| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public district technical college run by Sarasota County Schools; campus-based, with Accounting, Business and .NET programming also online for adults |
| Campuses | 2, both in Florida: Sarasota (main) and North Port, plus the Fire Science Academy and Alta Vista teaching sites in Sarasota |
| Credentials | Clock-hour career certificates; no associate or bachelor’s degrees |
| Programs | 30 career programs in the 2025-26 catalog |
| Typical length | 120 hours (Nursing Assistant) to 1,350 hours (Practical Nursing) among programs with published hours; about 6 weeks to 13 months |
| Accreditation | Council on Occupational Education since 1971, next review by 31 December 2027; EMT and Paramedic accredited by CAAHEP |
| Federal aid | Yes, including Pell Grants (OPEID 00560700) |
| Cost | $2.92 per clock hour for Florida residents, $11.67 for non-residents, fees included (2025-26 catalog) |
| Students | 1,116 in fall 2024 (IPEDS); the college says it serves more than 5,000 adult and high-school students |
| Founded | September 1967, as Sarasota County Vocational Technical Institute |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Suncoast Technical College: Sarasota County’s public technical college
Suncoast Technical College (STC) is a public postsecondary technical college run by Sarasota County Schools, with a main campus in Sarasota and a branch in North Port. It opened in September 1967 as Sarasota County Vocational Technical Institute, became Sarasota County Technical Institute in 1992 and took its current name in 2014; the North Port Branch opened in 2017.
STC trains adults for jobs in health care, public safety, the building trades, business and design, through clock-hour career certificates rather than degrees. Sarasota County high-school students can dual enroll in many programs tuition-free. IPEDS counted 1,116 students in fall 2024, 563 of them full-time; the college’s own figure of more than 5,000 adult and high-school students also counts dual-enrolled and adult-education students.
30 career programs, from nursing assistant to law enforcement
The 2025-26 catalog lists 30 career programs in five areas. Each is a clock-hour career certificate built from occupational completion points. The table shows the programs whose hours and campuses the catalog gives, plus Practical Nursing from IPEDS and the North Port chamber listing.
| Program | Hours and length | Where | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | 1,350 hours, 13 months (IPEDS) | North Port, per its chamber listing | NCLEX-PN; Florida Board of Nursing approved |
| Nursing Assistant (Long Term Care) | 120 hours incl. 40 clinical; about 6 weeks, day | Sarasota, Alta Vista site | Florida CNA credential |
| Emergency Medical Technician | 300 hours, about 5 months | Sarasota, North Port | National Registry exam, Florida certification; CAAHEP |
| Paramedic | 1,100 hours, 13 months, day (A/B/C shift format) | Sarasota | National Registry exam; CAAHEP |
| Firefighter | 492 hours, about 5 months | Sarasota, Fire Science Academy | State Firefighter Certification Exam |
| Firefighter/EMT Combined | 792 hours, about 10 months | Sarasota, North Port, Fire Science Academy | Firefighter certification and EMT licence |
| Florida Law Enforcement Academy | 770 hours, 5 months, full-time day | Sarasota | Law Enforcement State Certification Exam |
| Correctional Officer | 420 hours, 12 weeks, day | Sarasota | Florida CJSTC certification |
| Accounting Operations | 900 hours, 9 months (18 part-time), day | Sarasota, North Port, online | Industry certifications named by STC |
| Business Management and Analysis | 900 hours, 9 months | Sarasota, North Port, online | Industry certifications named by STC |
| Medical Administrative Specialist | 1,050 hours, about 10 months | Sarasota, North Port | Industry certifications named by STC |
| .NET Application Development and Programming | 1,050 hours, about 10 months | Sarasota, online | Industry certifications named by STC |
| Digital Design | 1,200 hours, about 12 months | Sarasota | Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign |
| Digital Video Technology | 900 hours, about 9 months | Sarasota | Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects |
The catalog also lists Professional Nursing (LPN-RN), Patient Care Technician, Surgical Technology, Cosmetology, Facials Specialty and Professional Culinary Arts & Hospitality, and nine Industrial Technologies programs: Building Trades and Construction Design Technology, Carpentry, Computer-Aided Drawing and Modeling, Electricity, HVAC/R 1, Machining Technologies, Marine Service Technologies, Master Automotive Service Technology and Plumbing. Electrician, HVAC and plumbing apprenticeships are run with The Technical Education Council. Culinary students run Bistro 502 and food trucks, and cosmetology students work in the Cutting Edge Salon.
The Professional Nursing (LPN-RN) program is for licensed practical nurses; the 2025-26 Health Science Handbook describes it as a 900-hour program approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. Ask the college about its start dates and the licensing exam it prepares for.
