| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public state college in the Florida College System, governed by its own District Board of Trustees; mostly on campus, some programs online |
| Teaching sites | Seven, all in Florida: four in and around Gainesville, plus Archer, Starke and Keystone Heights |
| Credentials | Career certificates (clock hours), college credit certificates, advanced technical certificates, A.S., A.A.S. and A.A. degrees, and bachelor’s degrees (B.S., B.S.N., B.A.S.) |
| Typical length | 165 clock hours (phlebotomy) to 1,800 (automotive); A.S. degrees 60–88 credits |
| Enrollment | 12,758 undergraduates, fall 2024 (IPEDS) |
| Accreditation | Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC), associate and bachelor’s degrees; reaffirmed 2023 |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 tuition and fees | $106.77 per credit for Florida residents, $382.90 for non-residents (lower division) |
| Accredited since | 1968 |
| Facts checked | 8 October 2026 |
A public college for Gainesville and the counties around it
Santa Fe College is a public college in the Florida College System, governed by a local District Board of Trustees and serving Alachua and Bradford counties. Alongside the A.A. transfer degree, the college runs a wide set of career programs: health science degrees with published licensing results, police and corrections academies at the Kirkpatrick Center, and clock-hour trade certificates in welding, HVAC, building maintenance and automotive service on the Northwest Campus. It awards bachelor’s degrees in nursing (for RNs), accounting, early childhood education and several applied fields. A new $16 million automotive training center downtown is due to open in fall 2027.
Career programs at Santa Fe College
Santa Fe College’s career certificates are measured in clock hours; A.S. degrees and college credit certificates in semester credits. The table shows the main career programs from the college’s program pages (checked October 2026). Costs are the college’s own estimates for the whole program, which it says are subject to change; a dash means the source gave no figure.
| Program | Credential and length | Schedule and entry | Where | Accreditation or approval | Exam result | College’s cost estimate, FL resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | A.S., 72 credits | 3.5 semesters after prerequisites; points-based; evening/weekend track | Northwest | ACEN | NCLEX-RN 92.8% (2024) | about $14,393 |
| RN-to-BSN | B.S.N., 30 upper-division nursing credits | Online, 7-week terms; RN licence required | Online | CCNE, through June 2029 | – | $4,493 |
| Practical Nursing | Career certificate, 1,350 hours | 12 months, Mon–Fri 8–4:30 | Northwest | Florida Board of Nursing approval | Not published | $5,520 |
| Radiography | A.S., 77 credits | 20 months; weekday days | Northwest | JRCERT, next review 2030 | ARRT 100% (2026); 97% over five years | $12,252 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | A.S., 80 credits | 5 semesters; clinicals across Florida | Northwest | CAAHEP | – | $13,447 |
| Respiratory Care | A.S., 76 credits | 5 semesters (day) or 6 (evening/weekend) | Northwest | CoARC, next review 2029 | RRT 91% (2025) | $13,418 |
| Surgical Services | A.S., 64 credits | 4 semesters; Mon–Fri 6 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | Northwest | CAAHEP (ARC/STSA) | CST 81.8% (2025) | about $11,055 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | A.S., 74 credits | 4 semesters; Mon–Fri 8–4:30 | Northwest | CAPTE, next review 2032 | NPTAE 100% (2025) | $13,306 |
| Dental Hygiene | A.S., 88 credits | 5 semesters with prerequisites | Northwest | CODA | – | $17,984 |
| Phlebotomy | Career certificate, 165 hours | 1 semester; not aid-eligible | Perry Center and clinical sites | – | ASCP optional | about $872 |
| EMT | 12 credits (320 hours) | 1 semester; fall, spring, summer starts | Alachua County; Andrews Center | – | NREMT 93% (2025) | $3,327 |
| Paramedic | 43 credits | 3 semesters, cohort | – | CAAHEP (CoAEMSP) | NREMT 91.3% (2024) | about $8,700 |
| Law Enforcement Officer | Career certificate, 770 hours | 2 semesters at 40 hours a week; age 19+ | Kirkpatrick Center | – | State officer exam 99% (2025) | $4,850.15 |
