| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public college in the Florida College System, governed by a local district board of trustees; campus-based, with some courses and the RN-to-BSN online |
| Campuses | 3, all in Florida: Bradenton (main), Lakewood Ranch (Sarasota postal address) and Venice |
| Credentials | Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, bachelor’s degrees (BS, BAS, BSN), college credit and advanced technical certificates, noncredit workforce training |
| Typical length | Health AS degrees 72-88 credits, about two years; certificates shorter |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the new name of SACSCOC since 1 September 2026; programmatic ACEN, CODA, ACOTE, CAPTE and JRCERT |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| Cost | Associate courses $102.48 per credit for Florida residents, $386.52 for non-residents (2026-27) |
| Students | 8,750 undergraduates, 4,896 of them part-time (Niche, from federal data; data year not stated; checked October 2026) |
| Facts checked | 10 October 2026 |
SCF: a public Florida college for Manatee and Sarasota counties
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, usually called SCF, is a public college in the Florida College System. It is governed by a local district board of trustees and serves Manatee and Sarasota counties from three campuses: Bradenton, the main campus, plus Lakewood Ranch and Venice. Besides the Associate in Arts transfer degree, the college awards career Associate in Science degrees, college credit certificates and bachelor’s degrees in education, nursing, management, health services administration and public safety. In health it offers an ACEN-accredited nursing degree and four other programmatically accredited health degrees, each with its own limited-enrollment application. In March 2025 the SCF Coding Academy was expanded and renamed the SCF Advanced Technology Center, which runs noncredit coding bootcamps and industry-certification training.
Career programs at SCF, and where they are taught
SCF’s program pages list all three campuses on almost every program, so the table names a campus only where a department or campus page places the program there. Program estimates are SCF’s own whole-program figures for Florida residents, from its cost sheets and program pages.
| Program | Credential | Length and starts | Where | Accreditation / exam | SCF’s program estimate, Florida resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (ASN) | AS, 72 credits | Day cohorts start spring and fall | Venice, Lakewood Ranch | ACEN; NCLEX-RN | – |
| Nursing Transition for LPNs | AS, 72 credits (10 awarded for the LPN) | 12 months; summer start | – | ACEN; NCLEX-RN | – |
| RN-to-BSN | BSN | 5-week terms; nursing courses over 4 semesters | Online, for Florida RNs | ACEN | $112.08 per credit (rates table, no year shown) |
| Dental Hygiene | AS, 88 credits | 24 months; summer start | Bradenton (Building 2) | CODA; National Board, ADEX, Florida Laws and Rules | $19,745.74 (2026-27) |
| Radiography | AS, 77 credits | 24 months; summer start | Bradenton (Building 2) | JRCERT; ARRT | $11,397.21 (2026-27) |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AS, 74 credits | About 21 months; fall start | Bradenton (Building 28) | ACOTE; NBCOT | $8,675.56 (2025-26 estimate) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AS, 74 credits | 5 semesters; fall start | Bradenton | CAPTE; NPTAE | $11,338.52 (program page, undated) |
| Engineering Technology | AS; 4 certificates | – | Venice (hub) | – | – |
| Construction Management Technology | AS | – | Venice (hub) | – | – |
| Paralegal/Legal Assisting | AS, 64 credits; advanced technical certificate | – | – | Not ABA-approved; National Legal Assistant Certification Exam | – |
| Fire Science Technology | AS | Scheduled for working firefighters | – | No firefighter academy | – |
| Network Systems Technology | AS; 4 certificates | – | – | CompTIA Academy Partner | – |
| Cybersecurity Operations | AS; 2 certificates | – | – | – | – |
| Software Development | AS; 2 certificates | – | – | – | – |
Programmatic accreditation, as SCF lists it: ACEN for the ASN and for the BSN (the BSN’s status is continuing accreditation), CODA for Dental Hygiene (approval without reporting requirements), ACOTE for Occupational Therapy Assistant, CAPTE for Physical Therapist Assistant (through 30 June 2035) and JRCERT for Radiography (an 8-year award). Other career degrees include Business Administration, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality & Tourism, Health Services Management, Criminal Justice Technology, Filmmaking, Music Production, Graphic Design Technology and Early Childhood Education.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (ASN) and the LPN transition
The ASN is 72 credits: 14 prerequisite, 16 general-education and 42 nursing credits. Before applying, students need Anatomy and Physiology I and II, ENC 1101 and STA 2023, a 3.0 GPA in prerequisite and program courses, and a TEAS 7 total of at least 65%, with no more than two attempts a year. Clinical placements are in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Licensed practical nurses can instead take the 12-month Nursing Transition, a day program that starts each summer and takes 32 nursing credits.
