Florida's public state college with three campuses serving northeast Florida since 1958.
St. Johns River State College offers Associate in Arts (A.A.) and Associate in Science (A.S.) degrees, as well as bachelor's degrees (newly available). The college provides certificate programs in vocational fields such as Criminal Justice and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Florida School of the Arts, housed on the Palatka campus, offers accredited Associate degrees in Visual Art (Animation, Studio Art, Graphic Design/New Media, Photography), Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Theatre Production/Design. Courses are delivered in multiple formats: on-campus, online, hybrid, and live online.
The college operates three geographically distributed campuses across northeast Florida to serve regional communities. The Palatka campus includes the Thrasher-Horne Center for Performing Arts (opened 2004) and houses Florida School of the Arts. Student life includes NJCAA athletics with the Vikings mascot. The college maintains on-campus housing and offers dual enrollment programs for high school students.
The college welcomes first-time students, transfer students, returning students, bachelor's degree seekers, transient students, international students, and non-degree-seeking learners. Orientation is required for all new degree-seeking students and is available online. New students must meet with an advisor in person or virtually after completing orientation. Application deadlines vary by term (Summer and Fall offerings). The college also offers adult education, GED programs, and community and corporate education services.
Originally founded in 1958 as St. Johns River Junior College, a historically black college, it merged with Collier-Blocker Junior College in 1964. The institution was renamed St. Johns River Community College from 1966 to 2011, when it was redesignated as a state college, enabling it to offer bachelor's degrees. In 2012, the college honored its historical roots by creating a memorial wall and establishing a scholarship in the name of Collier-Blocker. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is part of the Florida College System.