| Correctional Officer | Career certificate, 445 hours | Age 18+; not aid-eligible | Kirkpatrick Center | – | State officer exam 100% (2025) | $2,940.39 |
| Welding Technology | Career certificate, 1,050 hours | 3 semesters; age 16+ | Northwest (Cellon Institute) | AWS-accredited test facility | AWS certified-welder test | $4,412 |
| HVAC/R Technology | Career certificate, 1,350 hours | 3 terms, fall start | Northwest (Cellon Institute) | – | EPA refrigerant exam | $4,649 |
| Building Maintenance and Management | Career certificate, 960 hours | 3 terms | Northwest (Cellon Institute) | – | – | $3,398 |
| Automotive Service Technology | Career certificate, 1,800 hours | 6 terms; age 16+ with driver’s licence | Northwest | ASE Education Foundation, Master | – | about $5,557 |
The college also teaches cybersecurity, networking, programming, information systems, graphic design, digital media, accounting, office administration, paralegal studies, healthcare management and early childhood education as A.S. degrees, shorter certificates or bachelor’s degrees. Electrical, plumbing, carpentry, HVAC and building maintenance apprenticeships are career certificates for workers with a sponsoring employer. A new 1,800-hour Diesel Systems Technician certificate is listed, with ASE medium/heavy truck accreditation still to be sought, so ask when the first class starts.
What the main programs cover
Nursing, from practical nurse to bachelor’s
Santa Fe College has a nursing route at each level. Practical Nursing is a 1,350-hour, 12-month career certificate held on weekdays from 8 to 4:30 and leading to the NCLEX-PN. The Nursing A.S. is 72 credits over three and a half semesters after prerequisites, about half of it in clinical settings, with a points-based admission, an evening/weekend track and a bridge for licensed practical nurses. Registered nurses can then take the online B.S.N. in seven-week terms; two of its courses each carry 45 practice hours.
Imaging: radiography and sonography
Radiography is a 77-credit, five-semester A.S. lasting 20 months, with clinical rotations in Gainesville and Lake City, and it prepares students for the ARRT registry exam. Diagnostic Medical Sonography is an 80-credit, five-semester A.S. covering abdomen-extended and OB/GYN scanning, with clinical placements that can be anywhere in Florida. Both are limited-access programs with their own application. Registered technologists can add advanced certificates such as Computed Tomography, and the college also teaches Nuclear Medicine Technology and cardiovascular sonography.
Therapy and surgical programs
The Physical Therapist Assistant A.S. is 74 credits, 47 of them in the PTA core, over four semesters on a weekday 8-to-4:30 schedule. Respiratory Care is 76 credits, taken in five day semesters or six on an evening and weekend schedule, and prepares students for the CRT and RRT credentials. Surgical Services is 64 credits over four semesters, on a weekday schedule from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and prepares students for the Certified Surgical Technologist exam. PTA and Respiratory Care say they meet licensure requirements for Florida only.
Police and corrections academies
The Institute of Public Safety trains recruits at the Kirkpatrick Center. The Law Enforcement Officer academy is 770 contact hours over two semesters at 40 hours a week; recruits must be at least 19, U.S. citizens with no felony record, and pass the CJBAT, a physical and a drug test. The Correctional Officer academy is 445 hours and open from age 18. Both prepare recruits for the Florida State Officer Certification Exam. Police officers can add corrections certification through a crossover course.
Trades at the Cellon Institute
The Ralph W. Cellon Jr. Institute for Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing on the Northwest Campus houses three career certificates that need no high school diploma. Welding Technology is 1,050 hours over three semesters, ending with an AWS certified-welder test, at a college that is an AWS-accredited test site. HVAC/R Technology is 1,350 hours over three terms with the EPA refrigerant exam. Building Maintenance and Management is 960 hours with a heavy plumbing focus, plus electrical, HVAC and carpentry.
