There are plenty of reasons to live in Orlando, but for those working in the tech industry, The City Beautiful is one of the best places to be. Orlando ranks ninth for fastest-growing tech hubs by job growth in the U.S., according to Best Colleges.
Orlandoβs tech industry job growth is projected to be 26.8% β more than double the growth for computer and information technology jobs nationally by 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Best Colleges rankings considers an analysis of the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and a 2022 report by 24/7 Wall St.
βOrlando offers resources for startups and tech professionals through its tech hub portal,β Best Colleges stated in its rankings. βProfessionals can find peer networking, professional development and other career opportunities. Startups can also recruit workers by posting jobs and showcasing innovation in the industry.β
Annually ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ produces a high volume of top talent to the tech field. In the 2022-23 academic year thus far, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ has awarded more than 4,600 degrees in STEM fields to graduates.
STEM fields emphasize technology, innovation, problem-solving, and critical thinking and are in high demand by employers throughout Central Florida and the state. STEM workers, on average, earn higher salaries and can extend across various fields, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, artificial intelligence, biomedical sciences, cybersecurity, engineering, game development and nursing.
Faculty lead highly regarded programs across tech-related fields at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½, with computing being a strong focus. ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ ranks No. 57 for graduate computer engineering, No. 70 for computer science graduate programs and No. 86 for computer science undergraduate programs, according to U.S. News & World Report. The organization also ranks ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ No. 20 for innovation in the nation.
βIf you look at high-tech centers around the world, they emerge close to universities,ββ―says Christo Pirinsky, co-director of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs fintech graduate program, which is the first of degree of its kind in Florida and provides graduates with employable technical skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, crowdfunding, cybersecurity, mobile application development and peer-to-peer lending.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is a top producer of talent for the digital media and video game industry. This year, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs graduate game design program, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), ranks No. 2 β its fourth consecutive year in the top two, according to The Princeton Review and PC Gamer. FIEA has produced 940 graduates and about half are employed in Central Florida.
Orlando is known as the modeling and simulation capital of the world β and ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs Institute of Simulation and Training has played a critical role in the industry’s growth in the region for 40 years through key partnerships with the government. Through the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training, which was established in 2018, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is training individuals already in the tech space how to take their talents to the next level.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is also a partner with several key tech companies across the region, such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman through the college work experience programs, which provide student industry connections before they even graduate.
In 2022, Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis ranked the Orlando region No. 25 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida for producing tech talent. Last year, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ ranked the No. 2 university in Florida and No. 8 nationally for producing highly skilled employees for some of the worldβs most prominent technology companies, according to a survey from TonerGiant.
βIβve only been in Central Florida for a few years and can feel the reputation as a hub of technology is at an inflection point,β says Ajai Singh, chair of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs Department of Finance, who helped establish the universityβs fintech program. βThe corporate world knows it. Other schools know it. I believe everyone is about to know it.β
