Florida Community Colleges
Nursing Programs
Compare nursing programs across community colleges in this state. ADN, LPN, and pre-nursing pathways with section counts and transfer details.
10 colleges · 420 sections · 133 unique courses · Fall 2026
Florida community colleges are the most popular launchpad into nursing in the state — 10 FCS institutions offer the coursework and clinical hours required for the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exam, and many graduates step directly into staff-nurse roles at local hospitals without ever attending a four-year school. The associate degree in nursing (ADN) typically takes two years full-time; LPN programs run 12–18 months.
This term, the 420 sections across these 10 colleges span the full nursing pipeline: pre-nursing prerequisites like anatomy and microbiology, the clinical ADN sequence, and bridge-to-BSN pathways for nurses planning to continue toward a bachelor's. Programs vary in clinical site partnerships, NCLEX pass rates, and waitlist length, so it pays to compare each college's awards-per-year and graduate earnings below before choosing where to apply.
Earnings & outcomes for Nursing graduates
Federal College Scorecard data on what graduates of this program actually earn after completion. Where a school’s cohort is too small to publish, we show the national benchmark for the same field of study.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, per-program (4-digit CIP) data. CIP 5138 — Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. School cohorts are suppressed by the federal source when fewer than ~30 completers in the reporting cohort.
Colleges offering Nursing
| College | Sections | Courses | Online | Awards/yr | 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota | 133 | 26 | — | 335 | $77,633 |
| Valencia College | 70 | 25 | 30 | 665 | $82,874 |
| Lake-Sumter State College | 36 | 17 | 16 | 102 | $74,345 |
| Gulf Coast State College | 33 | 20 | — | 208 | $70,993 |
| Pasco-Hernando State College | 33 | 24 | 13 | 239 | $75,321 |
| South Florida State College | 30 | 17 | — | 113 | $79,341 |
| St. Johns River State College | 28 | 20 | — | 205 | $65,893 |
| Northwest Florida State College | 24 | 19 | 9 | 140 | $65,742 |
| The College of the Florida Keys | 19 | 13 | 16 | 81 | $80,004 |
| Indian River State College | 14 | 14 | 10 | 291 | $61,559 |
Nursing Availability Snapshot
How nursing sections are being offered across 10 colleges in Florida this term (420 sections total).
Delivery format
- in person323 (77%)
- online94 (22%)
- hybrid3 (1%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)202
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)50
- Evening (5 PM and after)8
- Asynchronous / TBA160
Start dates
Sections begin on 23 distinct dates. 102 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Instructor diversity
Taught by 121 distinct instructors across 10 colleges.
Common Nursing courses
- NUR 2731LNursing Practice III Lab(16 sections)
- NUR 1730LNursing Practice II Lab(15 sections)
- NUR 2732LNursing Practice IV Lab(12 sections)
- NUR 2731KNursing Practice III App LabDL(11 sections)
- NUR 1023LNursing Practice I Lab(10 sections)
- NUR 1730KNursing Practice II App Lab-EW(10 sections)
- NUR 3125Pathophysiology(10 sections)
- NUR 3145Pharmacology(9 sections)
- NUR 4837Health Care Policy and Economics(9 sections)
- NUR 1023KNursing Practice I App Lab(7 sections)
- NUR 2209LMedical-Surgical Nursing for Adults and Children Clinical II(7 sections)
- NUR 2732KNursing Practice IV App Lab(7 sections)
Career outlook for Nursing graduates
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the primary career outcome of this program (2024 OEWS release). Compare Florida’s typical pay to the national picture before choosing where to study.
Florida's typical pay for this occupation is roughly in line with the national picture.
Wage data reflects all workers in the occupation, not just recent CC graduates — entry-level pay is typically lower. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I become a registered nurse from a community college?
- Yes. An associate degree in nursing (ADN) from any accredited Florida community college qualifies you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam — the same exam BSN graduates take. ADN-prepared RNs work in the same hospitals and earn the same starting wage as BSN-prepared RNs at most Florida employers, though some larger health systems prefer or require a BSN within 5 years of hire.
- How long does the nursing program take?
- The ADN is typically a 2-year full-time program (4 semesters of core nursing courses after prerequisites). Most Florida community colleges expect students to complete 1–2 semesters of prerequisites — anatomy, physiology, microbiology, English, statistics — before applying to the competitive nursing cohort, so the total time from first enrollment is often 3 years.
- Do nursing credits transfer to a bachelor's program?
- Yes. Every FCS ADN program has at least one RN-to-BSN bridge partnership with a four-year university — usually the closest state university. ADN graduates can typically complete the BSN online in 12–18 months while continuing to work as an RN, often with their employer covering tuition.
- What's the demand for nurses in Florida?
- Strong and growing. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% nationally through 2032 — faster than the average occupation — and Florida faces the same aging-population pressure driving demand. Most Florida ADN graduates have job offers before completing the program; rural hospitals and long-term care facilities offer signing bonuses and tuition forgiveness to recruit RNs.
Compare Nursing programs in other states
Same comparison view, different state systems. Useful if you’re considering an out-of-state community college or just want to see how Florida’s nursing programs stack up.
Other programs in Florida
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.