Many schools in Florida traditionally known as community colleges are transitioning to four-year colleges, and schools near Fort Myers are no exception. Former community colleges like Edison Community College and Southwest Florida Community College serve southwest Florida students, including those living in and near Fort Myers. Students can earn associate degrees at these schools as well as bachelor's degrees in specific, limited fields.

Edison State College: Lee Campus

Edison State College serves the southwest Florida region, offering one campus location in the heart of Fort Myers in Lee County. Students can earn certificates, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees on this campus. A range of associate programs are available, from dental hygiene and respiratory care to accounting technology and business administration. The Lee Campus offers child care facilities, a cafe and coffee shop and the Rush Library, where students can study.

Edison State College: Charlotte Campus

Edison State College's Charlotte Campus is in Punta Gorda, Florida, less than 30 minutes from Fort Myers. The campus offers the same degrees as the Lee Campus, including associate degrees in nursing and small business management. Students can enroll in online courses as well. The campus offers a number of academic and career prep sessions, including essay writing workshops and resume review day. The tobacco-free campus includes an observatory, testing center and lifelong learning institute.

Southwest Florida College: Fort Myers Campus

Students hoping to study in Fort Myers can also enroll at Southwest Florida College's Fort Myers campus. This campus offers diploma, associate and bachelor's degree programs in fields like criminal justice, early childhood education and digital design. This campus offers more degree programs than other campuses within this system. Some programs, like early childhood education, are also available online.

Southwest Florida College: Port Charlotte

About 20 miles north of Fort Myers in Port Charlotte is another Southwest Florida College campus. Students can earn diplomas and associate degrees at this campus as well, but bachelor's degrees are not available. Diploma programs include crime scene investigation and medical billing and coding technology. Associate programs include criminal justice, health information technology and surgical technician.

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