The college moved into its own Lake Nona building in fall 2025. Here is what was built, who paid for it, and who actually studies there.

UCF College of Nursing Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion in Lake Nona

By David Myers, Broker Associate · NonaOrlandoProperties.com · Last updated September 2026

The UCF College of Nursing moved into the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion on UCF's Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona when fall classes began in August 2025. The three-story, 90,000-square-foot building was funded with $43 million from the State of Florida and more than $29 million from private donors. UCF says the building lets the college graduate about 150 more newly licensed nurses a year. The college reported 2,986 nursing students for 2025-26 across more than 20 degree and certificate programs, some taught online or at regional campuses in Cocoa and Daytona. UCF has educated nurses since 1979; before the move, the college worked from leased space near UCF's main campus.

When the earlier version of this post was written in spring 2025, the UCF College of Nursing's Lake Nona building was still under construction, and the post described it in the future tense. That building is now open, and the college has moved in.

This update replaces the promotional language with what is on the record: when the building opened, what it cost and who paid, which programs are actually taught in Lake Nona, and why a nursing school matters to people who live near Medical City.

What is the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion?

It is the UCF College of Nursing's home in Lake Nona: a three-story, 90,000-square-foot teaching building on UCF's Academic Health Sciences Campus that opened for classes in August 2025.

UCF broke ground in January 2024 and opened the building a little over a year and a half later, when fall classes started. It sits on the same campus as the UCF College of Medicine and UCF Lake Nona Hospital, which is the point of the move: nursing and medical students now train on one campus instead of about 25 miles apart.

The building is named for Dr. Phillips Charities, which gave the lead $10 million gift. Learning studios inside are named for regional health systems including AdventHealth, Orlando Health and Nemours Children's Health.

UCF College of Nursing in Lake Nona at a glance
Building Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, UCF Academic Health Sciences Campus, Lake Nona Medical City
Campus address 6825 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, FL 32827 (UCF Academic Health Sciences Campus, shared with the College of Medicine)
Size Three stories, 90,000 sq ft
Groundbreaking January 2024
Opened August 2025, with the start of fall classes
Funding $43 million from the State of Florida; more than $29 million from private donors
Capacity goal About 150 more newly licensed nurses graduating each year
Enrollment 2,986 nursing students (2025-26, all locations)
Other locations Regional campuses in Cocoa and Daytona, plus online programs

Is the UCF College of Nursing in Lake Nona now?

Yes. The college's main home moved to Lake Nona in fall 2025, but not every UCF nursing student studies there.

Some sources, including an earlier version of this post, describe the Lake Nona campus as under development. That was true in April 2025 and is no longer. Before the move, the college worked from leased space on one floor of a research building near UCF's main campus in east Orlando. The new building roughly doubled its space, according to the dean.

The college still runs regional campuses in Cocoa and Daytona, and several graduate programs are taught mostly online. The nursing PhD, for example, is online with two on-site sessions a year. A student in one of those programs may rarely, if ever, be in Lake Nona.

What nursing degrees does UCF offer?

UCF lists 21 nursing degree and certificate programs for 2025-26: six bachelor's, three master's, six doctoral and six graduate certificates.

The range runs from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to the PhD. The BSN-to-DNP nurse practitioner tracks in adult-gerontology acute and primary care are hybrid, combining online and classroom work. UCF says it was the first in Florida to offer an online RN-to-BSN and the first online PhD for nurse scientists.

The earlier version of this post said the college ranks among the nation's top nursing programs without saying by whom. UCF's own claim is narrower and checkable: U.S. News & World Report has ranked its BSN, online MSN and DNP programs among the nation's best. Rankings change yearly, so check the current list rather than relying on a number here.

Why did UCF build a nursing school in Lake Nona?

To graduate more nurses: UCF said the college had outgrown its leased space, and the new building lets it add about 150 newly licensed graduates a year.

