Top Technical Colleges in Florida for Career Success

Florida boasts a diverse and extensive trade school landscape, featuring over 100 institutions ranging from specialized technical colleges to major university systems. If a traditional college degree isn’t right for you, a trade school can help you advance your education and earn a good wage in fast-growing vocational careers.

Overview of Florida's Trade School Environment

Florida’s trade school landscape is among the most extensive in the nation, with over 100 institutions spanning from specialized technical colleges to major university systems. If you’re looking to get into a new trade, there are plenty of trade schools in Florida to choose from. Not all trades are in-person, either; some medical trades, like pharmacy technician and administrative assistant programs, can be taken online.

Spotlight on Popular Trade Schools

Several institutions stand out for their unique offerings and focus areas. Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular trade schools in Florida:

Ultimate Medical Academy

Location: Clearwater, Florida
Graduation Rate: 56%
Net Price: $19,255
Largest Program: Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller

Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) is a trade school specializing in medical trades you don’t need a four-year degree to qualify for. Even if you don’t know what to study, the school will help match you with the right career through a personality test. This trade school boasts one of the highest trade school graduation rates in the state and offers different options for online and in-person students.

Even though UMA is one of the most expensive schools on our list, it holds the largest student population. Some of UMA’s online programs include information systems management careers, billing specialists, pharmacy technicians, and administrative assistants. The on-campus programs specialize in more patient-related positions like nursing, dental, and medical assistants and technicians.

Atlantic Technical College

Location: Coconut Creek, Florida
Graduation Rate: 56%
Net Price: $13,747
Largest Program: Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training

More traditional than our number one spot, Atlantic Technical College offers career training in electrical, HVAC, business management and administration, health science technicians and assistants, manufacturing, and transportation. You can also earn an industry credential or license if you’re in high school looking for dual enrollment opportunities. You may even qualify for free transportation to the college if you live in certain areas.

Orange Technical College, South Campus

Location: Orlando, Florida
Graduation Rate: 47%
Net Price: $2,786
Largest Program: Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor

Orange Technical College has the lowest cost of our top three picks by over $10,000. The school offers general education, apprenticeships, manufacturing, HVAC, electrical, transportation, and more programs. The school’s largest program is truck and bus driver/commercial vehicle operator and instructor. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make a median salary of $54,320.

Comprehensive List of Technical Colleges in Florida

To provide a broad overview, here's a list of various technical colleges and institutes in Florida, highlighting their specializations:

American College for Medical Careers (ACMC): Offers Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degree programs in healthcare and nursing with online learning and hands-on laboratory experience.
American Healthcare Institute: Focuses on providing affordable, world-class training for individuals seeking careers in the medical profession.
Arizona College of Nursing: Offers programs in Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, and Healthcare Administration.
ATA College: Specializes in healthcare education with programs in nursing, dental assisting, and veterinary assisting.
Aveda Institutes: Offers programs in cosmetology, esthiology, and massage therapy with hands-on training and externships.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM): Known for specialized training in aviation maintenance, offering programs in Aviation Maintenance Technology and Avionics.
Bob Hogue School of Real Estate: Offers comprehensive real estate education both online and in-person in the Tampa Bay Area, emphasizing Florida-specific laws and practices.
Broward College: Offers a wide range of academic programs, including Technical Certificates, Associate's and Bachelor's degrees.
Build Strong Academy: Offers hands-on construction training through various levels of courses, focusing on in-person learning.
Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology: Provides associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, along with certificate and diploma programs in healthcare and technology fields.
CBT Technology Institute: Offers career-focused technical education in information technology, healthcare, business, and skilled trades.
CDA Technical Institute: Offers accredited certifications in diving and welding, providing hands-on instruction in open water and state-of-the-art dive tanks.
City College: Offers accredited tracks in healthcare, business, and legal work, with associate’s or bachelor’s degrees available.
College of Central Florida: Offers a range of academic opportunities, including four-year baccalaureate degrees, with practical training in various fields.
Compu-Med Vocational Careers (CMVC): Offers diploma and degree pathways in healthcare with flexible day, evening, and online options, plus clinical externships.
Concorde Career Institute: Prepares attendees for jobs in healthcare and dentistry with a student-centered, community-based, and achievement-driven approach.
Cortiva Institute: Offers accelerated programs in massage therapy and skin care, with nationally accredited tracks.
Daytona College: Offers stackable certificates, associate, and bachelor’s degrees aligned to local workforce needs.
Dental Assisting Institute: Prepares students for entry-level work through a comprehensive 10-week training program, certifying graduates to work as dental assistants in Florida.
DeVry University: Offers undergraduate and graduate programs in Technology, Healthcare, Business, and Accounting with flexible learning options.
Eastern Florida State College: Offers certificates, associate degrees, or diplomas in healthcare, business, technology, and skilled trades.
ECPI University: Focuses on technology, with programs in health science, culinary arts, nursing, business, and criminal justice, emphasizing a hands-on approach.
Empire Beauty Schools: Offers hands-on experience in cosmetology, skincare, and cosmetology education.
Florida Academy: Offers career-focused programs in beauty, wellness, and skilled trades, including nail technology, massage therapy, and electrical technology.
Florida Career College: Offers Bachelor's and Associate degrees in business, cosmetology, healthcare, HVAC, information technology, and nursing with hands-on programs.
Florida Education Institute (FEI): Offers career-focused training in medical, business, hospitality, and skilled trades.
Florida Institute of Technology: Offers rigorous, immersive, career-building programs with hands-on projects and capstone requirements.