Dental Hygiene
Dental Hygiene runs for 24 consecutive months from a summer start, in Building 2 on the Bradenton campus, where students treat patients in a 16-unit clinic. Applications are taken from 1 to 31 January, and the program admits about 18 students from 80 to 125 applicants, with no waitlist. Graduates sit the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, the ADEX regional board and the Florida Laws and Rules exam. SCF’s 2026-27 estimate includes $4,000 for an instrument kit and loupes and $1,700 for the state and national exams.
Radiography
Radiography runs for 24 consecutive months from a summer start, with classes in Building 2 at Bradenton and clinical rotations at hospitals that include Blake Medical Center, Manatee Memorial, Sarasota Memorial-Venice, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. Applicants must attend a mandatory online information session and apply between 1 and 31 January, by 4 p.m. on the deadline. Hospital-trained technologists already registered with the ARRT can earn the AS through an articulated track.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
The OTA degree is full-time only and taught in person in Building 28 at Bradenton. It runs about 21 months: four 16-week semesters plus a 4-week June course, starting once a year in fall. Students complete Level I fieldwork and then two 8-week Level II placements. Applications are open from 1 March to 1 June and include an interview. Graduates are eligible for the NBCOT certification exam, and SCF reports a 95% graduation rate for the class of 2024.
Physical Therapist Assistant
The PTA degree is 74 credits over five semesters, split 13, 15, 15, 17 and 14 credits, starting each fall at Bradenton. It is full-time, and the clinical placements are full-time too, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applications are open from 1 March to 1 June. Graduates sit the National Physical Therapy Assistant Exam administered by the FSBPT. CAPTE issued the program’s current accreditation on 29 April 2025, running to 30 June 2035.
Tuition and how students pay
Florida colleges charge one resident rate, so there is no separate in-district price. The 2026-27 Radiography and Dental Hygiene cost sheets confirm the associate rates below. SCF’s tuition page gives the bachelor’s rates without a year and says rates are subject to annual increases.
| Per credit | Florida resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Associate (lower-division) courses, 2026-27 | $102.48 | $386.52 |
| Bachelor’s (upper-division) courses, current rates table (no year shown) | $112.08 | $442.08 |
At 24 credits a year, a Florida resident pays about $2,460 for associate courses and about $2,690 for bachelor’s courses. SCF’s 2024-25 cost-of-attendance page shows a much higher upper-division figure that matches the non-resident associate total, so use the per-credit rates. That page’s full-time budget for a resident associate student is $20,918 living at home and $29,135 living independently, including $1,200 for books. Niche puts the average net price at $22,034 a year (checked October 2026).
SCF takes federal student aid. Some program pages describe an SCF Money Back Guarantee that reimburses tuition, but not fees, for eligible students; ask the college for the terms.
Open admission, with competitive health programs
SCF is open admission. The health programs add their own applications, each with a $35 fee (the Dental Hygiene and Radiography fees are valid for three years):
- Dental Hygiene and Radiography: 1 to 31 January, for a summer start.
- Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant: 1 March to 1 June, for a fall start.
- Nursing (ASN): windows by term for spring, summer and fall starts in 2027 and 2028; the LPN transition starts in summer.
Classes run by day, with evening, weekend and online sections for some courses. The RN-to-BSN is fully online in 5-week terms, and a Dual Language ASN track is listed for fall 2027 if it goes ahead.
Accreditation and results
SCF is accredited by the Commission on Colleges and Universities, the new name of SACSCOC since 1 September 2026, to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. The commission says the name change does not affect any member’s accreditation status.
| Program | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing (ASN), first-attempt NCLEX-RN pass rate | 92.65% (Florida 81.82%, US 86.7%) | 2025, SCF’s ASN outcomes report (May 2026) |
| Nursing (ASN), first-attempt NCLEX-RN pass rate | 99.44% (Florida 75.20%, US 91.16%) | 2024, same report |
| Dental Hygiene | 100% National Board pass; 88% completion (16 of 18) | Class of 2025, SCF program page |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | 95% graduation, 80% NPTAE pass, 100% employment | Class of 2024, SCF program page (current as of January 2025) |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | Graduation 95% (class of 2024), 85% (2025), 75% (2026) | SCF program page |
| Whole college | 38% graduation rate | Niche, from federal data (cohort not stated; checked October 2026) |
The NCLEX-RN rates are SCF’s own published figures for first-time candidates in each calendar year, for all campuses and tracks together. SCF’s Radiography outcomes report was blank when checked, so no radiography rates are shown here.
