State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (formerly Manatee Community College) is a two-year community college with its main campus in Bradenton. The school's 11,000 students can obtain associate in arts, associate in applied science and associate in science degrees as well as certificates in several program offerings. The school offers classes in the three divisions: Arts and Letters & Social and Behavioral Sciences; Mathematics, Science, Technology and Business; and Nursing and Health Professions.
New College of Florida, located on the border between Bradenton and Sarasota, became a part of the state university system in 2001. The small liberal arts school (enrollment 825) was founded in the late 1950s by a group of civil leaders who believed Sarasota deserved a college. Today, the school offers more than 30 different majors in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
The Manatee Technical Institute in Bradenton offers numerous training programs in various professions, including architecture and construction, information technology, business management and administration, health sciences, manufacturing, and salon services. The school also has continuing education programs in business and public service and technology, as well as adult basic education programs, including GED and English literacy.
Keiser University has campuses throughout Florida, including one in neighboring Sarasota. The school offers bachelor of arts degrees in programs ranging from accounting and business administration to homeland security and information technology management. Students can obtain associate of arts degrees in computers and technology, culinary arts, business, and nursing and health.