| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public college in the Florida College System; campus-based, with about half of all credit hours taught online |
| Locations | 4 in Southwest Florida: Lee Campus (Fort Myers, main), Collier Campus (Naples), Charlotte Campus (Punta Gorda) and the Hendry/Glades Curtis Center (LaBelle) |
| Credentials | Associate (AA, AS), bachelor’s (BS, BAS), college credit certificates, an advanced technical certificate and a career certificate |
| Programs | About 27 AS degrees, 6 bachelor’s degrees and about 35 certificates |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission, initial accreditation granted 6 November 2025 (associate and bachelor’s levels) |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| Cost (2025-26) | $113.36 per credit with fees for Florida residents (lower division); $432.63 for non-residents |
| Students | 15,765 in fall 2025; 20,611 over the 2025-26 year |
| Founded | 1962, as Edison Junior College; current name since 2014 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
FSW: a public state college for Southwest Florida
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is a public college in the Florida College System, with its main campus in Fort Myers, campuses in Naples and Punta Gorda, and a smaller center in LaBelle. It was founded in 1962 as Edison Junior College, named for Thomas Edison, opened its first campus in 1965, began awarding bachelor’s degrees in 2008 as Edison State College, and took its current name in 2014.
Its limited-access career programs are mainly in health sciences and public safety: nursing, dental hygiene, radiography, respiratory care, physical therapist assistant, cardiovascular technology, paramedic, EMT and fire science. Business, computer and paralegal programs are largely online, and online courses produced 50.6% of all credit hours in 2025-26. Fall 2025 enrollment was 15,765. In November 2025 the Higher Learning Commission granted FSW initial accreditation.
Career programs at FSW, and where they meet
FSW’s program index lists about 27 AS degrees, 6 bachelor’s degrees, one advanced technical certificate and about 35 certificates. The table covers the main career programs. The only whole-program prices in the table are FSW’s paramedic and fire academy estimates, and FSW also posts a cost-of-attendance sheet for the AS Nursing; most students pay by the credit (see costs below).
| Program | Credential | Length / starts | Where | Accreditation / exam | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AS, 72 credits | 4 semesters of nursing core | Lee, Collier, Charlotte; Day or Evening/Weekend track | ACEN; NCLEX-RN | – |
| Dental Hygiene | AS, 88 credits | 2 years; fall start | Lee only | CODA; NBDHE | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AS, 74 credits | 14 months; January start; 25 seats | Charlotte only | CAPTE; NPTE | – |
| Radiologic Technology | AS, 77 credits | 22 months; fall start | Lee; clinicals in three counties | JRCERT; ARRT | – |
| Respiratory Care | AS, 76 credits | 22 months; fall start | Lee; clinicals in three counties | CoARC; NBRC | – |
| Cardiovascular Technology | AS, 77 credits | 2 years; 26 seats each fall | Clinicals at Southwest Florida hospitals | CAAHEP (invasive); RCIS | – |
| Health Information Technology | AS, 70 credits | 5 semesters, including summer | Online, plus in-person placements | CAHIIM; RHIT | – |
| Medical Assisting Specialist | Certificate, 44 credits | 3 semesters; fall and spring starts | Charlotte | NHA CPT, CET, CCMA | – |
| EMT | Certificate, 12 credits | 1 semester | Lee (Mon/Wed) or Collier (Tue/Thu) | NREMT | – |
| Paramedic | Certificate, 42 credits | 4 semesters (15½ months) | Lee, or North Collier Fire Training Center | CAAHEP (CoAEMSP); Florida Bureau of EMS approved | About $9,600 resident, $23,000 non-resident (college estimate) |
| Fire Fighter I/II | Career certificate, 492 hours | 7 months; 3 starts a year | North Collier Fire Training Center, Naples; evenings and Saturdays | State of Florida Firefighter II exam | About $5,200 plus $350 application fee (college estimate) |
| Paralegal Studies | AS | – | Online, with a local law-office internship | ABA-approved; NALA Certified Paralegal | – |
| Architectural Design and Construction Technology | AS, 64 credits | About 2 years | Online and on campus | – | – |
| Civil Engineering Technology | AS, 64 credits | About 2 years | Online and on campus | No ABET accreditation claimed | – |
| Elementary Education | BS, 120 credits | – | Blended and online | Florida K-6 certification (FLDOE-approved) | – |
Programmatic accreditation, as FSW lists it: ACEN for the AS Nursing (continuing accreditation, April 2026), CODA for Dental Hygiene (next site visit February 2029), CAPTE for Physical Therapist Assistant, JRCERT for Radiologic Technology (eight-year award), CoARC for Respiratory Care (program 200317), CAAHEP for Cardiovascular Technology and Paramedic, CAHIIM for Health Information Technology, and ABA approval for Paralegal Studies. The Elementary Education BS is approved by the Florida Department of Education.
