Biggest CC in America
does it move students forward in Florida
You're deciding whether to start at Miami Dade College before finishing a bachelor's degree at a four-year school. That means looking at real transfer rates, what graduates actually earn, and what the degree costs you before you get there.
~59,000 undergrads, 21% transfer out by year 8, median $41k 10-yr earnings, $9,252 median debt.
The country's largest CC — with a transfer rate that actually holds up
Miami Dade College enrolls nearly 59,000 undergraduates, making it the largest community college in the United States. About 60% attend part-time. Despite that scale, 21% of students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a functional result for a campus this size. Median earnings ten years out are $40,654, and median debt is $9,252. The three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $1,987 and net price is $5,463. Liberal Arts and Operations Management each produce more than 6,000 completions, and Registered Nursing adds nearly 900 more. Cost is low; the programs are real.
Miami Dade College sits in Miami, Florida, and enrolls nearly 59,000 undergraduates — the largest community college enrollment in the United States. About 60% of students attend part-time, a pattern that extends completion timelines but also reflects MDC's role as an institution built around working adults and first-generation students. The college's highest-volume programs are Liberal Arts and Sciences with 6,449 completions and Operations Management and Supervision with 6,149 — both fields well-suited as transfer foundations. Business Administration adds 2,586 completions, and Registered Nursing produces 883. Twenty-one percent of students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years. For a campus this large, that's a genuine signal. Median earnings ten years out are $40,654, median debt is $9,252, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $1,987 annually with a net price of $5,463. Students with a clear transfer intention can find real infrastructure here — the scale means course availability, advising resources, and articulation support are not thin.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 6,449 |
| Operations Management and Supervision. | 6,149 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 2,586 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 883 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other. | 414 |
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic). | 271 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | 260 |
| Fire Science/Fire-fighting. | 213 |
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General. | 209 |
| Network and System Administration/Administrator. | 203 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Florida transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Miami Dade College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- For cost-conscious Florida students, the numbers make a reasonable case. In-state tuition is $1,987 and the average net price is $5,463 — low enough that most students can avoid serious debt before transferring. Median debt for MDC borrowers is $9,252, which is modest for two years of higher education. Twenty-one percent of students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years, and median earnings ten years out are $40,654. The three-year loan default rate is 0%. At 59,000 undergrads, MDC has genuine depth in transfer-prep programs: Liberal Arts, Business Administration, and Operations Management all operate at thousands of completions per year. The caveat is the part-time majority — 60% of students attend part-time, which can stretch timelines if you don't plan aggressively.
- How does Miami Dade College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- MDC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 21%. National benchmarks for community college transfer rates typically fall between 15% and 25%, so MDC sits in the upper portion of that range. That result is more meaningful in context: MDC is the largest community college in the country, with nearly 59,000 undergrads and a 60% part-time attendance rate. Sustaining a 21% transfer rate at that scale is operationally harder than doing so at a smaller campus. An additional 1.8% of students were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 35% had completed a credential at MDC itself. The picture is that most students who stay engaged either complete at MDC or move to a four-year school — the institution is not simply an enrollment holding pattern.
- What programs does Miami Dade College offer at meaningful scale?
- MDC's largest programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (6,449) and Operations Management and Supervision (6,149) — both running at extraordinary volume for a community college. Business Administration and Management adds 2,586 completions, and Registered Nursing contributes 883. Emergency Medical Technology (271), Computer and Information Systems Security (260), Fire Science (213), Marketing (209), and Network and System Administration (203) round out the top ten. The breadth here matters: whether a student is building toward a business or STEM transfer path, a health career, or a technology credential, MDC has enough volume in those areas that the advising, course sections, and completion infrastructure are substantively developed. This is not a college where high-demand programs run thin.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.