Santa Fe College

Santa Fe College 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.

Students attend Santa Fe College because we offer courses that lead to transfer and jobs, and all our support services are dedicated to assisting you through college to graduation day.

Whether you’re interested in earning a bachelor's degree at Santa Fe College, looking to enter directly into a career in two years or less, or planning to transfer to a university, SF has a track to get you there. We also offer non-degree college prep, community and continuing education.

We keep good company. Our best partner is the University of Florida. We share numerous programs and activities with UF. These are reasons why Santa Fe College sends more students to UF than any other institution.

Santa Fe College students are successful at UF and at other institutions of higher education. Our classes are small so you learn the subject being taught and meet other students. Our professors are dedicated to teaching and see each student – you – as a unique individual.

Santa Fe College is committed to preparing globally competent and globally competitive students with a high level of intercultural competency. We seek to produce graduates that will excel in the midst of rapid globalization, adapt to our changing world, and effect positive change. Our college helps students achieve this by offering dozens of courses with international content and organizing a rich set of extracurricular activities with a global focus. We also assist help students gain fun and rewarding international experiences through study abroad programs, which allow you to earn credit while visiting another country with a Santa Fe faculty leader.

Students who study abroad learn much more than a language and culture, they learn to understand an entirely new group of people - an experience that's truly priceless. Your gift provides opportunities for Santa Fe College students to have the life-changing experience of international education. Santa Fe College recognizes that international education helps our community thrive in a global economy and it is vital to national economic security.

Santa Fe College recognizes your need to have international experience in order to compete in the global job market. To help meet that need, the International Education Office advises students on SF faculty-led programs to numerous locations around the world.

Each program is developed and led by SF faculty members and are typically one to two weeks in length. The programs are taken for credit and are part of a semester's work. So, yes, you are going to a new country to learn - but it's the most fun and exciting way to learn, guaranteed.

College is an investment. How much you spend depends on your personal finances, but you can be sure the value of a Santa Fe College education is second to none. Financial aid helps students and their families pay for college. This financial assistance helps cover educational expenses and related costs. There are several types of financial aid, including grants and scholarships, work study and loans. Some types, like scholarships, can require additional searches and applications.

Scholarships are a form of financial assistance awarded to students based on specific criteria that has been determined by the donor or organization providing the funds.

The Counseling Center provides short-term, solution-focused counseling to SF students free of charge, as well as crisis intervention, outreach and consultation. The Center is part of the Trauma Response Team at Santa Fe College which provides needed comfort to students, faculty, staff and families in times of crisis. Counselors also assist students, faculty and staff identify other services in the college and in the community that may be helpful. In addition to its participation in events such as Safe Spring Break and numerous awareness events, the Counseling Center offers over 50 workshops each year through its Living & Learning Workshop Series.

Santa Fe College was established by the state legislature in 1965 as a "community college" to offer wide access to quality higher education for citizens of Alachua and Bradford Counties. Since its founding, Santa Fe College has pursued its mission of educational opportunity, responsiveness to the community, economic development and innovation in the public interest.

In its first 50 years, Santa Fe College has matured from a small community college of 1,000 students into a strong four-year college offering a rich and wide variety of educational opportunities to more than 22,000 individuals each year on seven campus sites and online. There are 786 full-time employees, of whom 214 are members of the faculty. There are also 676 part-time employees. The annual operating budget exceeds $82 million.