About Broward College

A College Built for You. Powered by Your Community.

At Broward College, you don’t just go to school, you build a future. We provide affordable, flexible, career-focused education designed for the people of South Florida.

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Who We Are

Broward College is a public college serving Broward County and South Florida, focused on helping students start, advance, or change careers through accessible education.

  • First-time college students
  • Adult learners returning to school
  • Working professionals upskilling
  • High school and dual enrollment students
  • Career changers and lifelong learners

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What You Can Do at Broward College

You don’t need to figure everything out today—you just need to start.

Earn A Degree

Earn a Degree

Associate and bachelor’s programs designed for real careers.

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Get Certified

Get Certified

Industry certifications and workforce training that lead to jobs fast.

View Certificates & Workforce Programs

Advance Your Career

Advance Your Career

Upskill or re-skill with flexible, career-focused education.

Find Career Pathways

Transfer to a University

Transfer to a University

Start here, go anywhere.

Learn About Transfer Options

Dual Enrollment

Dual Enrollment

The Dual Enrollment Program at Broward College is an accelerated program that allows eligible public/charter, private, and home school secondary students to take postsecondary coursework and simultaneously earn both high school and college credits, saving both time and money.

Learn About Dual Enrollment

College Academy

College Academy

The College Academy at BC offers high school juniors enrolled full-time in the program, the opportunity to receive a high school diploma from the School Board of Broward County, Florida, and an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from Broward College. College Academy students are subject to additional eligibility criteria as published by the College Academy.

Learn About College Academy

A Quality Education You Can Afford

College should open doors—not create financial stress. That’s why Broward College is committed to keeping education accessible through low tuition rates, financial aid and scholarship opportunities, flexible pay-as-you-go options, and program pathways designed to help you reduce overall costs. You don’t have to take it all on at once—you can start small, move at your own pace, and build toward something bigger without overwhelming debt.

See Tuition & Financial Aid Options

Discover Broward College

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Mission, Vision, Values
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Your Next Chapter Starts Here

Your journey starts with one step and Broward College is here to help you take it.

History of Broward College

1950s

The Vision

In 1957, Florida embarked on a program to create a network of two-year colleges at which Floridians could complete undergraduate education or pursue two-year technical programs leading to the workforce. When the state released its plan, Broward County was not among the highest-priority communities selected for the first wave of construction; however, by 1959, Broward County was placed at the top of the priority list and work on the Junior College of Broward County was underway.
1960s

The Grand Opening

Just 17 days after founding President Joe B. Rushing accepted his position, he was assembling staff. On September 6, 1960, the Junior College of Broward County opened its doors to its first class - 701 students. Classes were held at the former Naval Air Station Junior High on the western edge of what is now the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. A faculty of 28 and staff of 19 welcomed students on opening day. The Central Campus that we know today opened its doors to students in August of 1963.
1970s

An Evolving Campus

In the 1970s Broward College offered its first television-based classes and reached an enrollment of 12,000 students. Broward College received their very first gift from Ralph R. Bailey. Bailey Hall was named in honor of Mr. Bailey, a Hallandale engineer and real estate investor. The hall opened with a dedication gala in 1979; Governor Bob Graham was the guest of honor for the ceremony. There were two campuses and two centers that opened to students in this decade. North Campus opened its doors February 27, 1972 and the Willis Holcombe Center opened October 1, 1973. South Campus offered their first classes in August 1977 in a satellite center; the campus we know today opened its doors January 17, 1978. The Tigertail Lake Recreational Center first started in 1974 and was operated from a car until the building was complete.
1980s

Building Community Partnerships

John Payne Hall, Handleman Hall, Ferris Center, Joe B. Rushing Hall and the Meyer Hall were all named and dedicated for Broward College's 20th Anniversary in 1980. Broward College offered weekend classes to students for the first time and combined sports from all campuses to one mutual team. Dr. Adams retired and was replaced by Dr. Willis Holcombe who involved the college in international education and built partnerships between the college and community organizations.
1990s

Creating Milestones

In 1995 Broward College received their first donation from Edward Sees. The Sees donation was given to Broward College to be given as scholarships to students known as the "C Scholarships". The first Broward College website debuted in 1997. In 1998 the college held its first outdoor graduation ceremony on the Central Campus Library lawn. In 1999 another milestone for Broward College was reached, the first online computer registration for students was available.
2000s

The New Broward College

The first few years of the college's previous president, J. David Armstrong, Jr., saw the transformation of Broward Community College to Broward College with the addition of baccalaureate programs to meet specific, targeted needs of the community. Broward's first class of baccalaureate students began attending classes in January 2009 on the Judson A. Samuels South Campus. This first baccalaureate class graduated in December 2010. Three of Broward College's centers were opened in this decade, the Pines Center on August 24, 2000, the Weston Center on February 16, 2006 and the Miramar Town Center on August 18, 2008.
2010s

Recognition by the Aspen Institute

Broward College’s successes lead to multiple nominations for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, culminating with a $100,000 award in 2017 as a Finalist with Distinction. The College also expanded its footprint with the opening of the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Simulation Center at Central Campus and the new Miramar West Center, operated in conjunction with Florida International University. The College also launched online degree programs that increased available options for students. In 2018, J. David Armstrong, Jr. stepped down as president and was replaced by Gregory A. Haile.
2020s

A New Era

In 2020, the College adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting to online instruction and hosting several virtual commencement ceremonies. The College also rolled out its Rapid Credentials program for accelerated job training and launched new health sciences programs while also expanding dual enrollment. In 2025, Torey Alston became the College’s eighth permanent president.
Today

Pursuit of Excellence

As Broward College forges into its second half-century of service to Broward County, it does so as one of the nation's largest institutions of its type, with a reputation for the pursuit of excellence and service to its students. Broward College serves more than 54,000 students annually and employs a faculty and staff of more than 3,000.

A special thanks to the Broward College Archives & Special Collections department for their contribution to the historical photographs.

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