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The first students were admitted to Edison Junior College in the fall of 1962. From its first quarters in Dunbar High School and the old Gwyne Institute Building in downtown Ft. Myers, Edison moved to its permanent 135-acre campus in South Lee County in June 1965. Following a master plan designed to provide for growth and future needs, the Lee Campus (now the Thomas Edison Campus) included eight permanent structures and the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall to meet the needs of a growing community. In 1972, the College changed its name to Edison Community College to reflect its more comprehensive mission.
Edison’s Collier County Campus opened in March of 1992. The campus is located on a 50-acre site near State Road 951 and Rattlesnake Hammock Road, in east Naples. The Charlotte County Campus opened in 1997. Located on a wooded site on Airport Road in Punta Gorda, the campus was an excellent addition to the Charlotte area. The Hendry-Glades Center opened in 2010. The center is located on 19 acres in Labelle.
In 2004, the Florida State Legislature changed Edison Community College to Edison College and in 2005 the first baccalaureate degree was awarded. In 2008, the College became Edison State College and in 2009 experienced a growth rate 53% greater than the previous three years. In 2014, the Florida Senate and House sub-committees approved the name change to its current Florida SouthWestern State College.
Accreditation Statement
Florida SouthWestern State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For more information, visit www.fsw.edu/accreditation.