Choosing a college in Miami-Dade starts with practical questions: what credential do you want, what can you budget per term, and where can you realistically attend classes? Miami Dade College spreads eight campuses across Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Medical, North, Padrón, West in Doral, and downtown Wolfson. They are not interchangeable: one centers on health careers, another has a documented academic-English pathway, while others emphasize technical training, business, arts, or university transfer.
The institution opened in 1960 as Dade County Junior College with just under 1,500 students, amid desegregation and the arrival of Cuban refugees. Its first class included seven Black students, making it Florida’s first integrated junior college. The state legislature approved the Miami Dade College name in 2003. That community-college history helps explain the institution’s scale, but every applicant still has to complete admission, orientation, placement, and financial-aid steps.
Admission begins with an online application. The college may require a high-school diploma or equivalent and official transcripts from prior schools and colleges; Florida-resident classification requires separate documentation and affects tuition. New students then complete orientation, placement, and program-specific steps. Health, honors, licensing, and selective certificate routes can add prerequisites, deadlines, and limited seats. Applying to MDC is not the same as being ready for every major: confirm the chosen program’s rules and use the course search to find where each class meets.
Published tuition for associate and credit-certificate programs is $118.22 per credit for Florida residents and $402.51 for nonresidents. A 12-credit term comes to $1,418.64 or $4,830.12 before additional charges. MDC notes that labs, supplies, online courses, and other costs can raise the bill. Tuition is not a flat annual price: residency, course format, and program all matter. Request an estimate for your actual schedule before borrowing or budgeting for books, transport, and housing.
An Associate in Arts or Associate in Science commonly requires about 60 credits; many students plan on two years of full-time study, but prerequisites, placement courses, course availability, work, and breaks can extend that timeline. Certificates may be shorter or require practicums and external exams. MDC also offers bachelor’s programs, which typically require about 120 credits. There is no single completion time for every major: review the program map and ask whether earlier credits can transfer.
Limited English does not have to close the door before a student begins. Applicants who are not yet ready for college-level English can take ACCUPLACER ESL and be placed in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The program develops speaking/listening, reading, writing, and grammar across six levels. At Padrón, the traditional option runs 16 weeks in fall and spring and 12 weeks in summer; placement and individual progress determine how long a student needs. Some advanced courses may count as elective credit, but EAP placement does not automatically qualify a student for every regular class or selective program.
MDC’s general 2026–27 scholarship deadline was May 1, 2026, which has passed. That does not mean every aid opportunity is closed: the college lists targeted scholarships and some ongoing awards, each with its own deadline and conditions. In October 2026, for example, the official page showed scholarships closing October 30 and rolling support for certain certificates or fields. Many awards require FAFSA and at least six degree-seeking credits. Check current dates, eligibility, and whether an award covers tuition, supplies, or living costs before counting on it.
The campuses differ in practical ways. Hialeah has a substantial English-language program; Homestead combines general coursework with aviation training, sciences, and nursing; Kendall is notable for its size, athletics, and transfer offerings; Medical concentrates on nursing and allied health. North brings together certificates, justice, environmental science, and technical training; Padrón houses education, dual-language honors, translation and interpretation, and EAP. West sits in Doral’s business district with business, engineering, and technology programs; Wolfson connects downtown with professional programs and cultural events. Read the campus profiles before planning a first visit rather than assuming one location offers everything.
Before enrolling, confirm your resident or nonresident tuition, the program schedule, which classes meet at your campus, English placement steps, and scholarship deadlines. Start the admission application, check tuition and scholarships, and review EAP placement. Each campus profile includes an address and directions link; for advising, book with the right department instead of arriving without knowing which building handles your question.
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.
Hialeah Campus sits along the West 49th Street corridor and serves northwest Miami-Dade. Miami Dade College lists programs in computer and office technology, electronics, and early childhood development, alongside a substantial English-language offering for speakers of other languages. That mix may
Campus combining academic programs with a substantial English-language program for speakers of other languages.
