Northwest Florida State College

A proud name and a proud tradition. Northwest Florida State College is honored to use the name Raiders and pay tribute to the heroes of the past who have shaped our future today. In the college’s first year of operation, in 1964, then Okaloosa-Walton Junior College set about to choose a school mascot. It was decided that the college use the name “Raiders” in honor of the heroic airmen who trained at Eglin Air Force Base for their famous World War II raid on Tokyo.

In dedication to keeping the legacy of the Doolittle Raiders alive, NWF State College is honored to feature various Raider memorabilia throughout the campus, including a mini-museum at the entrance of Raider Arena, a painting bearing the signatures of surviving crewman from each of the 16 participating aircrafts, including Jimmy Doolittle himself, and an autographed edition of Doolittle’s autobiography.

Northwest Florida State College improves lives. We deliver outstanding educational programs that are relevant, accessible, and engaging for students of all ages and provide exceptional cultural, athletic, and economic development activities for the communities served. We commit to excellence, creativity, integrity, and service.

• A learning-centered community
• Access to Opportunity
• Community Engagement
• Institutional Growth
• Financial Stewardship
• A Great Place to Work

In addition to a 264 acre campus in Niceville, NWF State College operates a joint campus with the University of West Florida in Fort Walton Beach, the Chautauqua Center in DeFuniak Springs, the Robert L.F. Sikes Education Center in Crestview and fulltime centers at Hurlburt Field and a center in South Walton County.

In addition to a record of regional and national accolades, NWF State College offers state-of-the-art student computer labs, a top-rated sports complex and a full program of intercollegiate and intramural sports, a child development center, and a criminal justice training center. A 120,000 square foot Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center on the Niceville Campus provides students the finest in instructional facilities for dance, music, theater, the visual arts and the humanities.