Education in Tampa | Tampa EDC

Education

Hillsborough County & Tampa Education Systems

There are many compelling reasons to end your site search in Hillsborough County. Key among them is the quality education offered from K-12 through the area’s many universities, community colleges and vocational schools.

Commander, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Colonel Lenny J. Richoux’s commentary offers a personal perspective about his experiences with Hillsborough’s K-12 public school system. According to Colonel Richoux, “Hillsborough County Public Schools continues to demonstrate excellence."

The Hillsborough County Public School District is the 8th largest in the nation with more than 200,000 students. The District, its schools and teachers have achieved numerous national honors, among them:

A record four high schools in Hillsborough County ranked in the top 100 nationally on the 2011 Washington Post High School Challenge, formerly Newsweek’s America’s Best High Schools list.
Four schools in the HCPS system have achieved the status as International Baccalaureate World Schools. Students who successfully complete the rigorous courses, community service and testing have the International Baccalaureate designation on their diplomas.
The Hillsborough County school district has been granted accreditation by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, joining 20 school districts across the country to earn the national organization's stamp of approval.
In 2010, Hillsborough County Public Schools for the third consecutive year led Florida in the number of public school students named National Merit Semifinalists, with a total of 65.

Using a seven-year $100 million grant awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2009, Hillsborough County Public Schools is implementing groundbreaking approaches to ensure that all students have access to effective teachers in every classroom. The district is also receiving additional funding from the foundation to support research to develop fairer and more accurate measures of effective teaching.

For additional insight into this innovative program and its positive impact on students, teachers and the community, please view this video.

Community Colleges & Universities in the Tampa Hillsborough Area

With ever-changing workplace demands, Hillsborough Community College’s (HCC) 40,000 plus students receive lifelong learning skills to keep them competitive in the job marketplace. Meanwhile, the education in Tampa stays at the forefront of technical education with the help of The Corporate Training Center at HCC, Learey Technical Center, the first in the country to develop a Customer Service Academy, and Aparicio-Levy Technical Center.

When looking at higher education, Florida residents pay the third lowest undergraduate tuition rates in the country among flagship public universities. That economic incentive, along with stellar academic offerings, has brought upwards of 138,000 students from across the U.S. and more than 100 foreign countries to experience the Tampa, Florida education first hand.

The Tampa area is served by over 25 colleges and universities in Hillsbrough County. The area’s two major universities are the University of South Florida (USF) and University of Tampa (UT).

Ranked #4 among the “up and coming universities” in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report College Rankings, USF is among the country’s top metro research universities, with the largest MIS program in Florida and the highest national percentage of advanced degree candidates who pass all parts of the CPA exam. A privately-owned school, UT is one of U.S. News and World Report’s best American colleges. It expands Tampa education opportunities by offering 120 areas of study.

Watch USF's newest short film, debuted by President Judy Genshaft during her Fall Address in September 2011:

Contact us to learn more about the colleges, universities, and education in Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace and Hillsborough County.