Public Schools
Lee County School District
(239) 334-1102
The Lee Couny School District is the 60th largest district in the United States and educates more than 75,000 students. The school district employs more than 11,000 people and the School District is the county's largest employer. Fort Myers High School was ranked among the 100-best high schools in the nation for 2003, 2004 and 2005 by Newsweek magazine.
There are 97 schools the Lee County School District: - 40 elementary
- 16 middle
- 11 high
- 4 K-8 schools
- 1 6-12 school
- 3 High Tech Centers
- 7 education centers
- 15 charter schools
School District of Collier County
(239) 377-0001
The School District of Collier County has 44 schools, including two charter schools. The district serves a total student population of 43,000. There are 25 elementary schools, ten middle schools and seven high schools, plus a Pre-Kindergarten Center (The Learning Center in Immokalee), and a Pre-K through 12 school (Everglades City School). Additionally, 15 Alternative School sites serve 1,200 students. Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology (LWIT) serves nearly 6,000 workforce education adult students during any given semester. Barron Collier High School was ranked in Newsweek's 2006 list of top U.S. high schools.
Colleges/Universities
Ave Maria University
(877) 283-8648
Ave Maria University is a new Catholic university in Southwest Florida, founded in 2003 by Domino's Pizza founder and owner Tom Monaghan. The permanent campus is under construction, and classes are currently held in a temporary campus in Naples, Florida. The permanent campus will be situated in the planned town of Ave Maria, east of Naples, Florida. Monaghan calls Ave Maria the first Catholic university established in over 40 years. The expected undergraduate enrollment of the school for 2006-2007 is 450 students.
Edison College
(239) 489-9300
Edison College has served Collier County since 1973. The current Collier County Campus located in Lely, opened in March of 1992. Edison offers courses of study leading to Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. It offers a full range of programs and services on each of its three campuses: Collier, Lee and Charlotte. Edison brings higher education within reach of the entire five-county district served by the college. Overall, Edison provides classes for 14,000 credit and 15,000 non-credit students, annually.
Florida Gulf Coast University
(800) 590-3428
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a public, four-year college located in Fort Myers, Florida. FGCU, a member of the State University System of Florida, is a comprehensive university created to address the educational needs of the rapidly growing Southwest Florida population. Classrooms showcase state-of-the-art multimedia instructional systems that feature Internet access, document cameras, and audio and video presentations. FGCU is located on 760 Acres in Southwest Florida. Four hundred acres of the main campus are set aside for environmental preservation. Enrollment is currently more than 8,000 students.