2022 Orlando Magazine College Guide

Orlando Magazine’s 2022 College Guide can be found below. Peruse Central Florida’s unique array of colleges and universities.

At Rollins, we’re top ranked, but you’re No. 1. For more than 25 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rollins among the top two regional universities in the South. Our sun-soaked lakeside campus was named the No. 1 most beautiful in the nation, and our Crummer Graduate School of Business has been ranked the No. 1 MBA program in Florida. But the No. 1 we’re most proud of is the one that applies to you. Thanks to an average class size of just 17 students and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, at Rollins you get the personalized attention you expect from one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Rollins is built on a human scale. Here, you’ll find no overflowing auditoriums, boring lectures, or uninspired professors. At Rollins, our intimate and personalized learning environment is designed to maximize engagement. It’s about application over memorization, mentoring over lecturing, and hands-on research over data downloading. Our students are mentored and challenged every day by expert faculty, helping them develop their personal and professional passions and reach their life and career goals.

Rollins is a future-proof education. At a time when the careers of tomorrow have yet to be invented, our innovative, interdisciplinary education equips you with the expertise to succeed as the world evolves. Along the way, you’ll develop an array of 21st-century skills—from creative problem solving and critical thinking to collaborative teamwork and clear communication—that are not only in demand among today’s top employers, but also immune to the fast-paced fluctuations of our ever-evolving world.

Rollins is an education for the real world. Rollins is among the nation’s best at empowering our students to put their ideas to work in the world. Our students develop a competitive advantage in the job market through top internships in Orlando and beyond, and get a head-start on grad school by collaborating on original research with their professors. In fact, at Rollins, opportunities to hone academic learning in the real world are virtually limitless.

Rollins is globally engaged. At Rollins, you’ll make an impact around the globe. After all, more than 70 percent of students study abroad. From semester and summer-long programs to faculty-led field studies, you’ll explore the world and test your ability to make it better.

Rollins is an engine of opportunity. Everyone from respected publications to former university presidents rate Rollins a top value among the nation’s best colleges, and Money.com recently has named Rollins one of the nation’s best colleges for merit aid. Nearly 95 percent of Rollins students receive financial aid, and each year our students have access to nearly $90 million in state, federal, and institutional resources. Use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your cost of attendance at rollins.college/ calculator.

Rollins offers four paths to a transformative education. Rollins’ traditional full-time undergraduate day programs in the College of Liberal Arts combine top-ranked academics, a personalized approach to learning, and a vibrant student experience on one of America’s top college campuses. Rollins’ Professional Advancement and Graduate Studies programs offer both bachelor’s and master’s degrees designed to fit the busy lives of working professionals. Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business offers three unique and highly ranked MBA programs as well as the first accredited Executive DBA in Florida. Find your path at rollins.edu.

Whether you’re taking the next step following high school, looking to advance a career, upgrading a skill, or simply taking time to learn a new subject, Seminole State College helps students take control of their future.

Recognized by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program as one of the nation’s top 25 community colleges, Seminole State is a national leader in academic and work- force programs for students of all ages and backgrounds. With more than 200 degrees, programs, and certificates from hospitality and tourism management to nursing and health sciences, engineering and industrial technology, mechatronics and robotics, and many more including 11 bachelor’s degrees in high-demand, high-growth fi elds like business, construction, education and IT, Seminole State’s programs are designed for those who want immediate employment in fast-growing job fi elds and careers. Students who earn their A.A. at Seminole State and are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree at a university receive guaranteed transfer through DirectConnect to UCF® or can seamlessly transfer to UF Online or one of Florida’s state universities.

The Center for Adult and Workforce Education serves the community by offering career and technical training along with a high school equivalency pathway, providing thorough but efficient educational coursework leading to employment in competitive industries. Our career certificate credentials are stackable and transferrable to associate in science (A.S.) degree programs so graduating students can continue their education and expand their employment potential.

Flexibility and affordability are hallmarks of Seminole State. Our tuition is about half what you’d pay at a state university. Financial aid and scholarships make us even more affordable and each year, we award $1 million in student scholarships and $50 million in financial aid.

Seminole State has smaller classes averaging 18 students and for those who have a busy schedule and prefer remote learning, we provide flexibility with online, remote and hybrid class options.

With over 50 clubs and organizations, student government, leadership and career development, intramural and recreational sports, volunteer opportunities, and arts, music and theater events, students have no shortage of ways to connect and bond with their peers at Seminole State.

Students who experience Seminole State College receive an affordable, quality education that propels them into a world of opportunities. It’s a place where learning is about helping individuals prepare for careers — and lives — that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Central Florida and beyond.

