Welcome to Palm Beach State College – Florida’s first public community college.

Palm Beach State has proudly served our students and the residents of Palm Beach for more than 75 years. Since 1933, the college has experienced remarkable growth, rising from a small junior college with 41 students to a comprehensive state college serving more than 52,000 students annually at four locations strategically located throughout the county. Courses offered via the Internet are providing thousands of students locally and from around the world access to our programs at the College.

From the beginning, student success has been our top priority. Recognizing that each student is unique with diverse needs and goals, we strive to maintain small class sizes and offer programs to develop the whole student, including ethics, leadership and community service opportunities. Our 1:23 teacher-to-student ratio allows for student engagement in a nurturing learning environment. Our faculty members represent some of the best educators in their programs of study, and they are dedicated to challenging our students and helping them achieve their dreams.

Revenues from the state allow Palm Beach State to keep its tuition low, providing affordable access to quality education and training for all individuals. While providing students with the first two years of the baccalaureate degree is our core mission, we also offer degrees and certificates for those preparing to go directly to work, or who simply want to update their skills, renew their professional license or learn for the fun of it. The College’s Continuing Education Program is designed to respond to the workforce training needs of business and industry.

We began offering our first baccalaureate degree - the Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision and Management with concentrations in health management, public safety management or general management in Fall Term 2009. In addition, we recently received approval from the State Board of Education to offer a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and we are working to develop those programs. We now also offer new Associate in Science degree programs in sugar technology, health information management and electrical power technology.

Significant initiatives are happening every day to make Palm Beach State College an institution of first choice for the residents in our service area. These include, but are not limited to, the creation of the Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College that is attracting some of the best and brightest high school students, the recent construction of the new state-of-the-art Bioscience Technology Complex in Palm Beach Gardens, the Countess de Hoernle Humanities & Technology Building in Boca Raton and the Natural Science building in Lake Worth. We recently completed construction of the new Technical Education Center in Belle Glade, and completed a firing range, which is the first phase of the new Public Safety Training Complex in Lake Worth. Later this year, we will break ground on a new building in Lake Worth to house all of our bachelor's degree programs.

Palm Beach State’s continuing commitment to student success has characterized the College for more than seven decades. We encourage you to get involved, ask questions and find out what Palm Beach State has to offer you.

Dr. Dennis P. Gallon
President, Palm Beach State College