Cardiovascular Technology, an invasive-cardiology AS that prepares students for the RCIS exam, admits 26 students each fall. An online BS in Nursing (limited enrollment) and an online BS in Cardiopulmonary Sciences extend the health degrees.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (AS)
The 72-credit AS combines 16 general-education credits, 14 program-specific credits and a 42-credit nursing core taken over four fall and spring semesters. It is taught at the Lee, Collier and Charlotte campuses on a Day track (Monday to Friday) or an Evening/Weekend track with blended coursework, and clinicals can be scheduled on days, evenings or weekends. Applicants take the TEAS and need a background check, drug test, immunizations, TB screening and BLS certification. LPNs licensed within the last three years can enter through an 11-credit advanced-placement block.
Dental Hygiene (AS)
The degree is at least 88 credits on a two-year course plan, and one cohort starts each August. All core courses and the student clinic are at the Lee Campus, so students must be able to attend in Fort Myers. Applications for the August 2027 class are accepted from 1 September to 15 December 2026. Graduates take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and then a state board exam. FSW reports a 92% retention rate over the same 31 years as its pass-rate record.
Physical Therapist Assistant (AS)
The 74-credit degree runs three and a half semesters, about 14 months, and is taught only at the Charlotte Campus in Punta Gorda. It takes 25 students a year, with one start each January, and admission is through a separate application. Graduates sit the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTA licensure. FSW’s program page lists outcomes as “coming soon”, so no pass or employment rates had been published when we checked in October 2026.
Radiologic Technology and Respiratory Care (AS)
Both are full-time, 22-month degrees that start each fall at the Lee Campus and send students to clinical sites in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, so students need transport across the region. Radiologic Technology is at least 77 credits and leads to the ARRT radiography exam. Respiratory Care is 76 credits and leads to the NBRC credentialing exams; its program page still calls the Lee Campus by its old name, Edison Campus. Both need a separate application on top of college admission.
EMT and Paramedic
The 12-credit EMT certificate fits into one semester: 90 lecture hours, 120 lab hours, 18 hours of hospital clinicals and 72 hours of ambulance ride time, on Mondays and Wednesdays at Lee or Tuesdays and Thursdays at Collier. Spring 2027 classes start 11 January and summer classes 10 May 2027. Florida EMT certification is then the entry requirement for the 42-credit Paramedic certificate, which runs four semesters at the Lee Campus or at a satellite section at North Collier Fire Training Center Station 45. The EMS Technology AS combines the EMT and Paramedic certificates with further degree coursework.
Fire Fighter I/II
The 492-hour career certificate takes about seven months and is taught at the North Collier Fire Training Center, 1885 Veterans Park Drive, Naples, a fire district site. Classes meet Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 10 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm, outside weekday working hours. Starts in 2027 are 12 January, 17 April and June. Completers are eligible for the State of Florida Firefighter II exam, which follows the NFPA 1001 standard. The Fire Science Technology AS is a separate, limited-access degree.
