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The Best & Worst School Districts In Florida

School is starting soon for a lot of kids in Florida! Are you surprised that Pinellas County school’s are not considered the best school district in Florida? I guess it’s…

Lockers in empty high school corridor The Best & Worst School Districts In Florida
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School is starting soon for a lot of kids in Florida! Are you surprised that Pinellas County school’s are not considered the best school district in Florida? I guess it's good to know that it’s also not the worst. There is an elementary school by my house, and my neighbors say it’s a great school. Keep reading to find out the best and worst school districts in Florida.

With that being said, are you looking to move to Florida? If so, do you keep your kids education in mind when deciding a location to reside? If you answered yes, then you have come to the right article. Property club has came up with a list of the 9 best school districts in Florida.

St. Johns County School District Is The #1 School District In Florida  

The St Johns County school district is located in Northeastern Florida. If you are familiar with St. Augustine, then you know exactly where this school district is. This district has 46 schools in total and the high schools in this area have a 94% graduation rate.  The entire state of Florida has a graduation rate of 90%. The school district has many awards and  is considered the state’s premier choice when it comes to education.

In Total, 9 school districts made Propety clubs list but St. Johns County is considered to have the best school system in Florida. Other districts that made the list are Okaloosa County School District , Seminole County Public School District, Clay County School District , Collier County Public School District, Leon County School District, Alachua County Public Schools, Martin County School District and the Nassau County School District. 

Hamilton County School District is the worst school district in Florida

Hamilton County School District is located in Jasper Florida which is north near the border of Georgia. In this school district students have the lowest chances for success.  A big reason for this ranking is that there is a very high child poverty rate of 34.3%. Sadly that is higher than both the state and national rates. The sate rate is 18.4% and the national is 17%. Students who live in poor households are much less likely to succeed in school.

The 13 Highest Rated Community Colleges In Florida

Tuition for universities has become insanely high, even for in-state students. So many high school graduates are opting to spend their first few undergrad years at community colleges. There are a couple of no-brainer reasons why students are making the switch. First, it's helping them save thousands on tuition for the same courses. Secondly, they get to skip the stress of making the perfect college application since community colleges have 100% admission rates. In this post, we highlighted the 13 highest-rated community colleges in Florida. Some are right here in the Tampa Bay area.

This decision is not one to make lightly. Before spending money on tuition, students will want to decide which field they would like to study. Community colleges are great starts for trade and vocational focuses as well as STEM opportunities. If they plan on transferring to a university to finish their degree, they should confirm that their credits will be able to transfer. Location is also a big factor to consider because community colleges do not offer students to live on campus.

Why Should Florida Students Choose Community College?

There are a lot of other perks about attending community college. The classrooms are much smaller than a university so students can have personalized instruction and better connections with their professors. Community colleges also tend to be more flexible for students with busy schedules and have tons of opportunities for online learning. If students want to get a head start on their college courses, they should consider enrolling in dual enrollment.

With the help of Niche.com, we made a list of the 13 highest-rated community colleges in Florida. The ranking is based on analysis of academic, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni. Click here to learn more about their methodology. 

These are the 13 Highest-Rated Community Colleges In Florida (Updated 3/18/2024)

#1. Lorenzo Walker Technical College

Location: Naples, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $7,795/year

Popular majors: Automotive Mechanics, Licensed Practical Nurse Training (LPN), and Dental Assisting.

#2. Marion Technical College

Location: Ocala, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $9,080/year

Popular majors: Fire Science and Fire Fighting, Truck, Bus, and Commercial Vehicle Operation, and Licensed Practical Nurse Training. Learn more here.

#3. Pinellas Technical College - St. Petersburg & Clearwater

Location: St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $10,901 ($7,733 at Clearwater campus)

Popular majors: Licensed Practical Nurse Training (LPN), HVAC and Refrigeration Engineering Technician, and Child Care Provider.

#4. North Florida College

Location: Madison, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $3,910

Popular majors: Liberal Arts and Humanities, Nursing, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic)

#5. Sheridan Technical College

Location: Hollywood, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $5,077

Popular majors: Esthetician and Skin Care, Truck, Bus, and Commercial Vehicle Operation, and Child Care Provider.

#6. Manatee Technical College

Location: Bradenton, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $4,233

Popular majors: Esthetician and Skin Care, Fire Science and Fire Fighting, and Cosmetology.

#7. Orange Technical College - Mid-Florida Campus

Location: Orlando, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $9,749

Popular majors: Electrician, Machine and Metal Working, and Truck, Bus, and Commercial Vehicle Operation

#8. Florida Gateway College

Location: Lake City, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $2,803

Popular majors: Liberal Arts and Humanities, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration, and Nursing

#9. McFatter Technical College

Location: Davie, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $11,094

Popular majors: Fire Science and Fire Fighting, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic), and Game Design and Interactive Media.

#10. Chipola College

Location: Marianna, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $4,360

Popular majors: Liberal Arts and Humanities, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration, and Nursing.

#11. Withlacoochee Technical College

Location: Inverness, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $3,564

Popular majors: Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration, Police and Criminal Science, and Welding.

#12. Gulf Coast State College

Location: Panama City, FL

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $5,851

Popular majors: Liberal Arts and Humanities, Nursing, and Police and Criminal Science

#13. Okaloosa Technical College

Location: Fort Walton Beach, Fl

Acceptance rate: 100%

Net price: $6,618

Popular majors: Cosmetology, Licensed Practical Nurse Training (LPN), and Computer Systems Technician

Jen was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area. She’s been with Beasley Media Group since 2022. In her spare time, you can find her at Tampa Bay Lightning games, Tampa Bay breweries, or the beach. Catch up on Jen’s content about the highest-rated restaurants/bars in Tampa, things-to-do around the area, and upcoming concerts.