Hillsborough College (HC), formerly Hillsborough Community College, is the public college serving Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay area. It began in 1967–68 as Hillsborough Junior College, opened its first classes in 1968, and became Hillsborough Community College in 1970. On July 1, 2025, after a state law change, it adopted the name Hillsborough College. The new name does not change the institution’s role in Florida’s public college system: HC still offers university-transfer study, career degrees, certificates, workforce training and continuing education. Its current campus directory distinguishes five main campuses from three academic centers and the Ybor workforce-training site.
Which application and admission steps apply?
HC advertises more than 200 academic options. A general application is used for an associate degree, a certificate or credit classes as a non-degree student. The application is free. New students should plan to submit official high-school and prior-college transcripts, establish Florida residency if claiming the lower in-state rate, complete orientation and follow the placement or prerequisite instructions for their chosen program. The college recommends meeting an advisor before orientation. Dual enrollment, international students seeking an F-1 visa, public-safety academies and continuing-education courses use separate entry routes; continuing-education students do not need the general application. Choose the correct HC application and enrollment checklist.
General admission does not guarantee a seat in a selective health or public-safety program. Nursing, dental hygiene, sonography, radiography, EMT and other regulated pathways may require prerequisites, entrance tests, a second application, health records or a background check. For example, the college lists its A.S. Nursing program at 72 credits; its basic sequence follows prerequisites and four fall/spring semesters, while the LPN transition sequence is shorter. A student should plan from the current program page and catalog, rather than from the general college application alone.
Tuition, fees and a realistic annual budget
HC’s published 2026–27 credit-course rate is $104.39 per credit hour for Florida residents and $379.61 for non-Florida residents, including listed fees. A 12-credit fall plus 12-credit spring schedule therefore comes to $2,505.36 or $9,110.64 in tuition and fees, before books, housing, food, transportation, supplies and program charges. The college’s full cost-of-attendance tables estimate those additional expenses separately. A 30-credit calculation is useful for comparison, but should not be mistaken for a complete year budget. Some baccalaureate and workforce offerings use different rates; lab, clinical, testing and course-specific costs may also apply. Check the current tuition and fee schedule.
Federal aid, Florida programs and scholarships
HC directs students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and use school code 007870. Depending on eligibility, that application can open access to federal grants, work-study and loans, as well as state and institutional aid. HC lists Foundation scholarships, need- and merit-based institutional awards, Florida Bright Futures, the Florida First Responder Scholarship and other state programs. Each award has its own deadline, residency, enrollment and academic rules; some scholarships require the FAFSA even when the award itself comes from a donor or the college. Apply early, monitor the MyHC financial-aid portal for missing documents and compare the award letter with the full cost of attendance. Review current HC and state scholarship opportunities.
English support before and during college study
Students who want to strengthen academic English can take English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Dale Mabry, SouthShore or Ybor City. HC places students by the ACCUPLACER LOEP assessment and offers six levels, from beginning to advanced, in reading, writing, grammar and speech/listening as appropriate to level. Fall and spring classes usually run 16 weeks; summer classes usually run 10 weeks, with daytime, evening, online and in-person sections depending on the term. Levels 1–4 award institutional credit; levels 5–6 award elective credit that can count toward an Associate in Arts degree. At levels 5–6, students may begin selected college courses with advising. Completing level 6 permits registration in college-level classes and satisfies HC’s AA foreign-language requirement. Very beginning learners can ask about Foundations: Beginning in English, a preparatory course for EAP level 1. Compare EAP classes, placement and campus locations.
Degrees, credits and time to completion
The Associate in Arts (AA) is a 60-credit transfer degree designed primarily for students continuing toward a bachelor’s degree. Associate in Science (AS) degrees generally require at least 60 credits and are built around employment-focused fields; requirements differ by program. HC also awards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, college-credit certificates, applied technology diplomas, advanced technical credentials and noncredit workforce certificates. A full-time AA or AS plan may take about two academic years, but prerequisites, course sequencing, clinical placements, part-time attendance and whether a required class is offered that term all affect the finish date. The searchable catalog and the academic advisor are the reliable ways to build a semester-by-semester plan. Search HC degrees and certificates by subject and campus.
Choose a campus by program and place
Brandon is the eastern Tampa base for aquaculture, biotechnology, engineering technology and supply-chain study. Dale Mabry, HC’s largest campus, concentrates health sciences and includes a dental clinic, EAP advising, library, food pantry, tennis center and student services. Plant City stands out for veterinary technology, environmental science, nursing and its Trinkle Center. SouthShore in Ruskin offers nursing and emergency-medical routes as well as education and business. Ybor City combines criminal justice, public service, visual art, performance and EAP. These are five separate main campuses; classes, advising and specialty facilities are not interchangeable across addresses.
