Established in 1957, Central Florida Junior College merged with Hampton Junior College and changed its name to Central Florida Community College in 1966. In 2010, it changed its name once again to College of Central Florida. The college's Ocala campus sits on 140 acres of land and offers more than 70 degrees including an associate degree in the arts that transfers to public Florida universities for higher education possibilities. The Central Florida University Center also offers a chance to complete a bachelor's degree at the college.
College of Central Florida Ocala Campus
3001 SW. College Road
Ocala, FL 34474-4415
352-873-5800
cf.edu
Santa Fe College opened its doors in 1965 in Gainesville, Florida, to afford residents more opportunities for higher education. When the college first opened to the public, fewer than 1,000 attended the school. As of 2010, more than 16,000 students enrolled for accredited classes while more than 12,000 take non-credit courses. The University was a community college until 2008 when the Florida legislature authorized it to offer baccalaureate degrees as well. As of 2010, the focus of most classes remains on associate level degrees in community education, applied sciences, science and arts programs.
Santa Fe College
3000 NW. 83rd St.
Gainesville, FL 32606
352-395-5000
sfcollege.edu
The biggest college in north central Florida is the University of Florida (UF), located in Gainesville. UF is a public, major land-grant research university. It remains the oldest of Florida's comprehensive universities, dating back to 1853 when East Florida Seminary merged with Kingsbury Academy. The college became a state university in 1906 when it moved to Gainesville by legislative orders. The campus sits on 2,000 acres and contains more than 900 buildings, worth more than $1 billion. UF enrolls more than 50,000 students a year. U.S. News and World Report ranks UF as No. 15 in the United States.
University of Florida
222 Criser
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
352-392-1374
ufl.edu