Jacksonville, FLprivate forprofitconcorde.edu
Admit rate has ranged 77%–98% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Concorde Career Institute-Jacksonville is a for-profit career college laser-focused on fast-tracking students into specific healthcare roles. Its identity is defined by practical, hands-on training in fields like nursing and surgical technology, with a campus culture built around direct entry into the workforce rather than a traditional collegiate experience. This is a school for those who know exactly what job they want and need a streamlined, no-frills path to get there.
Test-blind — scores not considered
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Admissions at Concorde-Jacksonville are decidedly non-selective, functioning more as an open-enrollment gateway for career-changers than a competitive academic filter. The process is designed for accessibility, with a high that reflects its mission to train healthcare workers. Prospective students may be conditionally accepted pending the completion of admissions requirements and documentation. The school does not appear to engage with traditional selective admissions concepts like Early Decision or demonstrated interest; its model is built on admitting applicants who meet basic criteria and can commit to an intensive, career-focused program.
The academic experience is tightly concentrated on allied health and medical assisting services, offering degree and diploma programs designed for rapid entry into the workforce. Instruction is practical and hands-on, with a student-faculty ratio reported between 23:1 and 24:1. The teaching environment is described as professional, though some student accounts note variability in classroom management, with occasional classes dominated by more vocal peers. Full-time retention is reported at 87%, suggesting a majority of students persist through the intensive programs. The curriculum is unapologetically vocational, foregoing broad liberal arts requirements in favor of job-specific skills in nursing, surgical technology, and related health care fields.
Student life is campus-centric and built around a shared mission of career preparation, rather than a traditional residential college experience. The institute emphasizes values of honesty, courage, and discipline in its interactions. The campus provides spaces like benches for students to gather, talk, and have lunch, and hosts holiday events such as pancake breakfasts to foster community. Social media showcases a campus where prospective students can walk through, meet faculty and current students, and chat with admissions—painting a picture of an open, accessible environment focused on exploration of healthcare careers. It is a commuter-style culture where life revolves around the intensive schedule of classes and labs.
Outcomes are the core product: the school exists to graduate students into healthcare jobs. The graduation rate is a key metric, with federal data reporting 71% and other sources citing 47% or 48%; this variance likely reflects different cohorts or program types. For those who complete their programs, the median earnings ten years after entry are $34,098. Earlier post-graduation earnings are reported at $31,074 one year out and $35,468 after five years, indicating salary growth as graduates gain experience in their fields. The high percentage of students receiving Pell Grants (71%) underscores the population served: individuals seeking upward mobility through career training.
Cost is a significant consideration for the student body, most of whom rely on financial aid. The average after aid is $24,917. A large majority (82%) of full-time beginning undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid, with an average total aid award reported around $5,499. Aid packages average $4,872 according to one source. Financial assistance comes primarily through federal programs, for which students must demonstrate need by completing the FAFSA. The school also offers its own institutionally-sponsored grant programs, with specific conditions and criteria. Concorde is transparent that it does not guarantee financial aid awards, directing students to use its Net Price Calculator and explore all resources.
Concorde-Jacksonville stands out for its singular, unapologetic focus. It is not a traditional college but a career accelerator for the healthcare sector. It forgoes the trappings of campus life, selective admissions, and broad curricula to deliver exactly what its students come for: a direct, practical, and fast-tracked route to a job as a nurse, surgical technologist, or medical assistant. Its high acceptance and graduation rates, coupled with its service to a predominantly Pell-eligible student body, define it as an institution of pragmatic opportunity. In a landscape obsessed with prestige and rankings, Concorde's value proposition is starkly clear: know what you want to do, come here, train hard, and go to work.


