| Type | Public college in the Florida College System, governed by a District Board of Trustees; campus, hybrid and online classes |
|---|---|
| Locations | 4 campuses and 3 centers in Jacksonville and Yulee, plus the Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Center and the Advanced Technology Center; all in Florida |
| Credentials | Career certificates (clock hours), technical certificates, associate degrees (A.S., A.A.S.), bachelor’s degrees (B.S.N., B.A.S., B.S.), non-credit workforce courses |
| Program length | Workforce courses 5–10 weeks; career certificates about 2 to 24 months; A.S. degrees 64–88 credits |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC (associate and bachelor’s degrees), accredited since 1969; next review 2029 |
| Federal aid | Yes (Title IV); 43% of undergraduates received Pell Grants in 2023–24; cohort default rate 0.0% (2021 cohort) |
| Founded | 1965 as Florida Junior College; Florida Community College at Jacksonville from 1986; FSCJ since 2009 |
| Students | 23,556 undergraduates (Fall 2024) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
About Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) is a public college in the Florida College System, run by a District Board of Trustees. It opened as Florida Junior College in the mid-1960s, became Florida Community College at Jacksonville in 1986 and took its current name in 2009.
For trade-school students, FSCJ’s draw is price. Clock-hour career certificates such as welding, HVAC and practical nursing cost $2.92 an hour for Florida residents, so the 1,050- to 1,400-hour trade certificates come to about $3,000–$4,100 in tuition. It also runs an FAA Part 147 aviation maintenance school and a pilot degree at its Cecil Center, and police and corrections academies at the Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Center. Most health programs are A.S. degrees, and many publish licensing-exam results.
Career and technical programs at FSCJ
The table shows FSCJ’s main career programs. Costs marked FSCJ are the college’s own estimates from its program pages (October 2026); unmarked costs are FSCJ’s published course prices. Costs marked * are our calculation of in-state tuition only, at $104.88 per credit or $2.92 per clock hour; fees, books, uniforms and tools are extra. FSCJ also offers other associate and bachelor’s degrees not listed here.
| Program | Credential (length) | Where taught | Exam / accreditation | In-state cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | A.S., 72 credits | North, Deerwood, Nassau | NCLEX-RN; ACEN | about $7,551* |
| Nursing Bridge (LPN or paramedic to RN) | A.S. | Ask FSCJ | NCLEX-RN | – |
| Bachelor of Science in Nursing | B.S.N., 120 credits; RN required by 2nd term | Online | ACEN | about $12,586; under $4,000 with an RN (FSCJ) |
| Practical Nursing | Career certificate, 1,350 hours | Ask FSCJ | NCLEX-PN | about $3,942 (FSCJ) |
| Nursing Assistant | Workforce, about 5 weeks | North | Florida CNA exam | $1,228 |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Workforce, 170 hours | Online + Deerwood labs | NHA CPT | about $1,458 |
| Medical Assisting | Career certificate; 900 or 1,300 hours (FSCJ pages differ); 8–12 months | Kent, Deerwood | RMA (AMT) | – |
| Dental Assisting | Career certificate, 1,230 hours (10 months) | North | DANB CDA; CODA | about $3,592* |
| Dental Hygiene | A.S., 88 credits | North | NBDHE and Florida exams; CODA | about $9,229* |
| Surgical Services | A.S., 64 credits | Ask FSCJ | CST; CAAHEP | about $6,712* |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | A.S., 74 credits | Ask FSCJ | NPTE; CAPTE | about $7,761 (FSCJ) |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | A.S., 74 credits | Ask FSCJ | NBCOT; ACOTE | about $10,955 total (FSCJ) |
| Radiography | A.S., 77 credits; Fall start | Ask FSCJ | ARRT | about $8,076* |
| Respiratory Care | A.S., 76 credits | Ask FSCJ | CRT/RRT; CoARC | about $7,971* |
| Cardiovascular Technology | A.S., 77 credits | Nassau | CAAHEP | about $8,076 (FSCJ) |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | A.S., 76 credits | Ask FSCJ | ASCP; NAACLS | about $7,971* |
| Health Information Technology | A.S., 70 credits | Online | RHIT; CAHIIM | about $7,342* + online fee |
| Funeral Services | A.S., 72 credits | Online + North labs | National Board; ABFSE | about $7,551 (FSCJ) |
| EMT / Paramedic | T.C., 12 / 42 credits | North | NREMT | about $1,259 / $4,405* |
| HVAC | Career certificate, 1,350 hours (12 months day, 24 evening) | Downtown | EPA Section 608 | $3,942 (FSCJ) |
| Electricity | Career certificate, 1,200 hours (8 months day) | Downtown | Journeyman pathway | $3,504 (FSCJ) |
| Welding Technology | Career certificate, 1,050 hours (8 months day, 16 evening) | Downtown | AWS 3G tests | about $3,066 (FSCJ) |
| Automotive Collision Technology | Career certificate, 1,400 hours; Fall start | Ask FSCJ | ASE B2–B5 areas | about $4,088* |
| Aviation Maintenance (A&P) | Technical certificates; A.S. | Cecil | FAA A&P exams; Part 147 school | – |
| Professional Pilot Technology | A.S., 64 credits; about 250 flight hours | Cecil | FAA R-ATP at 1,250 hours | Ask FSCJ |
