Southwest Florida College reaches record enrollment, expands Charlotte Campus

COURTESY PHOTO Southwest Florida College’s Port Charlotte campus One new campus, five new programs, a virtual school, and 2,300 students are swelling Southwest Florida College’s enrollment statistics.

“The school’s overall 28 percent increase compared to last year is spread across all of its divisions,” said Dr. Stephen Calabro, executive vice president for Southwest Florida College.

The most significant increase came at the combined Southwest Florida College Fort Myers campus and Institute of Interior Design at Southwest Florida College in Estero, where 1,573 students enrolled this term, compared to 1,269 last year. The second-largest enrollment spike came at the six-month-old Port Charlotte campus, where 197 students enrolled, compared to just 31 during its opening term in February. The Tampa campus swelled to 505 students, compared to 495 in the fall term last year. And the Southwest Florida College online division enrolled its 200th fully online student.

Program enrollments are especially strong in health care, which enrolled 821 students this year compared to the 573 that entered last year. Other programs that have shown considerable growth include legal and information technology, which gained an additional 45 and 33 new students respectively.

The new Southwest Florida College bachelor’s degree program in health care administration has gained traction and has enrolled 20 students in its first term being offered. Other new programs have been added to the Port Charlotte campus offerings and include a crime scene investigation diploma, and three new associate degree programs in criminal justice, early childhood and management and marketing.

The Port Charlotte campus is expanding. Construction is expected to be completed by the winter term and will include added classroom space and laboratories.

For more information, call 888-526-7973 or visit www.swfc.edu. 