Tuition by the credit, and how students pay
FSW charges by the credit hour. The rates below come from the college’s cashier page, which gives no effective date; their base tuition matches the Florida Department of Education’s 2025-26 fee report (the state’s totals leave out FSW’s $2 parking fee), so we label them 2025-26. Confirm the 2026-27 rates with FSW before you budget.
| Per credit hour, tuition plus fees (2025-26) | Florida resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Lower division (AA, AS, college credit certificates) | $113.36 | $432.63 |
| Upper division (BS, BAS) | $125.71 | $795.34 |
| Career certificate (e.g. Fire Fighter I/II) | $84.85 | $333.34 |
| Online sections | add $17 | add $17 |
At these rates 30 lower-division credits cost about $3,401 for a Florida resident and $12,979 for a non-resident, before books and program fees. Online sections add $17 per credit. FSW estimates about $9,600 for residents and $23,000 for non-residents for the Paramedic certificate, and about $5,200 plus a $350 non-refundable application fee for Fire Fighter I/II. FSW takes federal student aid, and Florida residents can also use state aid such as Bright Futures and the Florida Student Assistance Grant. Niche puts the average net price at $8,356 a year (checked October 2026).
Open admission, with separate applications for health and public safety programs
FSW admits students openly. Limited-access programs need a supplemental application on top of admission: Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Cardiovascular Technology, EMT, Paramedic and EMS, Fire Science, Health Information Technology, Medical Assisting and Medical Information Coder/Biller. Several take one cohort a year: Dental Hygiene and Cardiovascular Technology start in fall, Physical Therapist Assistant in January.
Schedules vary. About half of all credit hours are taught online. Nursing has Day and Evening/Weekend tracks; EMT meets Monday and Wednesday at Lee or Tuesday and Thursday at Collier; the fire academy meets on weekday evenings and Saturdays. Radiologic Technology is full-time, and Medical Assisting is a full-time cohort program.
Accreditation and results
The Higher Learning Commission granted FSW initial accreditation on 6 November 2025, at the associate and bachelor’s levels, on its Standard Pathway; the next full HLC evaluation is due in 2029-30. FSW’s 2026-27 catalog names HLC as its institutional accreditor. FSW participates in NC-SARA for online students in other states.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| AS Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 93.90% (77 of 82) | January to March 2026 (December 2025 graduates), Florida Board of Nursing |
| AS Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 94.47% | 2024, FSW outcome data |
| AS Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 69.51% | 2023, FSW outcome data |
| AS Nursing, on-time completion (within 4 semesters) | 67.15% and 68.4% | 2024-25 and 2023-24 graduates, FSW outcome data (FSW benchmark 80%) |
| Dental Hygiene, NBDHE pass rate | 99.8% | 31 consecutive years, FSW program page |
| Cardiovascular Technology | RCIS pass 100%, positive placement 93.55%, retention 53.45% | 2021-2023, FSW program page |
| Health Information Technology | Retention 81%; RHIT pass and employment 100% of those reporting | 2025-26, FSW program page |
| Three-year graduation rate | 33.0% (605 of 1,832) | First-time, full-time associate-seeking students entering fall 2023, FSW Institutional Research |
FSW’s graduation rate counts students who graduate in any way within three academic years, so it is not the federal 150%-time rate. FSW publishes no pass or employment figures on the program pages for Respiratory Care, Physical Therapist Assistant or Medical Assisting.
Before you enroll
- Some programs are based at one site: Dental Hygiene (only at Lee), Radiologic Technology and Respiratory Care at Lee, Physical Therapist Assistant at Charlotte, and the fire academy at the North Collier Fire Training Center. We found no career program based at the LaBelle center.
- Nursing results have been uneven: the first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate fell to 69.51% in 2023 before recovering to 94.47% in 2024, and on-time completion was 68.4% for 2023-24 graduates and 67.15% for 2024-25 graduates, below FSW’s own 80% benchmark.
- The Medical Assisting Specialist page names no programmatic accreditor. The AAMA’s CMA exam requires a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program, so ask FSW which exams graduates can take before you enroll.