| Commercial Vehicle Driving | Career certificate, 320 hours (8 weeks) | Cecil | Class A CDL | about $934*; no federal aid |
| Cosmetology / Barbering | Career certificates, 1,200 / 900 hours | North (cosmetology) | Florida board licences | about $3,504 / $2,628* |
| Law Enforcement Academy | Career certificate, 770 hours | Criminal Justice Center | State Officer Certification Exam | about $2,248* + about $700 extras |
| Firefighter | Career certificate, 492 hours | South | Florida Firefighter I/II | about $1,437*; full through Summer 2027 |
| Legal Studies (Paralegal) | A.S., 64 credits | Kent | ABA-approved | about $6,712* |
| Culinary Arts | T.C., 35 credits | Downtown | ACF Education Foundation competencies | about $3,671* |
FSCJ’s Pharmacy Technician certificate was scheduled to be inactivated at the end of Summer 2026, with no new students from Fall 2026, and the Medical Assisting Advanced A.S. is listed as inactive. Some programs had no open seats when we checked in October 2026: Firefighter classes were full through Summer 2027 and the full-time day Electricity cohort was closed (an evening cohort was planned for Fall 2026). The Massage Therapy Academy page still said its 2024 cohort was full, so ask about current dates.
What the main programs cover
HVAC
The HVAC certificate is 1,350 clock hours taught in Building B at the Downtown Campus. Day students attend Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. and finish in about 12 months; the evening schedule takes about 24 months. Training leads to EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification. The certificate articulates into FSCJ’s Industrial Management Technology A.S., so the hours can count toward a degree later. Applicants who lack the CASAS basic-skills exit scores need to reach them or qualify for a waiver.
Welding Technology
The welding certificate is 1,050 clock hours, also in Building B at the Downtown Campus. Full-time day students finish in about 8 months; evening students take about 16. The program builds toward the American Welding Society’s 3G test series. Like FSCJ’s other clock-hour trade programs, classes run Monday to Thursday. Career certificate students must reach CASAS basic-skills exit scores or get a waiver.
Practical Nursing
The Practical Nursing certificate is 1,350 clock hours, with classes Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting in the Summer term. Applicants take the HESI A2 entrance exam and the CASAS basic-skills test, and health programs require a background check, drug screen and immunizations. The program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing and leads to the NCLEX-PN. FSCJ’s program page does not name the campus, so ask where the next cohort meets.
Dental Assisting
Dental Assisting is a 1,230-hour certificate taken full time over 10 months, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students train in the college’s dental clinic at North Campus, which also serves the Dental Hygiene program. The program is CODA accredited (approval without reporting requirements) and prepares graduates for the DANB Certified Dental Assistant exam. It is a limited-access program, with applications due by 15 May.
Law Enforcement Academy
The academy is 770 hours at the Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Center on Capper Road: about 5.5 months by day or about 11 months at night. Applicants pass the COBAT, a physical abilities test, a polygraph and a medical exam, and attendance must be 100%. Graduates sit Florida’s State Officer Certification Exam. FSCJ says to budget about $700 on top of tuition for the application, background checks, polygraph and uniforms.
Commercial Vehicle Driving
The CDL certificate is 320 clock hours over 8 weeks, Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Cecil Center. Students prepare for the Class A commercial driver’s licence and test through a third-party tester authorized by Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). The program is not eligible for federal financial aid, so plan how to pay before applying.
Cost and paying for it
FSCJ charges by the credit or by the clock hour, and in-state rates have not changed since 2018–19:
| Tuition (FSCJ tuition page, checked Oct 2026) | Florida resident | Out-of-state | Out-of-state online / eligible Georgia residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate degrees and technical certificates (per credit) | $104.88 | $401.27 | $218.55 |
| Bachelor’s degrees (per credit) | $116.52 | $401.27 | $227.09 |
| Career certificates (per clock hour) | $2.92 | $11.69 | $5.84 (Georgia residents) |
On top of tuition, online courses carry a $15-per-credit distance-learning fee, the application fee is $25 ($80 for international students), and lab fees vary by course. Federal data (College Navigator) put 2024–25 tuition and fees for a full year at $2,878 in-state and $9,992 out-of-state. For example, at these rates a 72-credit Nursing A.S. costs about $7,551 in tuition for a Florida resident and about $28,891 for an out-of-state student, and the 1,050-hour welding certificate about $3,066 against $12,275.