Before you enroll
- SCF has no LPN, CNA, EMT, paramedic, surgical technology or dental assisting program. It refers practical nursing students to Manatee Technical College or Suncoast Technical College, and its respiratory care option is a partnership in which St. Petersburg College awards the degree and teaches it in St. Petersburg.
- Fire Science Technology is a degree for working firefighters. SCF has no firefighter academy, so it is not a route into a first firefighting job.
- The health degrees are limited enrollment with no waitlist: applicants who miss out reapply the next year. Dental hygiene admits about 18 of 80 to 125 applicants. The nursing evening and weekend track is paused, and only 64% of students who started the basic ASN in fall 2024 finished on time, against SCF’s 70% target.
- The Paralegal degree is not ABA-approved, and the Real Estate Paraprofessional certificate is aimed at paralegal and title-examiner work; its description does not mention the Florida sales associate licence.
- SCF’s radiography program-effectiveness report was blank when we checked, so ask the program for its ARRT pass, completion and job placement rates before applying.
Three campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Programs SCF places here |
|---|---|---|
| Bradenton (main) | 5840 26th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207 | Dental Hygiene and Radiography (Building 2), Occupational Therapy Assistant (Building 28), Physical Therapist Assistant |
| Lakewood Ranch | 7131 Professional Pkwy E, Sarasota, FL 34240 | Nursing (ASN), in the Medical Technology & Simulation Center |
| Venice | 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, FL 34293 | Nursing (ASN, Building 800); hub for Engineering Technology and Construction Management Technology |
SCF Collegiate School sites in Bradenton and Venice are charter high schools, not college campuses. The Lakewood Ranch campus also has a testing center and a Small Business Development Center.
Clinicals and fieldwork
Every accredited health program includes supervised practice: the dental hygiene clinic on the Bradenton campus, radiography rotations at area hospitals, two 8-week Level II fieldwork placements for OTA students, full-time PTA clinicals, and nursing clinicals in Manatee and Sarasota counties. RN-to-BSN students complete a 45-hour community and public health practicum in Florida.
What students say
On Niche, State College of Florida is rated 3.89 out of 5 from 1,213 reviews, with an overall grade of C minus (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise the low cost, supportive and helpful professors, dual enrollment, and welcoming, well-kept campuses, and several describe SCF as a good base for transferring to a university. The most common complaints are poor communication about administrative processes, limited course availability and few social or extracurricular activities. The reviews cover the whole college rather than particular career programs, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the college or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked 10 October 2026: SCF locations · SCF program listing · Tuition · SCF accreditation · Commission on Colleges and Universities name change · ASN program outcomes (May 2026) · Dental Hygiene · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health Professions
- Nursing (ASN)
- Nursing Transition for LPNs
- RN-to-BSN (online)
- Dental Hygiene
- Radiography
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Health Services Management (AS)
- Health Services Administration (BAS)
- Leadership in Health Care (certificate)
Public Safety and Law
- Criminal Justice Technology
- Fire Science Technology (for working firefighters)
- Homeland Security Specialist (certificate)
- Public Safety and Emergency Management (BAS)
- Paralegal/Legal Assisting (AS and certificate)
- Real Estate Paraprofessional (certificate)
Engineering and Construction
- Engineering Technology
- Advanced Lean Manufacturing (certificate)
- Automation (certificate)
- Alternative Energy (certificate)
- Engineering Technology Support Specialist (certificate)
- Construction Management Technology
Computer and Information Technology
- Software Development
- Computer Programming and Analysis
- Cybersecurity Operations
- Network Systems Technology
- Computer Information Technology
- Technology Project Management
- Information Technology Analysis (certificate)
Business
- Accounting Budgeting Operations Management
- Accounting Applications (certificate)
- Business Administration (Management, Marketing)
- Entrepreneurship
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Marketing (certificate)
- Management & Leadership (BAS)
Arts, Media and Design
- Filmmaking
- Music Production
- Graphic Design Technology
- Graphic and Web Design (certificate)
- Digital Publishing (certificate)
- Photographic Technology
Education
- Early Childhood Education (AS)
- Early Childhood Education (BS)
- Elementary Education K-6 (BS)
- Exceptional Student Education (BS)
- Preschool Teacher (certificate)
- Child Care Center Management (certificate)
- Educator Preparation Institute
Campus Locations
Bradenton, FL 5840 26th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207
Sarasota, FL 7131 Professional Pkwy E, Sarasota, FL 34240
Venice, FL 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, FL 34293