What the main programs cover
Florida Law Enforcement Academy and corrections
The academy is a Basic Law Enforcement Recruit program of 770 hours, run full-time by day over five months at the Sarasota campus; STC is a CJSTC-certified training center. Applicants must pass the FBAT entrance test, and the course prepares students for the Law Enforcement State Certification Exam. The Correctional Officer academy is 420 hours over 12 weeks by day, and applicants must be 18 by graduation. Certified correctional officers can take the Crossover program, which the 2023-24 catalog listed at 518 hours over about 13 weeks, and then sit the State Officer Certification Exam.
Paramedic
Paramedic is 1,100 hours over 13 months by day, organised in an A/B/C format that the catalog calls “shift friendly”. Students must already hold Florida EMT certification. Like all Health Science and EMS programs, it requires students to be 18 or older, hold a high-school diploma or GED, and complete a health packet and physical, immunizations and background screening. The program is accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of CoAEMSP and prepares students for the National Registry exam. It is taught only at the Sarasota campus.
Firefighter and Firefighter/EMT
The 492-hour Firefighter certificate takes about five months, and students take Medical First Responder at the same time. It prepares students for the State Firefighter Certification Exam, which has written and practical parts, under the state Bureau of Fire Standards and Training. Firefighter/EMT Combined runs 792 hours over about ten months and adds an EMT licence to firefighter certification. Training uses the Fire Science Academy on Circus Boulevard in Sarasota; the combined program is also taught at North Port. Applicants take the PERT and need an EKG.
Nursing Assistant (Long Term Care)
This is the shortest health program: 120 hours over about six weeks, by day only. Forty of those hours are clinical training in a licensed nursing home, and the rest is taught at the Sarasota campus or the Alta Vista site on S. Euclid Avenue. The credential is overseen by the Florida Board of Nursing; the catalog does not name the certification exam. Entry rules are the same as for other health programs, including age 18, a diploma or GED and background screening. It had more completers than any other STC program in 2025.
Accounting, business and medical office certificates
Accounting Operations and Business Management and Analysis are each 900 hours, about nine months full-time by day, at Sarasota, North Port or online; the online versions are open to adults only, and Accounting can be taken part-time over 18 months. Medical Administrative Specialist is 1,050 hours, about ten months, at either campus. Students in programs of 450 hours or more take a basic-skills test (TABE or PERT) within their first six weeks unless exempt. STC says the industry certifications for each program are listed on its website.
What it costs and how students pay
STC charges by the clock hour, and Florida residency is the only price split. The newest published rates are in the 2025-26 catalog and have not changed since 2019-20. Confirm the 2026-27 rates in the new catalog before you budget.
| Per clock hour, 2025-26 catalog | Florida resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $2.44 | $2.44 |
| Out-of-state fee | – | $7.34 |
| Financial aid fee | $0.24 | $0.97 |
| Capital outlay fee | $0.12 | $0.46 |
| Technology fee | $0.12 | $0.46 |
| Total | $2.92 | $11.67 |
At the resident rate, a 900-hour program such as Accounting Operations comes to about $2,628 in tuition and per-hour fees. Other 2025-26 charges are a $25 application fee and a $10 parking tag; lab fees vary by program, SkillsUSA dues are charged unless a student opts out, and some programs charge for background checks. IPEDS gives these 2024-25 tuition and fee totals for the largest programs:
| Program | Tuition and fees, 2024-25 (IPEDS) |
|---|---|
| Master Automotive Service Technology | $7,752 |
| Cosmetology | $7,278 |
| Practical Nursing | $6,669 (plus $1,460 books and supplies) |
| Professional Culinary Arts & Hospitality | $5,304 |
| Electrician | $4,353 |
| Business administration | $3,076 |
STC takes federal student aid (OPEID 00560700). College Navigator shows 27% of beginning students receiving Pell Grants, averaging $5,954, and no beginning students taking federal loans in 2023-24. Sarasota County high-school students dual enroll tuition-free. Most programs are approved for VA education benefits, and 21 students used the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2023-24. College Navigator’s average net price for full-time beginners, which includes living costs, was $17,337 in 2023-24.
Open admission, with extra steps for health and public safety
Admission is open. Adult career students must be at least 16 and not enrolled in high school. Health Science and EMS programs require age 18, a diploma or GED, a health packet and physical, immunizations and background screening; firefighter applicants also take the PERT and need an EKG, and law enforcement applicants take the FBAT.
Most programs run full-time in the daytime. Accounting, Business and Medical Administrative Specialist have part-time options, and Accounting, Business and .NET programming are online for adults. The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County’s profile of STC also mentions evening classes and four-month evening Fast Track training designed with employers.
