatively-designated tri-county district (DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties) through four physical campuses (Highlands in Avon Park as the main campus, DeSoto in Arcadia, Hardee in Bowling Green, and Lake Placid), reaching 19,000+ credit-program enrollees and 25,000+ people served annually. The college offers 70+ academic and workforce programs, including three baccalaureate degrees (BAS in Supervision and Management, BSN, and BS in Elementary Teacher Education), Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, college credit and career certificates, dual enrollment for high school students, adult education/GED/ESOL, corporate workforce training, and community education.

The college's technology stack centers on the Brightspace (D2L) learning management system for online and hybrid course delivery, accounting for 32.4% of credit sections, with a mobile app companion. Supporting platforms include the Panther Central student portal, National Student Clearinghouse and Florida Shines for transcript services, Everbridge for emergency notifications, and Interview Exchange for HR/applicant tracking. The college holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation (reaffirmed 10 years in 2022) and is transitioning to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) under a new Florida state law, with HLC site visit scheduled April 13-14, 2026. It maintains program-specific accreditations from ACEN (nursing), ADA/CODA (dental), JRCERT (radiography), CAAHEP (surgical services and EMS), ASE (automotive), Florida Department of Education (teacher education), and Florida Bureau of Fire Standards.

SFSC's business model is that of a public state college: revenue is generated from tuition and fees ($103.04/credit hour in-state, $309.11 out-of-state for 2025-26), Florida state appropriations and performance-based funding, federal financial aid (59% of students, averaging $5,853 in awards), and workforce/corporate training contracts. Distribution occurs directly to consumers through on-campus instruction, the Brightspace distance learning platform, articulation agreements with nine Florida universities (with 64% of AA graduates transferring to Florida institutions), dual enrollment partnerships with local high school districts, and workforce partnerships with regional healthcare, manufacturing, and government employers. The college is governed by an appointed District Board of Trustees and led by President Fred Hawkins (since July 3, 2023).

South Florida State College firmographics

Firmographics

Name: South Florida State College
Legal name: South Florida State College
Website: https://southflorida.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1965
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: South Florida State College is a public Florida state college operating four campuses across DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties, serving 19,000+ credit-program students and 25,000+ people annually through 70+ associate, baccalaureate, certificate, dual enrollment, adult education, and corporate workforce training programs.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

South Florida State College industry classification

Industry

Product category: Community College / Higher Education
NAICS: Junior Colleges (6112), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF), Technical Community Colleges (Applied/CTE-Focused) (EDAHADAD)

Keywords

Community college education
Higher education programs
Workforce training
Associate degree programs
Career technical education

Where South Florida State College is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Avon Park
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

South Florida State College business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and fees for credit programs, including associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificate programs. SFSC is a public state college with in-district, in-state, and out-of-state tuition rates.
State Funding: Public funding from the State of Florida as a state college, including operational allocations and performance-based funding.
Workforce and Corporate Training: Revenue from corporate education programs, professional development courses, and workforce training programs for local businesses and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Per credit hour	In-state associate degree tuition

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

South Florida State College product offering

Product offering

Core offering

South Florida State College is a public state college that delivers post-secondary education and workforce training to residents of DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties in Florida. Its offerings include three baccalaureate degrees (BAS in Supervision and Management, BSN, and BS in Elementary Teacher Education), Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, college credit and career certificates, dual enrollment for high school students, adult education (GED/ABE/ESOL), and customized corporate workforce training. Programs are delivered across four physical campuses and online via the Brightspace LMS, with students supported through the Panther Central portal.

Product overview

South Florida State College is a multi-campus community college offering a comprehensive range of educational programs and services across four campuses (Highlands, DeSoto, Hardee, and Lake Placid). The institution provides a portfolio of educational offerings including three native bachelor's degree programs (BAS-SM, BSN, and BSETE), associate degrees in arts and sciences, technical workforce training certificates, and adult education programs. Students can access services through the Panther Central portal and Brightspace LMS for distance learning. The college serves over 19,000 residents annually through credit programs, non-credit workforce training, corporate education, and community education including performing arts, athletics, and cultural programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management (BAS-SM) A four-year baccalaureate degree program designed for students seeking management and supervisory roles in business and industry, launched under SACSCOC Level II status.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) A four-year baccalaureate nursing program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), preparing students for professional nursing careers.
Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education (BSETE) A four-year baccalaureate program approved by the Florida Department of Education that prepares students for elementary school teaching positions.
Associate in Arts Degree (AA)
Associate in Science Degrees (AS) Career-focused two-year degrees in fields such as Accounting, Business Administration, Automotive, Electronics, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Science, Nursing, and Radiography, many carrying programmatic accreditation.
College Credit Certificates Short-term credential programs in specialized technical areas such as Accounting Applications, Auto Service Technology, Cosmetology, HVAC/R, and Network Security.
Career Certificates Vocational training certificates in fields such as Dental Assisting, Practical Nursing, and Criminal Justice, designed for rapid workforce entry.
Dual Enrollment Program An early college program that allows qualified high school students to earn college credit while completing high school requirements, operated under Florida Statute 1007.271 and 1007.273 in partnership with local school districts.
Adult Education (GED, ABE, ESOL) Adult learning programs including Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED preparation, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), offered with flexible scheduling across the four campuses.
Corporate Education / Workforce Training Workforce training programs for businesses including Allied Health, Business Development, Computer Workshops, Commercial Vehicle Driving, and Technical Education, delivered in partnership with CareerSource Heartland and Florida SBDC at USF.
Distance Learning (Online and Hybrid Courses) Online and hybrid course offerings delivered through the Brightspace learning management system with a companion mobile app; 32.4% of credit sections are delivered through distance learning.