2026-27 tuition and paying for it
Florida colleges have no in-district rate, only resident and non-resident prices. Santa Fe College’s rates for 2026-27 are:
| 2026-27, per credit | Florida resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Lower division (A.A., A.S., A.A.S., college credit certificates) | $106.77 | $382.90 |
| Upper division (bachelor’s degrees) | $126.33 | $428.83 |
| Career certificates (clock hours), per semester hour | $76.20 | $290.70 |
A full-time year of 24 lower-division credits comes to about $2,563 for a Florida resident and $9,190 for a non-resident, according to the college’s 2026-27 cost of attendance. Lab fees are extra, and online courses add $10 per credit. Program totals in the table above run from about $872 for phlebotomy to $17,984 for dental hygiene for Florida residents.
The college takes federal financial aid. In 2023-24, 68% of full-time first-year students received aid and 46% of all undergraduates received grants (IPEDS). Named awards include the Whiting-Turner Construction and Technical Education Scholarship (HVAC, automotive, construction management, plumbing and welding) and the Boone Bussard Welding Scholarship. Veterans are referred to the college’s veterans office.
Open admission, with limited-access programs
The college is open admission for the A.A. and most programs. Nursing, Radiography, Sonography, Surgical Services, Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Care, Dental Hygiene, EMT, Paramedic, Graphic Design and Digital Media take separate applications with their own deadlines.
- HVAC, Welding, Automotive, Building Maintenance and the Nursing Assistant certificate do not require a high school diploma. Welding and Automotive accept students from age 16; Automotive also needs a driver’s licence.
- The police academy requires age 19, U.S. citizenship, the CJBAT, no felony record, a physical and a drug test; the corrections academy starts at age 18.
- Graphic Design admits about 15 students each fall and spring, with no summer start.
- General education classes run in the day and evening at the Andrews and Davis centers.
Accreditation and results
Santa Fe College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges and Universities, the name SACSCOC took on 1 September 2026, to award associate and bachelor’s degrees. Its accreditation was last reaffirmed in 2023, the next review is due in 2033, and the accreditor’s record shows no sanctions.
Program accreditors named by the college include ACEN (Nursing A.S.), CCNE (B.S.N.), JRCERT (Radiography), CAAHEP (Sonography, Surgical Services and Paramedic), CoARC (Respiratory Care), CAPTE (Physical Therapist Assistant), CODA (Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting) and the ASE Education Foundation (Automotive). Practical Nursing is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing.
| Measure | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN, first-time pass | 92.8% (141 of 152) | 2024; Nursing A.S. program page |
| ARRT radiography registry, first attempt | 100% (25 of 25); 97% over five years (108 of 111) | 2026; Radiography program page |
| NPTAE (physical therapist assistant) | 100% first-time | 2025; PTA program page |
| RRT (respiratory therapy) | 91%; CRT 100% | Class of 2025; Respiratory Care program page |
| Certified Surgical Technologist | 81.8% (18 of 22) | Class of 2025; Surgical Services program page |
| NREMT, EMT first attempt | 93% | 2025; EMT program page |
| NREMT, paramedic | 91.3% | 2024; Paramedic program page |
| Florida State Officer Certification Exam | Police 99%; corrections 100% | 2025; academy program pages |
| Graduation rate | 53%, plus 19% who transferred out | First-time full-time students who started in fall 2018, within 150% of normal time; IPEDS |
The college does not publish an NCLEX-PN pass rate for Practical Nursing. In fall 2024 it had 12,758 undergraduates, 47% of them full-time (IPEDS).
Before you enroll
- Most health programs are limited access, with their own applications and deadlines, and many need weekday daytime availability: Physical Therapist Assistant and Radiography run 8 to 4:30 and Surgical Services from 6 a.m. Nursing and Respiratory Care have evening and weekend options.
- The Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Care and Dental Hygiene programs say they meet licensure requirements for Florida only. If you may work in another state, check its rules first.
- The college’s weakest published numbers: Nursing A.S. on-time completion was 61.7% in 2023–24, below the program’s 65% benchmark; only 57.14% of the 2025 PTA class graduated; and Surgical Services completion was 64.7% in 2025.
- The Criminal Justice Technology A.S. does not certify you as an officer; that takes the separate Kirkpatrick academy. The B.S.N. is only for nurses who already hold an RN licence, and the electrical, plumbing and carpentry apprenticeships need a sponsoring employer before you can start.
