Orlando is home to four colleges, with about 26,000 students on campus
Valencia College (23,395 students on campus) and Ana G. Mendez University (1,543) are inside the city, and Southern Technical College (1,683) is 5 miles from the center, in Orlando. About 6% of Orlando’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida (6%).
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Orlando. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
13
93,100 students on campus
Nearest college
1.1 mi
Ana G. Mendez University
Residents in college
6%
About the same as FL (6%)
Nearest community college
9.2 mi
Valencia College · $2,664 tuition
Nearest public university
9.2 mi
Valencia College · $2,664 in-state
Median household income
$72K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Orlando
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at $48–75k, where Orlando’s median household income ($72,336) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Orlando: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
University of Central Florida78% graduate$58k earnings$18k typical debt
Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology47% graduate$28k earnings$15k typical debt
Concorde Career Institute-Orlando69% graduate$34k earnings*$10k typical debt
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Concorde Career Institute-Orlando (2); Universal Technical Institute-Orlando (3); Herzing University-Orlando (11).
Majors
What students study in Orlando
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Orlando’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Liberal arts 37%Business 31%Computer science 10%Health professions 9%Public safety 3%Personal & culinary services 3%Everything else 7%
Biggest programs
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAdventHealth University · 180 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsValencia College · 41 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAdventHealth University · 12 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansValencia College · 11 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralAdventHealth University · 5 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAdventHealth University · 4 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating. Left out: Ana G. Mendez University, where most students study only online.
Questions about college in Orlando
Is Orlando a college town?
No. About 6 of every 100 Orlando residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Florida (6). The largest campus in the city, Valencia College, has 23,395 students on campus.
What colleges are in Orlando?
Valencia College, Ana G. Mendez University, AdventHealth University and Concorde Career Institute-Orlando are inside the city. Southern Technical College is 5 miles from the center, in Orlando.
What is the closest community college to Orlando, and what does it cost?
Valencia College in Orlando, 9.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,664 a year for Florida residents; the federal net price, $12,037, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does Valencia College cost if we live in Florida?
Tuition and fees are $2,664 a year in-state and $9,576 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $11,453 (under $30,000 income) to $14,781 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Orlando. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0