| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit career college; campus-based and hybrid programs, none fully online |
| Campuses | 2, both in Florida: West Palm Beach (main) and Fort Lauderdale (branch) |
| Credentials | Associate degree in nursing and diplomas |
| Program length | 10 to 24 months |
| Accreditation | ACCSC (a 5-year renewal effective March 2023 is listed for the Fort Lauderdale branch); the nursing degree holds ACEN initial accreditation at both campuses |
| Federal aid | Yes, since 2016 |
| Cost | Projected totals of $18,000 to $56,835 for the four main programs, effective 1 September 2026; the enrollment agreement lists $5,000 for Optometric Technician |
| Students | 218 undergraduates, 95 of them full-time (IPEDS, 2024-25) |
| Founded | 1993, as Health Career Institute; renamed HCI College in 2019 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
HCI College: a for-profit nursing and health-careers college in South Florida
HCI College is a private, for-profit career college that trains nurses and allied-health workers at two campuses in South Florida. It opened in 1993 as Health Career Institute, teaching American Heart Association courses to physicians, nurses and EMS providers. It added its associate degree in nursing in 2013 and became eligible for federal student aid in 2016. A branch opened in Lauderdale Lakes in 2017 and moved to Fort Lauderdale in 2019, the year the school took the name HCI College.
Federal IPEDS data for 2024-25 count 218 undergraduates, 95 of them full-time. All five programs open for enrollment are taught on campus or in a hybrid format; none is fully online. HCI says its licensure and certification programs meet educational requirements only in Florida.
Five programs at HCI’s two Florida campuses
HCI awards one degree, the Associate Degree in Nursing, and four diplomas. Lengths and formats are from the school’s program pages and its 2026-27 enrollment agreement, which lists Practical Nursing at both campuses.
| Program | Credential | Size and length | Delivery | Where | Prepares for | Projected total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree in Nursing | Associate degree | 72 credits; 24 months, or as little as 16 on the full-time track with transfer credit | General education online; nursing classes on campus by day or evening, plus clinicals | Both campuses | NCLEX-RN | $56,835 |
| Practical Nursing | Diploma | 46 credits, 1,350 clock hours; 16 months | On campus, with clinical rotations | Both campuses | NCLEX-PN | $22,540 |
| Medical Assisting | Diploma | 36 credits, 855 clock hours; 10 months | Hybrid: 2 days online, 2 on campus; 180-hour externship | Both campuses | NHA CCMA; eligible for NHA CPT and CET | $18,000 |
| Veterinary Assisting | Diploma | 35 credits, 720 clock hours; 10 months | Hybrid: 2 days online, 2 on campus; 180-hour externship | Both campuses | No exam named | $19,000 |
| Optometric Technician | Diploma | 32.5 credits, 720 clock hours; 10 months | On campus, Mon–Thu 6–10 pm; 180-hour externship | Fort Lauderdale only | No exam named | $5,000 (as listed in the 1 September 2026 enrollment agreement) |
Only the nursing degree holds programmatic accreditation, from ACEN. HCI also teaches non-credit American Heart Association courses such as BLS. Its veterinary program trains assistants, not veterinary technicians, and it no longer offers the EMT, paramedic or substance abuse counseling programs it once promoted.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree in Nursing
The 72 credits split into 30 general education credits, taken online, and 42 nursing credits, for 1,485 clock hours. Nursing lectures and labs meet on campus one day a week, with a two-day option, and students spend one to three more days a week in clinicals or simulation. The 575 clinical hours cover medical-surgical, pediatric, mental health and maternal-newborn nursing at South Florida hospitals, extended-care facilities and outpatient offices. Shifts run 8 to 12 hours and can fall early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends, and students arrange their own transport. Online tutoring is included.
Practical Nursing
The diploma now takes 16 months over four semesters, with 46 credits and 1,350 clock hours; until recently it ran 12 months. Coursework covers medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, medication administration, pediatric and obstetric nursing and long-term care, with clinical rotations and simulation. Materials and uniforms are included. Applicants need a TEAS composite of at least 40 (or a qualifying HESI A2 score or an associate degree), a Florida Level II background check, a 10-panel drug screen, a physical with titers and vaccinations, and an American Heart Association BLS card.