- Architectural Design and Construction Technology is a drafting degree, and Civil Engineering Technology claims no ABET accreditation. Neither leads to an architect’s or engineer’s license.
- FSW’s program index lists no practical nursing (LPN), dental assisting or basic-recruit police academy program.
Four locations: what each teaches
| Location | Address | Programs based here |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Campus (main) | 8099 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33919 | Dental Hygiene (only here), Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Paramedic, AS Nursing, EMT (Mon/Wed) |
| Collier Campus | 7505 Grand Lely Dr, Naples, FL 34113 | AS Nursing, EMT (Tue/Thu); fire academy and a paramedic section at the nearby North Collier Fire Training Center |
| Charlotte Campus | 26300 Airport Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 | Physical Therapist Assistant (only here), Medical Assisting Specialist, AS Nursing |
| Hendry/Glades Curtis Center | 1092 E Cowboy Way, LaBelle, FL 33935 | General-education and outreach credit classes; we found no career program based here |
FSW Online is a delivery mode, not a campus. Corporate & Community Education shares the Lee Campus address. Lee produced 32.9% of credit hours in 2025-26, Collier 9.7%, Charlotte 4.2% and Hendry/Glades 2.6%.
Clinicals, internships and next steps
Work experience is built into several programs: clinical rotations in Lee, Collier and Charlotte county hospitals for Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care and Cardiovascular Technology; 70 hours of practice placements in Health Information Technology; 72 hours of ambulance ride time for EMT; and a required law-office internship in Paralegal Studies. Of FSW’s 3,345 graduates in 2024-25, 30.1% were continuing at FSW and 15.9% at Florida Gulf Coast University a year later, according to the college.
What students say
On Niche, Florida SouthWestern State College is rated 3.87 out of 5 from 1,852 reviews, with an overall grade of B− and an acceptance rate of 100%, as expected at an open-admission college (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise approachable professors invested in student success, low cost and a wide range of courses, tutoring and advising help, and the flexibility of online classes; some mention calm campuses with outdoor study space. The most common complaints are inconsistent academic advising and advisor turnover, a thin social life at a commuter college, and weak athletics and recreation facilities. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: FSW program index · 2026-27 catalog · HLC November 2025 actions · FSW tuition costs · AS Nursing outcome data · Florida Board of Nursing, Q1 2026 RN results · FSW graduation data · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing (AS, RN)
- Nursing (BS, online)
Health Professions
- Dental Hygiene
- Radiologic Technology
- Respiratory Care
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Cardiovascular Technology
- Health Information Technology
- Medical Information Coder/Biller
- Medical Assisting Specialist
- Advanced Medical Assisting
- Cardiopulmonary Sciences (BS, online)
Public Safety
- Fire Fighter I/II
- Fire Science Technology
- Fire Officer Supervisor
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Paramedic
- Emergency Medical Services Technology
- Public Safety Administration (BAS)
Criminal Justice & Law
- Criminal Justice Technology
- Crime Scene Technology
- Homeland Security Specialist
- Paralegal Studies (ABA-approved)
- Real Estate Paralegal
Business
- Accounting Technology
- Business Administration and Management
- Business Analytics
- Business Entrepreneurship
- Supply Chain Management
- Logistics and Transportation Management
- Supervision and Management (BAS)
Computers and IT
- Computer Programming and Analysis
- Network Systems Technology
- Cybersecurity Operations
- Information Technology Support Specialist
- Information Systems Technology (BAS)
Drafting and Engineering Technology
- Architectural Design and Construction Technology
- Civil Engineering Technology
- Science and Engineering Technology
Education
- Elementary Education (BS)
Campus Locations
Fort Myers, FL 8099 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33919
Naples, FL 7505 Grand Lely Dr, Naples, FL 34113
Punta Gorda, FL 26300 Airport Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
LaBelle, FL 1092 E Cowboy Way, LaBelle, FL 33935