Tampa Bay’s commitment to excellence in education is impressive and helps create an outstanding quality for residents and a well-trained workforce for employers.
Excellent educational options are available for families with students in pre-kindergarten through high school, both public and private. The public schools of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties equaled or excelled the state's average in scores on FCAT tests.
Hillsborough County Public Schools received its second consecutive overall A grade based on the 2009 FCAT exams. Overall, 57 percent of Hillsborough schools received an A and more than three-fourths received an A or B. Nearly two-thirds of elementary schools (66%) were graded A, and 60 percent of middle schools earned A’s. The district was recently awarded a $100 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to overhaul how teachers are trained and evaluated.
Adult students can choose to attend one of many major colleges, universities, technical and trade schools. Tampa Bay is home to a respected medical school, top-ranked law school, private national liberal arts college and several graduate schools.
The University of South Florida has more than 46,000 students across its main campus in Tampa and three other regional locations. It has become the 9th largest public university in the nation and holds the distinction of being a top-tier research institution. USF offers 200 majors and degree programs in every field from business to arts and sciences, engineering and public health.
Situated along the waterfront in downtown Tampa, the University of Tampa is a private institution offering 120 majors and minors and its MBA is one of the largest in Florida. Also near downtown is the Tampa Law Center of the Stetson University College of Law. Hillsborough Community College has multiple locations across Tampa Bay and proves an array of business, technical, and health sciences programs. St. Leo Univeristy just north of Tampa has a center at MacDill Air Force Base and has been recognized as one of the top military-friendly colleges and universities.
Students of every age can achieve their educational goals in the Tampa Bay area. For families with young children, there are a variety of wonderful public and private school options to choose from.
Healthcare
Healthcare
There's no shortage of quality healthcare and resources in the Tampa Bay area. The region has an exceptionally strong network for hospitals, many of which are ranked on “America’s Best Hospitals” list by U.S. News and World Report.
- Tampa General Hospital is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in west central Florida and also offers comprehensive burn care and adult solid-organ transplants.
- Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute is one of 40 National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Centers.
- USF Health includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences; and the multispecialty USF physicians group.
- St. Joseph’s Hospital has marked more than 75 years of service to the community and encompasses a children’s hospital, women’s hospital and heart and cancer institutes.
- James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital serves 116,000 military veterans in the area and is the busiest of four polytrauma facilities in the nation.
Our community also benefits from the major medical research conducted in area facilities. With a healthy medical community and its support industries, Tampa Bay residents receive top quality health care and medical services.
Sports
Sports and Tampa Bay are an unbeatable combination. Professional sports team keep spectators on the feet with championship runs while perfect weather and a pristine physical environment make Tampa Bay an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise.
Tampa has very active professional sports teams including the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays and the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning. The New York Yankees call Tampa their home for spring training while the University of South Florida Bulls and University of Tampa Spartans provide multiple NCAA sports for the area.
Tampa Bay has earned an outstanding reputation as an ideal location for big events, having previously hosted four Super Bowls including Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. Most recently we’ve been home to the 2009 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship, 2009 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, 2008 NCAA Women’s Final Four, 2008 – 2009 ACC Football Championship, and the 2007 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. In 2012 we’ll host the NCAA Frozen Four, and Tampa Bay remains in the running to host games for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Tampa Bay enjoys an average temperature of 73 degrees and holds the record for the most consecutive days of sunshine – 768 to be exact. This tropical climate makes Tampa a great place to play. From canoeing the scenic Hillsborough River to biking or jogging alongside the Bay, Tampa has something for everyone. Fish from a pier or charter a deep-sea fishing boat. Play one of Tampa’s dozens of beautiful golf courses year-round. Enjoy a walk on the beach at sunset. The opportunities for physical activity are endless.
