Everglades University

History

Everglades University was originally called the American Flyers College when it was founded in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1990. In 1998, Arthur and Belinda Keiser - the owners of Keiser University - purchased American Flyers College (American Flyers, Inc.), then changed the name to Everglades College in 1999 after relocating to Fort Lauderdale.

Everglades College was created in 2000 and was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the State of Florida. Two years later, in 2002, the US Department of the Internal Revenue Service recognized Everglades College, Inc. as a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation and Everglades College, Inc. became independently operated by a Board of Trustees.

In 2011, Everglades University purchased Keiser University, a Florida-based for-profit chain which then became a nonprofit college.

Campuses

Everglades University has four different campuses in Florida: Boca Raton, Orlando, Sarasota, and Tampa.

Boca Raton Campus

The university's main campus has been located in Boca Raton, Florida since 2004. The university building is 37,000 square feet and includes offices, classrooms, computer labs, a library and student lounge. The staff, faculty, and students have participated in the Walk to Cure Arthritis, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, collecting toys for Toys for Tots, and hosted several blood drives with OneBlood. The Boca Raton Campus has awarded four Frione scholarships to individuals in the community and works with the Green Veteran group, which was cofounded by EU alumnus, Brian J. Sales. This location also houses the Everglades University Online Division.

Orlando Campus

The Orlando Branch Campus of Everglades University is located in a 28,000 square-foot building on Trafalgar Court, in Maitland, Florida. The campus was officially opened on July 7, 2015 in a ribbon cutting ceremony which Maitland mayor A. Dale McDonald attended. The facility houses offices, classrooms, a computer lab, a library, faculty lounge and a student lounge. The university expects that due to its proximity to the metropolitan Orlando area that the campus will quickly expand to 1,000 students, making it the largest Everglades University campus. The staff, faculty, and students at the Boca Raton Campus have participated in the Walk to Cure Arthritis, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, collecting toys for Toys for Tots, and hosted several blood drives with OneBlood.

Sarasota Campus

The 20 acre Sarasota branch campus of Everglades University shares space with Keiser University. The two universities share a library and study area, as well as an auditorium. The 20 acre campus is bordered by Lake Osprey, a protected nature preserve and bird sanctuary. Everglades University is a member of Sarasota County Green Business Partnership. In 2014, the Sarasota campus opened a solar energy lab.

Tampa Campus

Everglades University's Tampa location is part of the Sarasota Branch Campus. It is located in a three-story, 66,000 square foot facility. The Tampa off-campus instructional site offers a library, a computer lab, student lounge, bookstore, 17 well-lit classrooms, 3 laboratories, and 11 offices. The campus is close to some of the area’s attractions such as Busch Gardens, The Lowry Park Zoo, Historic Ybor City, and Downtown Tampa.

Local industry professionals from companies such as Duke Energy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Greenroots Nutrition, and Tampa Fire Rescue attend advisory meetings three times a year. The Tampa campus celebrated its two-year anniversary in January 2017.

Online Division Campus

Housed at the Boca Raton campus, the Online Division is considered by the university to be a fifth campus. The Online Division is the largest campus in terms of student population. The Online Division offers students one-on-one tutoring and student counseling sessions. The campus participates in ongoing outreach and community service activities. This includes community service events and initiatives such as a Help for Haiti Relief Donation Drive to send vital supplies, fundraising activities to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and a drive to collect goods for Pet Rescue organizations in South Florida. The Online Division regularly organizes and participates in blood drives, yearly Toys for Tots collections, and provides ongoing support for Kids in Distress (KID) of Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The Online Division Campus was awarded The Best Schools ‘The 50 Best Online Colleges for 2016’ and The Best Schools ‘The 20 Best Online Bachelor in Business Management Degree Programs’.

Student Life

Everglades University enrolls about 1,500 students on any given year. 95% of its students are full time. 38% of the student body are minorities, with the majority of those being Hispanic. The school has 137 teaching faculty. There is one faculty member for every seven students.

Many classes meet on evenings and weekends and offer compressed schedules. Access to the school's facilities such as libraries and student lounges are available for all students, including online-only students.

Licensure and accreditation

Everglades University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award certificates and degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels. Everglades University is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.

Rankings

In 2016 U.S. News & World Report erroneously ranked Everglades University as #32 "Regional Colleges South Ranking" and as #11 "Best Colleges for Veterans". It later removed these ratings and moved them to "unranked" when Everglades informed U.S. News that they had submitted incorrect data.