At the groundbreaking, the college's then-dean said it had outgrown its ability to grow the program in its existing space. The Florida Hospital Association projects a statewide shortfall of about 37,400 registered nurses by 2035, a figure UCF and local news both cited when the project was announced.

The funding came together as a public-private project. The State of Florida contributed $43 million, and private donors, led by Dr. Phillips Charities with health-system partners including Orlando Health and AdventHealth, added more than $29 million. Early estimates put the total near $70 million.

What is inside the new nursing building?

Simulation labs are the centerpiece: the building houses the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling (STIM) Center, along with classrooms, labs and study space.

According to the contractor and the college, the labs include dedicated space for virtual reality training and for structured clinical examinations, the timed, scripted patient encounters nursing students are tested on before working with real patients. The first floor has a study café and three large learning studios.

The earlier version of this post promised an “expanded simulation center” and national recognition for faculty in general terms. The simulation center is real and now open; the other claims were cut because they could not be checked.

What does the nursing school mean for people who live in Lake Nona?

Mostly a steadier supply of nurses for Medical City's hospitals, plus more students on the local rental market.

The college's dean has said about 85% of its graduates stay in Florida, most of them in Central Florida. With UCF Lake Nona Hospital, Nemours Children's Hospital and the Orlando VA Medical Center all within Medical City, the local hospitals are a short drive from where many of those nurses train.

In our experience, students on UCF's Lake Nona campus tend to rent, especially in the Laureate Park area, while working medical professionals tend to buy. The nursing college's arrival adds to that renter base, although its online and regional-campus students do not.

Pros, Cons and Our Take

Pros

  • The college's main building is now in Lake Nona, next to the medical school and teaching hospital.
  • Built to add about 150 nursing graduates a year, most of whom stay in Florida, according to the dean.
  • A dedicated simulation center for training before clinical work.
  • Funded with state money and more than $29 million in private gifts, not student fees alone.

Cons

  • Not every UCF nursing student is in Lake Nona; regional-campus and online students study elsewhere.
  • The building is new, so its effect on graduate numbers is a projection, not yet a track record.
  • More students add to demand for rentals near Medical City.
  • Rankings quoted in marketing change every year and cover specific programs, not the college as a whole.

Our Take

This is a real change, not a brochure. A nursing college that spent years in leased space near UCF's main campus now has its own 90,000-square-foot building in Lake Nona, beside the medical school and teaching hospital. That puts one more piece of the region's health workforce pipeline inside Medical City.

The earlier version of this post talked about a future campus in glowing terms. The fair judgment now is simpler: the building is open, the funding was real, and the payoff, more nurses staying in Central Florida, is a goal to watch rather than a result to claim.

What the Neighbors Know

For Lake Nona residents, the nursing pavilion is another sign that Medical City is filling in as planned, now with a medical school, a teaching hospital and a nursing college on one campus. It will not change your daily routine, but it does add to the health-care workforce that lives and rents nearby. For the rest of the education picture, from public schools to Valencia College, start at the Lake Nona schools hub; for hospitals and health care, see the Lake Nona health and wellness hub.

Official Sources

Buying or selling in Lake Nona? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the UCF College of Nursing in Lake Nona?

Yes. The college moved into the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion on UCF's Academic Health Sciences Campus, 6825 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, when fall classes started in August 2025. It also runs regional campuses in Cocoa and Daytona and offers online programs.

When did the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion open?

The building opened in August 2025, with the start of fall classes, about a year and a half after the January 2024 groundbreaking.

How big is the UCF nursing building in Lake Nona?

The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion is a three-story, 90,000-square-foot building, roughly double the college's previous space.

Who paid for the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion?

The State of Florida provided $43 million and private donors gave more than $29 million, led by a $10 million gift from Dr. Phillips Charities.

What nursing programs does UCF offer?

UCF lists 21 nursing programs for 2025-26: six bachelor's, three master's, six doctoral and six graduate certificates, from the BSN to the PhD.

How many students are in the UCF College of Nursing?

The college reported 2,986 nursing students for 2025-26 across all of its locations and online programs.