Medical Assisting
Students take one course a month for 10 months, 36 credits and 855 clock hours in all, spending two days a week online and two on campus. The program ends with a 180-hour externship, capped at 40 hours a week. Graduates sit the National Healthcareer Association’s Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam on campus and are eligible for the association’s phlebotomy (CPT) and EKG (CET) exams. A tablet, books and uniforms are included. Applicants must also pass HCI’s Student Assessment for Distance Education.
Veterinary Assisting
This 10-month diploma of 35 credits and 720 clock hours uses the same pattern of two days online and two on campus each week. The program ends with a 180-hour externship under a licensed veterinarian or a credentialed veterinary technician. HCI names no certification exam for graduates. Applicants pass the same distance-education assessment as medical assisting students, and HCI says they can enroll up to the Monday before a start.
Optometric Technician
HCI added this diploma in 2026, and it is taught only at the Fort Lauderdale campus. Classes meet in the evening, Monday to Thursday from 6 to 10 pm, for 10 months, totalling 32.5 credits and 720 clock hours, and the program ends with a 180-hour externship. HCI names no certification exam for it. Like HCI’s other programs, it requires a high school diploma or an equivalent for admission.
Cost: one projected total per program
HCI publishes one projected total for each program, the same at both campuses, with no in-state or out-of-state rates. The figures below are from its enrollment agreement dated 1 September 2026. They assume full-time, continuous enrollment, include books or e-books, required materials and uniforms (plus a tablet for Medical and Veterinary Assisting), and exclude the application fee. The $5,000 Optometric Technician total is the figure listed in the 1 September 2026 agreement; it is far below the other diplomas, so confirm it with HCI before enrolling.
| Program (effective 1 September 2026) | Rate | Projected total | Application fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree in Nursing | $645 per general education credit (30); $892.50 per nursing credit (42) | $56,835 | $50 |
| Practical Nursing | $490 per credit (46) | $22,540 | $50 |
| Veterinary Assisting | – | $19,000 | $50 |
| Medical Assisting | – | $18,000 | $50 |
| Optometric Technician | – | $5,000 | $100 |
The nursing degree’s projected total rose from $55,050 in the May 2026 agreement, when a nursing credit cost $850. The agreement does not state the cost of the background check, drug screen, physical or vaccinations.
HCI takes federal student aid and also lists Florida Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid and ION Tuition, an in-school payment plan. Its scholarships page offers $1,000 to nursing graduates who pass the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt after testing within 45 days of receiving their authorization to test, and lists FAPSC Foundation and mikeroweWORKS scholarships without amounts. HCI says it accepts VA benefits for qualified applicants and military tuition assistance, and considers credit for military training.
The school’s net price calculator estimates the cost after grants.
Admission requirements and schedules
Every applicant signs an application and enrollment agreement, shows photo ID, makes payment arrangements and has a high school diploma or an equivalent: a GED, an accredited associate degree or higher, or qualifying transfer credit. The diplomas in medical and veterinary assisting add a distance-education assessment. Practical Nursing requires a TEAS composite of at least 40 plus the health and background checks listed above. The nursing degree requires a TEAS composite of at least 50 (or a HESI A2 score, an associate degree or a current Florida LPN licence), minimum SmarterMeasure scores, a physical, a BLS card and acknowledgement of the background check and drug screen.
The nursing degree runs day and evening classes; medical and veterinary assisting combine two online days with two campus days; Optometric Technician meets on weekday evenings.
Accreditation, NCLEX results and completion
HCI is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). ACCSC’s 27 August 2025 public notice lists a five-year renewal of accreditation, effective March 2023, for the Fort Lauderdale branch. The Florida Commission for Independent Education licenses both campuses, and the Florida Board of Nursing approves the nursing programs.
