Higher Education & Upskilling
Career-building Education on the Suncoast
If year-round mid-70s temperatures and more than 250 days of sunshine don’t create a perfect learning environment, we don’t know what does. Nine higher education institutions provide learning opportunities in everything from digital filmmaking to aviation to construction management. Suncoast Technical College has more than 40 programs with continuing education and fast-track options to become a registered nurse, IT professional and more. Or, if you’re simply looking to boost your earning potential, several upskilling programs like University of Florida’s UFEDGE can help you stay at the forefront of your field.


- Technical Colleges & Continuing Education
- Higher Education

Ride the Wave to a Lucrative Career
Whether your goal is to become a nursing assistant, an electrician or a surgical technologist, Suncoast Technical College can get you there in less than two years through their over 40 continuing education and fast-track programs. For more than 50 years, Manatee Technical College has strengthened the region’s post-secondary career success. Now, the college offers over 50 continuing education and career and technical education (CTE) programs. If you want to get up-to-speed quick with in-demand skills for a lucrative career, there’s a path for you in Sarasota-Manatee.

Top-Rated Schools Create Highly Employable Talent
The strength of post-secondary schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties can be seen in the amount of talent already in the region. The State College of Florida has graduated more than 50,000 students since opening in 1959 while the University of South Florida in Sarasota has over 17,000 alumni in the area. Higher education institutions like New College of Florida offers the No. 5 Best Public National Liberal Arts Education in the Nation according to U.S. News & World Report, and Bradenton’s Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine allows students to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in healthcare administration, biomedical education and more.
What’s New in Sarasota-Manatee?

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