Universities & Colleges

Because many colleges offer a combination of live, and online classes these days, you might find it possible to live here in Palatka, yet attend school here, St. Augustine or Gainesville. My last student tenant only attended classes in person 3 days a week so, for her, a quiet place to study was more important than the distance to school.

But I’ll start with the CLOSEST school, which you could could walk or bike to…

St. Johns River State College is right in Palatka and just a short bike ride from the house, or 10 -15 minutes by car. You can get an AA or Bachelor’s degree OR specialize in Health & Nursing, Business, Criminal Justice, Computer Sciences and Engineering. 

St. Johns River Community College is dedicated to providing students with equal access to a broad spectrum of educational and cultural opportunities while encouraging the pursuit of truth, academic excellence, and scholarly achievement. The College is committed to creating and continuously improving affordable, accessible, effective learning opportunities, resources, and support services for the ever-changing educational needs of the diverse population it serves.

St. Johns River State College has offered a myriad of athletic opportunities for students since the College opened in 1958. Through the 1970s, SJR State fielded a wide scope of athletic teams that seemed to vary nearly every year and even included eight teams during a single year in 1967: basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, track, cross-country, sailing, and wrestling. By 1980, this was reduced to men’s

basketball, men’s baseball, and women’s tennis. In 1983, the College offered men’s basketball, men’s baseball, and women’s softball. In 1994, a second women’s team was added, and SJR State has since had the same four teams for the past 18 years: men’s basketball, men’s baseball, women’s softball, and women’s volleyball. See… http://sjrvikings.com

Florida School of the Arts (colloquially known as FloArts) is an accredited arts school under the umbrella of St. Johns River State College. It is located in the F building of the Palatka Campus. It was first opened in 1976, designed to be an intimate setting where students received close and individual attention. Florida School of the Arts offers course concentrations with accredited Associate in Science and Associate in Arts degrees in the fields of Visual Art (Fine Art, Graphic Design/New Media, Photography), Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Theatre Production/Design (Costume Design, Scenic/Lighting Design, Stage Management).

Flagler College just celebrated it’s 50th anniversary and is housed in what was once one of Henry Flagler's most opulent Gilded-Age hotels in St. Augustine, is a private four-year college. The college opened in 1968 and now offers 32 majors, 44 minors, and two pre-professional programs. With an enrollment of 2,500 students, the college draws students from all over the world to study liberal and fine arts in this magnificent setting in the nation's oldest city.

The Ponce de Leon hotel was built in 1887 and is listed as a National Historic landmark. Flagler's Legacy Tours offers guided tours of this architectural masterpiece throughout the year. Visit here for more details.

Flagler College is a private institution that was founded in 1968. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,600, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 49 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Flagler College's ranking in the 2020 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Colleges South, #4.

Santa Fe College is in Gainesville and was established by the state government in 1965 to offer wide access to quality higher education. Since then, the college has established programs and services that fulfill its mission of educational opportunity, responsiveness to the community, economic development and innovation in the public interest.

The philosophy of the college has been, and continues to be, student-centered. Santa Fe College is home to a planetarium, nationally-recognized teaching zoo, geological (underground caves) field laboratory and state-of-the-art fine arts hall, and annually produces the Spring Arts Festival, the largest cultural and arts event in Alachua County, FL.

University of Florida is a public institution that was founded in 1853. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 35,491, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 2,000 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Florida's ranking in the 2020 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #34.

The University of Florida is about two miles away from downtown Gainesville, a college town bolstered by the school’s more than 50,000 students. The Florida Gators sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, and are supported by mascots Albert and Alberta the Alligators. The Gator football team, which competes in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – commonly called the "The Swamp" – is particularly notorious. The team became the namesake of popular sports drink Gatorade in 1965, after freshmen Gators participated in an experiment with the novel beverage. The annual Gator Growl, held each Homecoming weekend, has been called the largest student-run pep rally in the nation. About 15 percent of students are involved in the school’s 60-plus fraternities and sororities. Freshmen do not have to live on campus, though more than 75 percent opt to do so. All students can partake in Gator Nights, held every Friday, which offer free late-night entertainment and midnight snacks.

The school has well-regarded graduate programs through the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Warrington College of Business, Levin College of Law and the College of Medicine. The university is also integrated with retirement community Oak Hammock, where students can work, complete internships and find mentors. Famous graduates of the University of Florida include home repair television sensation Bob Vila, Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier and former U.S. Sens. Bob Graham and Connie Mack.