History:

Florida Gateway College (FGC) has established a strong tradition of providing high quality, postsecondary educational opportunities to the citizens of North Florida.  What began as a school of Forestry in 1947, has now grown to be a comprehensive, public community college serving more than 7,000 students a year.

The College traces its growth from the Forest Ranger School, which utilized structures that remained from a World War II era air base.  In 1961, when the State of Florida created Lake City Junior College on the campus of the old forestry school, the College became one of 28, two-year institutions envisioned in the State's master plan. In those early days, Lake City Junior College had fewer than 400 students.

The inclusion in 1970 of "community" in the College's title emphasizes the broad spectrum of transfer and occupational programs offered in addition to Workforce and Community Education and community service courses.

Today the campus of FGC is an attractive site, nestled in one hundred acres of southern pines, with over twenty-five modern buildings surrounded by crepe myrtle and azalea shrubbery.

The College offers outstanding programs in the liberal arts and sciences.  A significant number of students who begin their college career in these programs earn associate degrees, and then successfully transfer to senior institutions where they maintain superior records when compared to their university counterparts.

The College also offers outstanding opportunities in such diverse vocational programs as business administration, computer programming, forestry, golf course operations, landscape technology, cosmetology, and many more.  The College provides comprehensive training in several allied health fields such as registered nursing, practical nursing, emergency medical services, pharmacy technician, physical therapist, and others.  Each year the College maintains the search for excellence by offering new programs, which meet the needs of its district.

The College's district encompasses five North Florida counties: Baker, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Union.  This 2,683 square mile district is an area twice the size of Rhode Island.

The region around the College is commonly referred to as Florida's Crown.  Lake City is situated midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  The geographic area around the College would generally be considered rural.  The moderate climate, hospitality of the community, and beauty of the adjacent recreational areas draw visitors and newcomers from around the world.  The College itself is located approximately six miles east on Highway 90 from downtown Lake City, Florida, by the airport.