SWFC Reaches Record Enrollement & Announces Expansion at its Port Charlotte Campus

Fort Myers, Fla. (November 5, 2009) – One new campus, five new programs, a Virtual school, and 2,300 students are swelling Southwest Florida College’s enrollment statistics.

"The school’s overall 28 percent increase compared to last year is spread across all of its divisions," said Dr. Stephen Calabro, Executive Vice President for Southwest Florida College.

The most significant increase came at the combined Southwest Florida College Fort Myers campus and Institute of Interior Design at Southwest Florida College in Estero, where 1,573 students enrolled this term, compared to 1,269 last year. The second largest enrollment spike came at the six-month-old Port Charlotte campus, where 197 students enrolled, compared to just 31 during its opening term in February. The Tampa campus swelled to 505 students, compared to 495 in the fall term last year. And the Southwest Florida College online division enrolled its 200th fully online student.

Program enrollments are especially strong in health care, which enrolled 821 students this year compared to the 573 that entered last year. Other programs that have shown considerable growth include Legal and Information Technology, which gained an additional 45 and 33 new students respectively.

The new Southwest Florida College bachelor’s degree program in Health Care Administration has gained traction and has enrolled 20 students in its first term being offered. Other new programs have been added to the Port Charlotte campus offerings and include a Crime Scene Investigation Diploma, and three new associate degree programs in Criminal Justice, Early Childhood and Management and Marketing. The Port Charlotte campus is expanding. Construction is expected to be completed by the Winter Term and will include added classroom space and laboratories.

Southwest Florida College is an accredited, private institution of higher learning centrally located in Fort Myers, Tampa, Port Charlotte, and includes the Institute of Interior Design located within the Miromar Design Center in Estero. The College has been providing post secondary education to Floridians since 1974 and offers programs in Allied Health, Business, Design, Education, Information Technology and Legal Studies. Its mission is to provide educational opportunities for individuals to acquire knowledge and skills that will help prepare them for rewarding careers in fields with high growth potential. For more information, call toll free 888-526-7973 or visit www.swfc.edu.