FSCJ takes part in federal student aid; 7,546 students (43% of undergraduates) received Pell Grants in 2023–24, and its cohort default rate was 0.0% for the 2021 cohort. Not every program qualifies: Commercial Vehicle Driving, Correctional Officer and the non-credit workforce courses (such as nursing assistant, phlebotomy and home health aide) are not eligible for financial aid. Veterans can get help at the Military & Veterans Service Centers at Kent and South campuses.
Admissions and schedules
FSCJ has open admission to the college, but many career programs are “limited access” or “selective access”, with their own applications and deadlines; Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene and Radiography applications are due by 15 May. Career certificates require CASAS basic-skills exit scores or a waiver, and some, such as Barbering, require a high school diploma or GED. Health programs require a background check, drug screen and immunizations; Practical Nursing adds the HESI A2. The criminal justice academies require the COBAT, a physical abilities test, a polygraph and a medical exam. Cosmetology, Barbering and the Law Enforcement Academy require 100% attendance.
Classes run by day, evening and weekend, as well as hybrid and online. Clock-hour trade programs meet Monday to Thursday, and many have evening versions that take about twice as long. The Nassau Center began a Weekend College in Spring 2026.
Accreditation and results
FSCJ is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and bachelor’s degrees, and has been since 1969; College Navigator lists its next review in 2029. Florida has pushed for a new accreditor, the Commission for Public Higher Education (reported by WLRN in July 2026); we found no sign that FSCJ has left SACSCOC. Many health programs also hold programmatic accreditation (ACEN, CODA, CAAHEP, CAPTE, ACOTE, CoARC, NAACLS, CAHIIM, ABFSE), and the paralegal program is ABA-approved.
FSCJ publishes licensing-exam results on its program pages. The figures below are as FSCJ reports them (checked October 2026):
| Program | Exam | Pass rates reported by FSCJ | Other published results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing A.S. | NCLEX-RN | 92.1% (2024) | On-time completion 2022–23: 78.7% traditional, 89.5% bridge |
| Practical Nursing | NCLEX-PN | 88.89% (2023), 84.62% (2024), 91.07% (2025) | – |
| Dental Hygiene | NBDHE | 100% each year, 2020–2025 | Completion 86% (2025); employment 100% |
| Radiography | ARRT | 88% (2022), 82% (2023), 100% (2024) | Completion 78%, 89%, 81%; employment 95–100% |
| Respiratory Care | CoARC high-cut (3-year) | 72% (2024), 84% (2025), 90% (2026) | Completion 95% (2025), 91% (2026) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | NPTE | 100% (2023–24 and 2024–25) | Graduation 81.2% (2023), 40% (2024), 80% (2025) |
| Surgical Services | CST | 57% (2021), 82% (2022), 38% (2023), 61% (2024), 43% (2025) | Placement 100%, then 90% in 2025 |
| Cardiovascular Technology | Credentialing exams | Invasive 100%, 73%, 86%; adult echo 100%, 100%, 84% (2023–2025) | 2025 completion/placement: 71% invasive, 79% echo |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | ASCP | 83% (2023), 100% (2024), 80% (2025) | Graduation averages 97%; placement 98% |
| Health Information Technology | RHIT | 100% (2022–2025) | Completion and employment 100% |
| Funeral Services | National Board (Arts / Sciences) | 56/75% (2023), 79/88% (2024), 93/80% (2025) | Graduation 83% (2025); 79% employed in funeral service |
| Paramedic | NREMT | 87.5% (2024 annual report) | Retention 65.4%; positive placement 94.1% |
Across the whole college, 37% of first-time, full-time students who started in Fall 2018 graduated within 150% of normal time, and another 16% transferred out (College Navigator).
Before you enroll
- Open admission gets you into FSCJ, not into a health program. Nursing admission is selective, and Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene and Radiography are limited-access programs with applications due by 15 May.
- Surgical Services graduates pass the CST exam at low and uneven rates: 43% in 2025, and between 38% and 82% in each year from 2021 to 2024. Ask the program what it is doing about it.
- Seats can be scarce. Firefighter classes were full through Summer 2027 and the full-time day Electricity cohort was closed when we checked, and the Pharmacy Technician certificate no longer takes new students.
- Several short, low-cost programs are not covered by financial aid: CDL, Correctional Officer and the non-credit courses (CNA, phlebotomy, home health aide) must be paid for some other way.