Growing Vocational Careers in Florida

Florida has a high need for people in medical vocational careers. Here are the top 10 growing vocational careers in Florida:

Solar Photovoltaic Installers: 38.8%
Physical Therapy Assistants: 37.7%
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: 36.7%
Occupational Therapy Assistants: 35.2%
Machine Feeders and Offbearers: 23.2%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics: 23.1%
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians: 23%
Medical Assistants: 22.7%
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: 22.2%
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians: 22.9%

Cost of Trade Schools in Florida

Trade school costs vary from hundreds to tens of thousands in Florida. Traviss Technical College has the lowest net cost at $588, while Orange Technical College-East Campus costs the highest at $27,079, according to the NCES. If you’re looking for financial aid, you can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive government aid for tuition and more, depending on how much you or your household makes. However, not all trade schools take the FAFSA. Check to see if your school is accredited and receives government aid to see if you qualify for financial assistance.

Read also: High School Diploma Jobs

Accreditation

Without accreditation, a trade school might not offer the academic quality and support you need.

Additional Information on Florida Institute of Technology

Florida Tech is deeply, historically rooted in this culture of relentless determination. STEM-science, technology, engineering and math-is the driving force behind who we are, what we do and why we exist. Our rigorous, immersive, career-building programs have you working on your major from day one-no filler classes; no lengthy prerequisites. Want to be a pilot? You’ll be in the cockpit within the first week of classes. A marine biologist? One of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet is practically in our backyard.

We’re in Melbourne in the heart of Florida’s Space Coast. You're much more than a number here and you'll feel it. At Florida Tech, you’ll get to know your peers-in and out of your major-as well as your professors. Florida Tech is equal parts innovation and sunshine-Did we mention our 360-plus days of sunshine and 72-degree average daily temperature? We don't just talk about the amazing things you can do at Florida Tech. We make sure you get to do them.

The university is unique in that it provides the resources of a national scientific and technological research university as well as the robust, personalized learning experiences of a small college and is ranked No. 6 for providing the best student experience among 400 universities in the nation by The Wall Street Journal.

Students who wish to study at Florida Tech must demonstrate the readiness to succeed in a challenging academic program. A strong curriculum, as reflected by the student's high school transcript, is the most important element of the application. Florida Tech recommends that science and engineering applicants take the most rigorous mathematics and science curriculum offered by their high school. Applicants for aeronautics, business, psychology and liberal arts majors must complete at least three years of mathematics and science. A fourth year of each is highly recommended. To be considered for generous merit scholarships of up to half the cost of tuition, prospective students need only apply.

Tuition for full-time undergraduate students varies according to the chosen major program of study. It is a flat rate for full-time, on-campus students and is charged on a semesterly basis.

If there's anything that sets Florida Tech apart from other colleges and universities, it's the university's hands-on, dive-in, buckle-up approach to higher education. No matter a student's major, enrolling at Florida Tech means learning by doing. From swimming with sea turtles to flying planes, building rocket engines to fighting simulated cyberattacks, Florida Tech students are engaged in interesting fieldwork and projects starting day one. Employers that recruit at Florida Tech report our graduates stand out because they have professional-level skills with real-world technologies because they've been using them all throughout their college experience.