Preparing Accounting Professionals For Career Success
The Stetson School of Business Administration’s Online Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program can be completed in as little as one year, preparing you to achieve your goal of passing the CPA exam or advancing your career. Gain the knowledge, skills and technical competencies through this proven path to career advancement and global opportunities in accounting.

Why Stetson University’s MAcc Program is Ideal for Busy Professionals
• 100% on-line coursework, with optional tracks in data analytics and tax available with sufficient demand.
• Provides the flexibility you need through live online faculty interaction and asynchronous coursework.
• The 10-course program is offered over eight-week terms and can be completed in as little as one year.
• Small class sizes and passionate, dedicated and professionally experienced faculty who offer individualized attention and support.
• “Fast Track” admission option may be available to well-qualified candidates with an undergraduate accounting degree from Stetson or a partner institution.
• Our MAcc graduates historically outperform state, national and global CPA exam pass-rate averages.
• Data Analytics Track designed to meet the increasing demand for graduates skilled in technologies shaping the future.
• Tax Track designed for those with interest in a tax-related career, whether in public accounting, business or government.
• Merit scholarships available for qualified students through the University, the Stetson Business School Foundation, the Florida Institute of CPAs and the Florida Board of Accountancy.

Stetson University’s Noteworthy Distinctions
• Stetson University’s School of Business Administration is one of 193 institutions world wide that have achieved a dual accreditation in Accounting and Business by the Association to Advance  Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
• A “Best Online Master’s in Accounting Degree Program” by Intelligent, placing 15th out of 57 institutions while also winning an award for “Industry-Leading Faculty” (2022).
• A “Best College and Best Value School” by U.S. News & World Report (2022).
• One of “The Best Colleges” by The Princeton Review (2022).
• A pioneer in business education since 1897 — longer than any other Florida higher educational institution.

MAcc Graduate Outcomes
MAcc alumni earn higher salaries than accountants with only a bachelor’s degree while securing careers with:
• Big 4 Accounting Firms
• Local, regional and national CPA firms
• Corporations and other for-profit entities of all sizes
• Non-profit organizations
• Educational institutions

To request more information and waive your application fee, visit Stetson.edu/macc-orlandomag and use discount code: “SUOrlandomag”.

“The online Master of Accountancy Program is structured very well to work around a busy schedule. There’s a great balance between having virtual sessions with the professors and being able to work through the content at your own pace and your schedule. Stetson has small classes, so it gives it that personal feel. You feel connected to your professor and your fellow students despite it being an online program. The great thing about Stetson is the amazing professors. They’re always reachable if you need help, and they are genuinely invested in your success.”

-Alex Overdijking
Employed at Siemens

“I think what’s really unique about the MAcc program at Stetson is it’s focused on what the accounting profession and business in general is going to look like in the future. There’s an emphasis on developing core competencies, critical thinking and problem solving using various analytical tools. I was able to customize the program to my own career goals and pursue a concentration in data analytics. Having worked with some of the Big Four accounting firms, I knew how useful this knowledge would be.”

– Waleed Ikram
Employed at E&Y

Founded in 1989 by a group of forward-thinking parents and advocates, Beacon College is America’s first accredited institution of higher education to award competitive bachelor degrees in the arts, sciences, business, and technology in an environment created specifically to help students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and autistic spectrum disorders thrive and navigate successful futures. With small class sizes that cater to personalized attention from a dedicated faculty and trained learning specialists who provide individualized academic mentoring, the Beacon experience promotes critical thinking and problem- solving while serving each student’s learning style and unique learning needs.

Beacon continues to garner recognition on the national landscape: U.S. News & World Report has ranked the college in the top ten among the best regional colleges in the South; it has earned No. 1 national rankings in both the respected Peterson’s Guide “20 Great Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities” and BestValueSchools.com’s “20 Best Value Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities”; and, has ranked No. 4 in Best Choice Schools analytical survey of “The 20 Most Affordable Colleges with High Four-year Graduation Rates.” These exceptional and favorable rankings are underscored by Beacon’s performance in critical undergraduate student outcomes, led by its four-year graduation of 64% (far exceeding the national averages for all American college students (57%) and undergraduates with learning disabilities (28%).

However, colleges today ultimately are judged on whether graduates find good jobs. On that measure, 83.5% of Beacon alumni over the past decade have landed their first careers or enrolled in graduate school at a competitive university within six months of graduation.

Beacon is also known for its award-winning television series, A World of Difference. Beacon has partnered with WUCF-TV, Central Florida’s PBS station, to air the renowned series examining the journey of neurodiversity, relating to learning disabilities experienced from birth to adult years. Viewers can catch these important stories on WUCF in Central Florida and nationally on the PBS Video app.