- FSCJ’s own pages disagree on the Medical Assisting certificate (900 or 1,300 clock hours), so confirm the hours and schedule for your start date.
Career help, externships and veterans’ services
FSCJ’s Career Development office offers career advising and job-search help. Several programs build work experience into the credential: the Paralegal A.S. includes a 180-hour internship, Medical Assisting a 190-hour externship and Central Sterile Processing 180 to 400 clinical hours. Military & Veterans Service Centers are at Kent and South campuses.
What students say
On Niche, FSCJ has 2,440 reviews averaging 3.81 out of 5, with an overall Niche grade of C+ (checked October 2026). GradReports has 50 reviews; 33% said their career prospects improved and 34% would recommend FSCJ.
- Praised: low cost, flexible online, hybrid and evening classes, supportive faculty, and a good route to transferring to a university.
- Criticized: confusing advising and financial aid (including students losing aid under academic-progress rules), slow replies by phone and email, registration and student-portal problems, and in nursing, a rigid 80% exam threshold and limited clinical placements; some reviewers found faculty unresponsive.
We could not check the review dates, so we cannot say whether reviews were invited or posted in bursts.
Sources
FSCJ tuition and fees · FSCJ catalog: campuses · Campus tours (programs by campus) · FSCJ certificates · FSCJ A.S. programs · Catalog accreditation statement · College Navigator · Niche reviews (all checked October 2026)
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing (A.S., RN)
- Nursing Bridge for LPNs and Paramedics (A.S.)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (online, RN required)
- Practical Nursing (career certificate)
- Nursing Assistant (CNA, workforce)
- Home Health Aide (workforce)
Allied Health
- Medical Assisting (career certificate)
- Phlebotomy Technician (workforce)
- Dental Assisting (career certificate)
- Dental Hygiene (A.S.)
- Surgical Services (A.S.)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (A.S.)
- Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.S.)
- Radiography (A.S.; degree completion option)
- Respiratory Care (A.S.)
- Cardiovascular Technology (A.S.)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography (A.S.)
- Medical Laboratory Technology (A.S.)
- Health Information Technology (A.S., online)
- Medical Information Coder/Biller (T.C., online)
- Central Sterile Processing Technologist (T.C.)
- Funeral Services (A.S.)
Emergency Services and Law
- Emergency Medical Technician (T.C.)
- Paramedic (T.C.)
- Firefighter (Fire Academy of the South)
- Law Enforcement Academy
- Correctional Officer
- Public Safety Telecommunicator
- Legal Studies / Paralegal (A.S.; Advanced Technical Certificate)
- Florida Private Investigator (workforce)
Skilled Trades
- HVAC (career certificate)
- Electricity (career certificate)
- Welding Technology (career certificate)
- CNC Machinist/Fabricator (T.C.)
- Building Construction (A.S.)
- Architectural Design (A.S.)
- Interior Design (A.S.)
Automotive, Aviation and Transportation
- Automotive Service Management Technology (A.A.S.)
- Automotive Service Technician (T.C.)
- ADAS Technician (T.C.)
- Automotive Collision Technology (career certificate)
- Aviation Maintenance, Airframe and Powerplant (T.C.)
- Aviation Maintenance Management (A.S.)
- Professional Pilot Technology (A.S.)
- Air Traffic Control
- Commercial Vehicle Driving (Class A CDL)
Cosmetology and Culinary
- Cosmetology
- Barbering
- Culinary Arts (T.C.)
- Culinary Management (A.S.)
Business, IT and Design
- Supply Chain (A.S.)
- Logistics (B.A.S.)
- Real Estate Sales Associate pre-licensing (workforce, online)
- IT Security (A.S.)
- Network Systems (A.S.)
- Computer Programming (T.C.)
- Web Development (T.C.)
- Graphic Design Production (T.C.)
Education and Arts
- Early Childhood Education (A.S. and bachelor's)
- Theatre & Entertainment Technology (A.S.)
Campus Locations
Jacksonville, FL (Downtown Campus) 101 W. State St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Jacksonville, FL (Kent Campus) 3939 Roosevelt Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32205
Jacksonville, FL (North Campus) 4501 Capper Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32218
Jacksonville, FL (Criminal Justice Center) 4715 Capper Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32218
Jacksonville, FL (South Campus) 11901 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Jacksonville, FL (Deerwood Center) 9911 Old Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Jacksonville, FL (Cecil Center) 5640 POW-MIA Memorial Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32221
Yulee, FL (Nassau Center) 76346 William Burgess Blvd, Yulee, FL 32097
Jacksonville, FL (Advanced Technology Center) 401 W. State St, Jacksonville, FL 32202