Academically, Florida Tech is challenging. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1, and the majority of classes are taught by full professors. All majors include hands-on projects and capstone requirements, ensuring that every graduate leaves with experience in scholarly research or practical experience. The most popular degree programs at Florida Tech are aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, marine biology, physics and space sciences. The university also draws students from around the world for its unique programs in aeronautics and aviation, business, biomedical engineering, environmental science and sustainability, psychology, applied behavior analysis, human-centered design, cybersecurity, meteorology, ocean engineering and chemistry.

There are more than 200 student-led clubs and organizations at Florida Tech. They range from student government to theater and music ensembles, from Greek life to sci-fi and gaming groups, from cultural organizations to campus media and arts groups. Almost every major program has an associated academic organization or honor society. Club sports are popular, as are intramural sports. The on-campus student population comprises approximately 3,700 undergraduate students, of which 66% are male and 34% are female. Another benefit of studying at Florida Tech is the university's low student-to-faculty ratio (10:1), which allows Florida Tech to keep its average class size low and enables greater interaction and enhanced learning among students and professors.

Talk Campus, peer-to-peer support. Master level clinician support to interest groups 24/7. The university has partners with TalkCampus to provide peer-to-peer support. Also, there is a student chapter of Active Minds that has a presence on campus. Multiple interventions are provided that address this question. While mandatory education is provided for student scholar-athletes, the remaining students are provided optional educational programming. Our athletes are all required to participate in mental health education seminars and provided specialized online support through a contracted mental health consultant and platform. Our residential students are all exposed to mental health educational programming provided in their residential communities. Incoming students are provided mental health education including the introduction of free campus clinical services and digital platforms providing peer mentoring and crisis support.

Florida Tech's location is hard to beat when it comes to fun and opportunity. Campus spans 130 acres in Melbourne, Florida. The area is one of the most concentrated high-tech economies in the state and home to one of the largest high-tech workforces in the nation. Melbourne's attractive business climate is matched only by its natural resources, including the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon, ideal for scientific study and environmental research. Orlando tourist attractions and the Kennedy Space Center are within an hour drive, and Miami is only 3 hours south. The climate is generally sunny and temperate.

Florida Tech is full of surprises. Take a walking tour of campus, and you discover more than classrooms and laboratories. The university's Evans Library, for example, contains more than volumes of scientific knowledge and research resources. It also houses the Digital Scholarship Lab, an oasis of innovation, creativity and hands-on learning, providing services such as 3D printing, data analysis and visualization and media production. On the other side of campus, students take advantage of a fully operational machine shop, and adjacent to that, the L3Harris Student Design Center, an 11,500-square-foot student project facility. The space includes a spray booth, welding stations, a 2.5-ton overhead crane, electronics rooms and a conference room for team planning and idea development. The Bioengineering and Sciences building is an $18 million facility filled with cutting-edge equipment, labs and learning spaces centered on biomedical engineering and sciences. Florida Tech is also home to one of the few stand-alone collegiate esports buildings in the country. Florida Tech is also home to The Scott Center for Autism Treatment and the Indian River Lagoon Research Institute.

Florida Tech students take full advantage of Florida weather and the campus's proximity to the beach, enjoying ample fun-in-the-sun activities, such as sailing, biking and swimming. Beyond the beach, students venture off campus to enjoy the eclectic, dynamic vibe of historic Downtown Melbourne. Minutes from campus, this local main street is filled with shops, restaurants and pubs and plays host to a variety of annual celebrations. Of course, there's more to Melbourne than recreation. A visit to Florida Tech's campus begins in the Harris Commons, which houses the Center for Student Success, a one-stop hub of student services, including admissions, financial aid, student accounts, the registrar and campus services. Depending on the visitors interests, subsequent stops may include places like Evans Library, including the Digital Scholarship Lab, which houses 3D printers and scanners, virtual reality, 360 cameras, cutting-edge software and more; The Homer R.

The mission of the Office of Financial Aid at Florida Tech is to enable student success by assisting families in identifying and securing sources of financial aid. We want students' focus to be on their academic passion, personal growth and career interests, not complicated paperwork and their bank account. Florida Tech is proud to be able to make substantial contributions, in the form of need-based grants and merit-based scholarships, to offset our students' costs. As a result, the majority of our students find that the net cost of their Florida Tech education is far less than the published tuition-in many cases, over 50% less. All students who submit complete applications for admission are evaluated for merit-based scholarship eligibility.

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