
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) began in 1972 as Pasco-Hernando Community College. It was established to expand access to public higher education in Pasco and Hernando counties, a purpose reflected in its multiple campuses and mix of transfer, career, and workforce programs.
The institution adopted the name Pasco-Hernando State College in 2014 as it expanded beyond its community-college origins to offer bachelor's degrees. Today, students can pursue short-term credentials, associate degrees, and selected bachelor's degrees without leaving the two-county service area.
PHSC organizes its academics around transfer education, career and technical programs, and selected bachelor's pathways rather than a large university-style collection of colleges. Its Associate in Arts degree is designed primarily for students planning to transfer, while Associate in Science degrees and certificates focus more directly on particular occupations.
Program areas include business, computer and information technology, education, health care, public safety, and the liberal arts and sciences. Nursing is one of its bachelor's-level pathways; applied management is another area students may encounter in its upper-division offerings. Health and public-safety programs can have clinical placements, background checks, licensing requirements, or separate admission processes that do not apply to the college's general admission. Applicants should use the current catalog for the credential and campus they want: admission to PHSC is not necessarily admission to a selective program.
PHSC is a public, multicampus college serving Florida's Pasco and Hernando counties. Its West Campus is in New Port Richey; other locations include campuses in Dade City, Brooksville, Spring Hill, and the Wesley Chapel area.
Those locations can make it possible to study nearer to home, but a particular course or program may be offered at only certain campuses or online. Students planning around work or caregiving should check the actual course schedule, clinical locations, and travel time rather than assuming every class is available at their nearest site. Tampa International Airport is the principal major airport for the region, though routine travel to campus is generally a commuting question rather than an airport-access question.
PHSC's stated purpose centers on accessible higher education, student learning, and meeting the educational and workforce needs of its surrounding communities. Its vision emphasizes helping students progress toward academic and career goals.
That mission helps explain why the college offers both university-transfer coursework and occupation-focused credentials across several locations. These are the institution's stated priorities, not evidence that every program produces the same outcome. PHSC is a public college, not a religiously affiliated institution.
Name of the institution
Pasco-Hernando State CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1977Pasco-Hernando State College is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Certificate of at least 2 years, but less than 4 years
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.