The Associate Degree in Nursing holds initial accreditation from ACEN at both campuses: West Palm Beach from May 2023 and Fort Lauderdale from July 2024, according to HCI’s 2026-27 catalog.
HCI’s own Consumer Information Guide, published in October 2026, gives these NCLEX-RN pass rates for its nursing graduates, measured against the Florida Board of Nursing’s benchmark. It does not say whether they are first-time rates, and we found no independent copy.
| NCLEX-RN pass rate | West Palm Beach | Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85.71% (meets the Florida benchmark) | 56.52% (below the benchmark) |
| 2024 | 94% (meets the benchmark) | 70.59% (24-month track) and 69% (20-month track), both below the benchmark |
The same guide reports a 40% NCLEX-PN pass rate for Fort Lauderdale’s practical nursing graduates in 2025, who took the earlier 12-month version of the program. West Palm Beach has reported no practical nursing results.
Completion is low. Of nursing degree students who started in 2023, 13% at West Palm Beach and 14% at Fort Lauderdale finished on time. Of those who started between April 2021 and March 2022, 30% to 40% finished within 150% of the program’s length, and 81% to 96% of those graduates who were available for work were employed in the field. In medical and veterinary assisting, 33% to 73% of 2023 starters finished within 150% of the program’s length, and 70% to 90% of graduates available for work were employed in the field. These completion and placement figures are also from HCI’s Consumer Information Guide, which draws them from the school’s annual reports to ACCSC.
A federal class action over the nursing exit exam
In December 2022, nursing students filed a proposed class action against HCI in the federal court for the Southern District of Florida. They allege that an exit-exam policy HCI introduced kept most students from sitting the NCLEX-RN, and they seek debt cancellation, refunds and an injunction. In January 2024 the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss in full, so the case continued; that ruling did not decide whether the allegations are true. The students’ lawyers keep a case page with the filings. We could not confirm the case’s current status.
Before you enroll
- Fort Lauderdale’s NCLEX-RN pass rate was below the Florida benchmark in 2024 and again in 2025, when it was 56.52%, according to HCI’s own figures. Florida law ties two consecutive years below the benchmark to Board of Nursing probation; we could not confirm whether the Board has acted.
- Few nursing degree students finish on time: 13% to 14% of 2023 starters did. Ask how progression and exit-exam rules work before you sign.
- HCI says its licensure programs meet educational requirements only in Florida, so check with the licensing board if you plan to work in another state.
- Veterinary Assisting and Optometric Technician name no certification exam, and Veterinary Assisting does not qualify graduates as veterinary technicians.
- Nursing clinical shifts run 8 to 12 hours, can fall early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends, and students must get themselves to clinical sites.
Two campuses: West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale
| Campus | Address | Programs taught there |
|---|---|---|
| West Palm Beach (main) | 1764 North Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33409 | Associate Degree in Nursing, Practical Nursing, Medical Assisting, Veterinary Assisting |
| Fort Lauderdale (branch) | 1201 W. Cypress Creek Rd., Suite 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | Associate Degree in Nursing, Practical Nursing, Medical Assisting, Veterinary Assisting, Optometric Technician (evenings) |
The catalog lists additional space for the main campus at 1760 North Congress Ave., Suite 101, and 1756 North Congress Ave., 2nd floor; these are part of the West Palm Beach campus, not separate locations.
Tutoring and exam help
Nursing degree students get 24/7 online tutoring through Tutor.com, faculty and peer tutoring, and TEAS preparation. Medical assisting students take the CCMA exam on campus. HCI offers no student housing.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN, prepares for the RN licence)
- Practical Nursing (diploma, prepares for the LPN licence)
Allied Health
- Medical Assisting (diploma, hybrid)
- Optometric Technician (diploma, Fort Lauderdale, evenings)
Veterinary
- Veterinary Assisting (diploma, hybrid)
Short courses
- American Heart Association courses such as BLS (non-credit)
Campus Locations
West Palm Beach, FL 1764 North Congress Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Fort Lauderdale, FL 1201 W. Cypress Creek Rd., Suite 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309