Companies that use South Florida State College

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

South Florida State College technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

South Florida State College partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

University of South Florida (USF FUSE Transfer Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFSC maintains articulation agreements with USF and other Florida universities for seamless transfer of Associate in Arts graduates. The USF FUSE (Florida University System Excellence) program provides guided pathways for SFSC students transferring to USF.
Florida State University, University of Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Florida, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Polytechnic UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine Florida universities receive SFSC Associate in Arts graduates, with 64% of AA graduates transferring to Florida institutions. Articulation agreements facilitate credit transfer and program alignment.
CareerSource HeartlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partnership connecting SFSC students with career services, job placement assistance, and employer connections in the tri-county region.
Florida SBDC at USF (Small Business Development Center)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSFSC hosts the Florida Small Business Development Center at USF, providing local entrepreneurs and businesses access to consulting, training, and business development resources.
Hardee County Industrial Development Authority (IDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership secured a $150,102 USDA Specialty Crop grant to research olive tree cultivation as replacement for lost citrus production. Olive grove established on Highlands Campus with student research involvement.
Hemp4WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit partnership on Florida Industrial Hemp Pilot Project for water bioremediation research. First bio-remediation project using industrial hemp on water in the United States, with SFSC providing research site, lab, and researchers.
Local School Districts (Dual Enrollment)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSFSC partners with high schools in DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties to offer dual enrollment programs allowing high school students to earn college credit.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

South Florida State College competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Indian River State College: Indian River State College is a Florida public state college offering associate, baccalaureate, and technical programs across multiple campuses. Comparable to SFSC in mission and structure, though somewhat larger in enrollment and program breadth.
College of Central Florida: College of Central Florida is a public community college located in Ocala serving a similar mix of rural and small-city populations in central Florida. Directly comparable in size, mission, and student demographics to SFSC.
Florida SouthWestern State College: Florida SouthWestern State College is a public state college in southwest Florida offering associate and baccalaureate degrees with similar workforce and transfer programming. Comparable in scale, geographic setting, and program mix to SFSC.
Lake-Sumter State College: Lake-Sumter State College is a small Florida public state college serving rural and suburban communities with associate and bachelor's programs. Closely matches SFSC's size, multi-campus footprint, and student demographics.
Polk State College: Polk State College is a fellow Florida public state college serving a similar central-Florida region with associate, baccalaureate, and workforce programs. Highly comparable in mission, governance structure, programmatic mix, and student profile to SFSC.
Eastern Florida State College: Eastern Florida State College is a public Florida state college offering associate, baccalaureate, and workforce credentials on Florida's east coast. Comparable in institutional structure and program mix, though somewhat larger and serving a different geographic region.
Florida Gateway College: Florida Gateway College is a small rural Florida state college in Lake City offering associate and bachelor's degrees with workforce emphasis. Highly comparable to SFSC in size, rural setting, and student demographics.
Pasco-Hernando State College: Pasco-Hernando State College is a multi-campus Florida state college serving a similar combination of suburban and rural populations. Matches SFSC in scale, governance structure, and program portfolio.
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota: State College of Florida is a Florida public state college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with strong workforce programming. Closely matches SFSC's institutional evolution from junior college to state college and its reliance on community-based recruitment.

Broad incumbents

Hillsborough Community College: Hillsborough Community College is a much larger Florida public community college serving the Tampa metro area. Provides a useful scale benchmark for what a Florida community college operating model looks like at greater size and urban density.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

South Florida State College compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance9 records

South Florida State College financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

South Florida State College leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

South Florida State College funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

South Florida State College M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Florida State College

What does South Florida State College do?

Is South Florida State College a public or private company?

South Florida State College is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was South Florida State College founded?

South Florida State College was founded in 1965. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is South Florida State College based?

South Florida State College is headquartered in Avon Park, United States, in the North America region.

How does South Florida State College make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are state Funding and workforce and Corporate Training.

Who are South Florida State College's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Indian River State College, College of Central Florida, Florida SouthWestern State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Polk State College, Eastern Florida State College, Florida Gateway College, Pasco-Hernando State College and State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. Hillsborough Community College is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does South Florida State College have an API?

No public API is recorded for South Florida State College.

What industry is South Florida State College in?

South Florida State College's product category is Community College / Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHADAA, Public Community Colleges, with a secondary code of EDAHADAE, Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce). Its NAICS code is 6112 and its SIC code is 8200.