Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is a

public college A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 95,949 in 2022, making it the List o ...

. It is a member of the Florida College System.

History

FSW was established in 1962 as Edison Junior College, named after

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

, who spent winter months in Fort Myers. Its first campus opened in 1965. The school rebranded several times, reflecting changes in its mission and academic offerings. It became a baccalaureate-granting institution in 2008, when it was renamed Edison State College. In 2014, the college adopted its current name, cutting ties to Edison and aligning with its expanded geographic reach.Rosenburg-Douglas, Katherine (July 7, 2014)
"Goodbye Edison, hello Florida SouthWestern State College"
'' Naples Daily News''. Retrieved September 8, 2024.

Academics

FSW offers both associate and baccalaureate degrees, and several vocational certificate programs, focusing on healthcare, business, technology, and education. FSW is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

Campuses

The main campus is located in Fort Myers, and covers . The college also has additional campuses, including the Charlotte Campus in Punta Gorda, which opened in 1997 and is the largest campus at . The Collier Campus, located in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, opened in 1992 on a site. Additionally, the Hendry/Glades Curtis Center in LaBelle serves as a hub for outreach programs. Hendry/Glades Curtis Center also offers classes for degree seeking students and classes for credits like its sister campuses that are part of FSW College system. It serves the students in both Hendry and Glades counties as well as students from other campuses and counties.

Athletics

FSW reestablished its athletics program in 2014 under the "Buccaneers" moniker. Teams participate in the Suncoast Conference of the Florida State College Activities Association and the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

. The 3,500-seat Suncoast Credit Union Arena opened in 2016 and is home to the basketball and volleyball teams, as well as the City of Palms Classic high school basketball tournament. Baseball and softball teams play at City of Palms Park.

Gallery

Notable alumni

* Charles Ghigna, poet and children's author * Matt Hudson, member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

* Tina Wainscott, romance and suspense novelist *

Fuzzy Zoeller Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller Jr. (; born November 11, 1951) is an American professional golfer who has won ten PGA Tour events including two major championships. He is one of three golfers to have won the Masters Tournament in his first appea ...

, professional golfer, currently plays on the Champions Tour * Keon Ellis, professional basketball player for the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Fort Myers, Florida Education in Collier County, Florida Education in Lee County, Florida Education in Charlotte County, Florida Universities and colleges established in 1962 Florida College System Two-year colleges in the United States Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1962 establishments in Florida