- Federal aid does not cover the Correctional Officer academy or Phlebotomy (scholarships are offered for both), and students without a high school diploma in the trade certificates may not qualify for aid.
Housing: off campus or with parents
We found no campus housing at Santa Fe College, and its 2026-27 cost of attendance assumes students live off campus or with their parents. Dental hygiene students train at the college’s own Santa Fe Dental Clinic.
What students say
On Niche, Santa Fe College averages 4.0 out of 5 from about 1,620 reviews (checked 8 October 2026); 73% give four or five stars. Reviewers most often praise caring, approachable professors, small classes, and an affordable route to transfer to a larger university. The most common complaints are slow financial aid, little student life outside class, limited healthcare courses in the A.A. track, and few bachelor’s options in some majors. These are college-wide reviews rather than reviews of a particular career program, and Niche shows only approximate dates, so we could not check whether reviews were invited or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked 8 October 2026: Santa Fe College locations · Santa Fe College accreditation · Commission on Colleges and Universities · Tuition and fees · 2026-27 cost of attendance · Health Sciences programs · College Navigator (IPEDS) · Niche reviews
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing (A.S.; also evening/weekend track)
- Nursing Bridge for LPNs (A.S.)
- RN-to-BSN (B.S.N.; online; licensed RNs only)
- Practical Nursing (career certificate)
- Nursing Assistant (career certificate)
Health Sciences
- Radiography (A.S.)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography; Cardiovascular Sonography; Invasive Cardiovascular Technology (A.S.)
- Respiratory Care (A.S.)
- Surgical Services (A.S.)
- Sterile Processing Technology (college credit certificate)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (A.S.)
- Dental Hygiene (A.S.); Dental Assisting (career certificate)
- Phlebotomy (career certificate; Perry Center)
- Health Information Technology (A.S.; online)
- Medical Coding and Revenue Specialist (college credit certificate)
- Health Services Management (A.S.); Health Services Administration (B.A.S.)
- Medical Laboratory Science (B.A.S.; Perry Center)
Public Safety
- Law Enforcement Officer academy (career certificate; Kirkpatrick Center)
- Correctional Officer academy (career certificate; Kirkpatrick Center)
- Emergency Medical Technician (Alachua County and Andrews Center)
- Paramedic
- Criminal Justice Technology (A.S.)
Skilled Trades
- Welding Technology; Advanced Welding Technology (career certificates)
- HVAC/R Technology (career certificate)
- Building Maintenance and Management (career certificate)
- Electrical, Plumbing, Carpentry, HVAC and Building Maintenance apprenticeships (sponsoring employer required)
- Construction Management Technology (A.S.)
- Engineering Technology, Advanced Manufacturing (A.S.)
Automotive and Diesel
- Automotive Service Technology (career certificate)
- Automotive Service Management Technology (A.A.S.)
- Diesel Systems Technician (career certificate; new, ask for start date)
Technology
- Information Systems Technology (B.A.S.; Network, Programming and Security concentrations)
- IT Security (A.S.); Network Security (certificate)
- Network Systems Technology (A.S.) and networking certificates
- Programming and Analysis (A.S.) and programming certificates
- Computer Information Technology (A.S.); help desk and IT support certificates
Design and Media
- Graphic Design Technology (A.S.)
- Digital Media Technology (A.S.)
- Theatre and Entertainment Technology (A.S.)
Business and Legal
- Accounting (A.S. and B.S.)
- Organizational Management (B.A.S.)
- Business Administration; Applied Business Analytics (A.S.)
- Office Administration (A.S.); Office Specialist (certificate)
- Paralegal Studies (A.S.)
Education
- Early Childhood Education (A.S. and B.S.)
- Director Credential and FCCPC
Campus Locations
Gainesville, FL 3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606
Gainesville, FL 530 W. University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601
Gainesville, FL 3737 NE 39th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32609
Gainesville (Alachua), FL 14180 NW 119th Terrace, Alachua, FL 32615
Gainesville (Archer), FL 17500 SW Archer Road, Archer, FL 32618
Starke, FL 209 W. Call Street, Starke, FL 32091
Keystone Heights, FL 4150 State Road 21, Keystone Heights, FL 32656