Miami Dade College — Homestead Campus
500 College Terrace, Homestead, FL 33030
Homestead Campus occupies College Terrace at the southern end of the county. Since 1990, it has offered a nearby option for Homestead and Florida City communities. Its campus map shows science classrooms and labs, nursing facilities, and an aviation training complex with simulators. For South Dade r
South Dade campus with science labs, nursing training, and an aviation training complex.
Kendall is one of MDC’s largest sites, spanning 185 acres among wooded areas and lakes, according to the college. Its official page highlights wellness facilities, athletic fields, and an Olympic-size pool, as well as transfer programs, professional upskilling, and licensing preparation. It also hos
A 185-acre campus with wellness facilities, athletic fields, an Olympic-size pool, and transfer and professional-certification programs.
Medical Campus sits beside Miami’s medical and civic district and concentrates on nursing and allied-health disciplines. The college describes its Center for Learning, Innovation and Simulation as a hands-on training space using simulation technology. For someone considering healthcare, the site’s v
A health-focused campus for nursing and allied professions, home to the Center for Learning, Innovation and Simulation.
North is MDC’s original campus, opened in 1960 on land that had served as a World War II naval air station. Its map places the library, cafeteria, theater, gym, aquatic center, fire-science tower, environmental-science spaces, and funeral-service facilities around a lake and walking paths. The range
The founding campus, with justice, environmental science, fire science, funeral-service programs, and short certificates.
Padrón Campus is in Little Havana, and its academic identity links language, education, and community. It houses the School of Education, Dual Language Honors College, and Translation and Interpretation Studies, alongside business, accounting, information technology, transfer, and pre-nursing course
A Little Havana campus for education, dual-language honors, translation and interpretation, and English for Academic Purposes.
West Campus is MDC’s Doral location, near the Florida Turnpike and the county’s international trade and logistics district. The college identifies programs from the Miguel B. Fernández Family School of Global Business and the School of Engineering + Technology, alongside certificates and professiona
A Doral campus in the logistics district, with global-business, engineering, technology, and professional-development programs.
Wolfson is woven into downtown Miami, among government offices, the financial district, and cultural venues. The college lists programs in banking and finance, business, information technology, paralegal studies, architecture, economics, hospitality, engineering, arts, and humanities. The Miami Book
An urban downtown campus with business, technology, paralegal, architecture, hospitality, engineering, and arts programs, plus a public cultural calendar.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Hialeah Campus ↗
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Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Hialeah Campus ↗
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Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Homestead Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Homestead Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Kendall Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Kendall Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Medical Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Medical Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — North Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — North Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Padrón Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Padrón Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — West Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — West Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — West Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Wolfson Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Wolfson Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Miami Dade College — Wolfson Campus ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Miami Dade College · Accessed October 25, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Google Maps reviews — Hialeah Campus ↗
Secondary source
Google Maps / Wanderlog · Accessed October 25, 2026
Instantánea de la ficha exacta consultada el 25-10-2026: 3.7/322; se almacena en businesses y entities.
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Google Maps reviews — Homestead Campus ↗
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Google Maps / Wanderlog · Accessed October 25, 2026
Instantánea de ficha exacta consultada el 25-10-2026: 4.1/130.
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Google Maps — Kendall Campus ↗
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Google Maps · Accessed October 25, 2026
Resultado exacto de Maps observado el 25-10-2026; instantánea 4.2/676.
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Google Maps reviews — Medical Campus ↗
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Google Maps / Birdeye · Accessed October 25, 2026
Instantánea de reseñas Google de ficha exacta vista el 25-10-2026: 3.4/194.
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Google Maps reviews — North Campus ↗
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Google Maps / Birdeye · Accessed October 25, 2026
Instantánea de ficha exacta con reseñas de Google vista el 25-10-2026: 4.4/1,076.
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Campus listing and review search ↗
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Google Maps · Accessed October 25, 2026
Se verificó la búsqueda por dirección; no se registró rating por falta de atribución inequívoca.
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Campus listing and review search ↗
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Google Maps · Accessed October 25, 2026
Se descartaron resultados de librerías y fichas de terceros; no se asignó un rating de campus.
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Campus listing and review search ↗
Secondary source
Google Maps · Accessed October 25, 2026
Resultados de reseñas con cifras para edificios individuales; no se atribuyeron al campus completo.