Accreditation and results
STC has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education since 11 November 1971, and College Navigator shows its next review due by 31 December 2027. In a 2021 article COE said STC was among the 21 institutions in its first accredited group and had never been placed on a restrictive status. EMT is accredited by CAAHEP, and Paramedic by CAAHEP on the recommendation of CoAEMSP. STC is a CJSTC-certified criminal justice training center, and its nursing programs are approved by the Florida Board of Nursing.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 50% within 150% of normal time (43% within normal time) | Full-time, first-time students in the 2021-22 cohort, College Navigator |
| Paramedic, written exam pass rate | 100% | 2022, 2025-26 catalog |
| Paramedic, retention | 95.2% | 2022, 2025-26 catalog |
| Paramedic, placement | 100% | 2022, 2025-26 catalog |
The Paramedic figures are the only program-level results we found. This page gives no NCLEX-PN pass rate for Practical Nursing; check the Florida Board of Nursing’s program reports.
Before you enroll
- STC awards career certificates only. There are no associate degrees, so a student who wants a degree later will need another college.
- The $2.92 rate is from the 2025-26 catalog. Confirm the 2026-27 rate, and add lab fees, books and any background-check fees for your program.
- The 2025-26 catalog places five career programs at North Port, and the North Port chamber listing adds Practical Nursing; ask which trade programs are taught there. Paramedic, the law enforcement and corrections academies and the digital media and programming certificates are in Sarasota only, and Firefighter training uses the Fire Science Academy.
- High-school students dual enroll in many programs, and some adult reviewers on Niche say the college is geared toward them. Ask how many adults are in your program’s classes.
- Machining Technologies is in the 2025-26 catalog, but the IPEDS 2025 completions list we checked shows no machining completers. Ask whether it is enrolling before you plan around it.
Two campuses and two Sarasota teaching sites
| Campus | Address | Programs taught there |
|---|---|---|
| Sarasota (main) | 4748 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34233 | All Sarasota-only programs: law enforcement and corrections academies, Paramedic, Digital Design, Digital Video, .NET; also accounting, business, medical administration and EMT |
| North Port | 4445 Career Lane, North Port, FL 34289 | Accounting Operations, Business Management and Analysis, Medical Administrative Specialist, EMT, Firefighter/EMT Combined; Practical Nursing per the chamber listing |
| Fire Science Academy (teaching site) | 794 Circus Boulevard, Sarasota | Firefighter, Firefighter/EMT Combined |
| Alta Vista (teaching site) | 1050 S. Euclid Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34237 | Nursing Assistant |
Both campuses are commuter campuses; STC has no student housing.
Advisory committees and career coaching
Each program has an advisory committee. STC offers CareerEdge resume help and mock interviews and Bridges to Careers soft-skills training, and says it cannot guarantee job placement. Clinical training is built into the health programs, including 40 nursing-home hours in Nursing Assistant.
What students say
On Niche, Suncoast Technical College is rated 3.08 out of 5 from 39 reviews, with an overall grade of C+ (checked 11 October 2026). Reviewers praise the low cost, passionate and supportive instructors, hands-on clinical experience in Practical Nursing and SkillsUSA. Complaints include limited or confusing financial aid help, weak direct instruction with much online coursework left for students to teach themselves, and a focus on high-school students with fewer options for adults. The dated reviews run from October 2023 to July 2025, so the newest is more than a year old, and we could not tell whether any were invited by the school.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Suncoast Technical College · 2025-26 Academic Catalog · 2025-26 Health Science Handbook · College Navigator · Council on Occupational Education · Niche
Programs & Courses
Business and Technology
- Accounting Operations
- Business Management and Analysis
- Medical Administrative Specialist
- .NET Application Development and Programming
- Digital Design
- Digital Video Technology
Criminal Justice
- Florida Law Enforcement Academy
- Correctional Officer
- Crossover: Correctional Officer to Law Enforcement
Fire and Emergency Medical Services
- Firefighter
- Firefighter/EMT Combined
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Paramedic
Health Science
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Professional Nursing (LPN-RN)
- Nursing Assistant (Long Term Care)
- Patient Care Technician
- Surgical Technology
Cosmetology and Culinary
- Cosmetology
- Facials Specialty
- Professional Culinary Arts & Hospitality
Industrial Technologies
- Building Trades and Construction Design Technology
- Carpentry
- Computer-Aided Drawing and Modeling
- Electricity
- HVAC/R 1
- Machining Technologies
- Marine Service Technologies
- Master Automotive Service Technology
- Plumbing
Apprenticeships (with The Technical Education Council)
- Electrician
- HVAC
- Plumbing
Campus Locations
Sarasota, FL 4748 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34233
North Port, FL 4445 Career Lane, North Port, FL 34289