Several smaller sites extend those programs. The Regent in Riverview is a Brandon satellite with classrooms and computer labs; a student checks the class search to see which courses meet there, while several core services are provided through Brandon. The Ybor City Campus Training Center is a distinct workforce site for automotive, diesel, heavy-equipment, fire, police and welding pathways. The MacDill Education Center offers selected accelerated and online credit options, but sits inside an Air Force installation with controlled entry. HC also locates its Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education at the district administration center on North Lois Avenue; that is an administrative and continuing-education location, not another general campus.
Parking, buses and checking the exact classroom
Hillsborough County is broad, so a course near central Tampa may be a long trip from Ruskin, Plant City or Riverview. HC’s parking rules allow students and visitors to use unreserved lots, but Ybor City requires a displayed college decal in its lots and garage. The college says the Fernando Noriega Student Garage will use license-plate recognition beginning Fall 2026. HART operates the county bus network; routes and service times vary by campus and class schedule. Use HART’s current map and trip planner, then verify the class’s campus in the HC course search. For all addresses and campus maps, open HC’s official locations directory.
Check current details and choose according to your budget, time and way of travelling.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
Hillsborough College — Brandon Campus
10451 Nancy Watkins Dr., Tampa, FL 33619
On the eastern side of Tampa, the Brandon Campus brings college study and career training to a large part of Hillsborough County. HC lists aquaculture, biotechnology, engineering technology, educator preparation, financial technology and supply-chain management among its specialties. The official ca
Aquaculture, biotechnology, engineering technology, educator preparation, financial technology and supply-chain programs.
Hillsborough College — Dale Mabry Campus
4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd., Tampa, FL 33614
Dale Mabry is the largest of HC’s campuses and sits across from Raymond James Stadium. Its academic mix includes health sciences, computer science and hospitality, while the campus directory highlights a dental clinic, Gallery 221, the Gourmet Room, apprenticeships and the Patel Tennis Center. The c
Health sciences, dental clinic, computer science, hospitality, culinary programs and English for Academic Purposes.
Hillsborough College — Plant City Campus
1206 N. Park Rd., Plant City, FL 33563
Plant City gives students a smaller-city base for applied and transfer study. HC identifies environmental science, nursing and veterinary technology among the campus’s academic strengths, with the John R. Trinkle Center serving as a major meeting and event facility. The institution also lists the Ar
Veterinary technology, environmental science, nursing, agriculture and emergency medical training.
Hillsborough College — SouthShore Campus
551 24th St. NE, Ruskin, FL 33570
SouthShore serves the southern end of the county from Ruskin. HC points prospective students toward nursing, emergency medical technician and paramedic routes, alongside business, education and environmental science. The campus is LEED Gold certified and also houses Lennard Collegiate Academy and an
Nursing, EMT and paramedic education, business, education, environmental sciences and English for Academic Purposes.
Hillsborough College — Ybor City Campus
2112 N. 15th St., Tampa, FL 33605
In historic Ybor City, HC’s campus brings arts and public-service training into an urban setting. The college lists the Criminal Justice Institute, performing arts, visual art and design, and Gallery 114 among its signature areas; its campus factsheet adds programs in media, broadcasting, business,
Criminal justice, public service, performing arts, visual design, media and English for Academic Purposes.
Hillsborough College — Ybor City Campus Training Center
5610 E. Columbus Dr., Tampa, FL 33619
At 5610 East Columbus Drive, the Ybor City Campus Training Center is a workforce-training site rather than a general campus. HC says it serves more than 1,000 students a year through hands-on instruction, computerized learning and high-tech simulators. The published training fields include collision
Hands-on workforce education in automotive repair, diesel, heavy equipment, fire services, law enforcement and welding.
Hillsborough College — The Regent
6437 Watson Rd., Riverview, FL 33578
The Regent is a satellite classroom site of the Brandon Campus, created to serve Brandon, Progress Village, Riverview and Valrico. High-school students taking dual-enrollment classes, degree-seeking students and non-degree students may attend classes there. HC maintains classrooms and computer labs
Satellite classrooms for dual-enrollment, degree-seeking and non-degree students, with computer labs.
Hillsborough College — Education Center at MacDill AFB
8102 Condor St., MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, FL 33621
HC’s Education Center at MacDill Air Force Base brings selected college-credit instruction to the installation and also supports online study. The college describes accelerated formats of eight to twelve weeks, evening classes on base and help evaluating military education and experience for possibl
On-base and online college-credit courses, accelerated class formats and military prior-learning support.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Hillsborough College — Brandon Campus ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
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Official website of Hillsborough College — Dale Mabry Campus ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
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Official website of Hillsborough College — Plant City Campus ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
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Official website of Hillsborough College — SouthShore Campus ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
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Official website of Hillsborough College — Ybor City Campus ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
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Official website of Hillsborough College — Ybor City Campus Training Center ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
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Official website of Hillsborough College — The Regent ↗
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Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Hillsborough College — Education Center at MacDill AFB ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Hillsborough College · Accessed October 26, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.