Melbourne's educational landscape spans a countywide public school district, two higher-education institutions with significant on-campus presences, and a workforce-pipeline college facility anchored by the city's aerospace and defense economy. Brevard Public Schools administers all public K–12 instruction within Melbourne, while Florida Institute of Technology — a private STEM-focused research university — maintains its primary campus in the city. Eastern Florida State College operates a Melbourne campus that, as of a groundbreaking in April 2024, is expanding with a $20 million Center for Innovative Technology Education designed to serve 16 programs in aerospace, engineering, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity.
School district
Melbourne's public elementary, middle, and high schools are administered by Brevard Public Schools, the countywide district serving Brevard County, Florida. The district is governed by an elected school board. In the 2024–2025 academic year, Brevard Public Schools reported that 25 district schools received the Florida Schools of Excellence designation from the Florida State Board of Education — a recognition created by the Florida Legislature in 2017 for schools ranking in the top 20 percent statewide on school grade performance for at least two of the previous three academic years. Two Melbourne-area schools, Spessard L. Holland Elementary and Robert L. Stevenson Elementary, were among the 25 honorees, as documented in the district's official reporting. Melbourne High School, the city's primary public high school, added the Health First Healthcare Academy in the 2024–2025 school year, a four-year program developed in partnership with the Health First health system to provide students with industry certifications and clinical experience before graduation.
Schools in Schools in Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School is the primary public high school within Melbourne, operated by Brevard Public Schools. The school's documented academic offerings include Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Career and Technical Education, Dual Enrollment, and Exceptional Student Education programs. In the 2024–2025 school year, the school launched the Health First Healthcare Academy, a four-year career pathway developed in partnership with the Health First health system providing hands-on clinical training and industry certifications before graduation.
More on Melbourne High SchoolSpessard L. Holland Elementary School
Spessard L. Holland Elementary School is a public elementary school in Brevard Public Schools. In 2024, the Florida State Board of Education named it among 25 Brevard district schools designated as 2024–2025 Florida Schools of Excellence — a program created by the Florida Legislature in 2017 recognizing schools that rank in the top 20 percent statewide on school grade performance for at least two of the preceding three academic years, as documented in the district's official reporting.
More on Spessard L. Holland Elementary SchoolRobert L. Stevenson Elementary School
Robert L. Stevenson Elementary School is a public elementary school administered by Brevard Public Schools in Melbourne. The Florida State Board of Education designated it a 2024–2025 Florida School of Excellence, placing it among 25 Brevard County schools recognized for ranking in the top 20 percent statewide on school grade performance for at least two of the last three academic years, per Brevard Public Schools' official reporting on the state honor.
More on Robert L. Stevenson Elementary SchoolFlorida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, a private STEM-focused research university, maintains its primary campus in Melbourne. The university's official website documents facilities including the Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research, located near Melbourne Orlando International Airport, and the Ralph S. Evinrude Marine Operations Center on Crane Creek at Melbourne Harbor. Programs include aerospace engineering, marine biology, and aviation, with applied learning documented as part of the curriculum from the first week of enrollment. Fall 2024 enrollment is reported by the university's institutional research office.
More on Florida Institute of TechnologyEastern Florida State College — Melbourne Campus
Eastern Florida State College operates a Melbourne campus that serves as the site of the college's Health Sciences and Public Safety Institutes, as documented on the campus webpage. The campus is also home to the Center for Innovative Technology Education (CITE), a $20 million facility funded through $19.7 million in Florida Legislature appropriations; groundbreaking took place in April 2024, with opening scheduled for August 2025. EFSC news releases document 16 programs spanning aerospace, computer technology, engineering, and advanced manufacturing at the Melbourne site.
More on Eastern Florida State College — Melbourne CampusEastern Florida State College — Center for Innovative Technology Education (CITE)
The Center for Innovative Technology Education is a $20 million facility on Eastern Florida State College's Melbourne campus, funded through $19.7 million in Florida Legislature appropriations. EFSC news releases document the center as designed to support 16 college programs in advanced manufacturing, robotics, cybersecurity, and engineering, producing workforce pipelines for Melbourne's aerospace and defense economy. Groundbreaking occurred in April 2024, with an August 2025 opening scheduled. The center offers bachelor degrees, associate degrees, and college certificates.
More on Eastern Florida State College — Center for Innovative Technology Education (CITE)Brevard Public Schools District
Brevard Public Schools is the countywide school district governing all public K–12 education in Melbourne and across Brevard County, administered under an elected school board. The district's official website serves as the authoritative source for current school assignments, program information, and enrollment data for Melbourne-area families. In the 2024–2025 school year, 25 Brevard district schools received Florida Schools of Excellence designations from the Florida State Board of Education, with multiple Melbourne-area schools among the honorees.
More on Brevard Public Schools DistrictSources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (85,718), median age (42.3), median household income ($64,504), median home value ($272,900), median gross rent ($1,411), poverty rate (14.9%), unemployment rate (4.4%), labor force participation (68.2%), owner-occupied housing (60.3%), educational attainment (21.2% bachelor's or higher)
- City of Melbourne — Historic Preservation Document, Crane Creek / Melbourne History https://www.melbourneflorida.org/files/assets/public/v/1/community-development/historic-preservation/1149-houston-st.pdf Used for: Original settlement name Crane Creek; location on natural harbor on Indian River Lagoon; Village of Melbourne incorporated December 22, 1888; corporate seal description; named for postmaster Cornthwaite John Hector from Melbourne, Australia; Eau Gallie merger with Melbourne 1969
- City of Melbourne — Eau Gallie Historic District Report https://www.melbourneflorida.org/files/assets/public/v/1/community-development/historic-preservation/eau-gallie-historic-district-report.pdf Used for: Eau Gallie founded by William H. Gleason c. 1870; approximately 16,000 acres from Indian River to Lake Washington; 1969 merger/annexation
- Florida Secretary of State — Eau Gallie Arts District Designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month https://dos.fl.gov/communications/press-releases/2024/press-release-secretary-byrd-designates-eau-gallie-arts-district-as-florida-main-street-program-of-the-month/ Used for: 1969 Melbourne annexation of Eau Gallie; Florida East Coast Railroad arrival 1893; Eau Gallie High School established 1924; EGAD Florida Main Street designation; monthly mural tours; Florida Stories audio app
- City of Melbourne — City Council https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Government/City-Council Used for: City Council member names and districts
- City of Melbourne — Mayor Paul Alfrey https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Government/City-Council/Mayor Used for: Mayor Paul Alfrey; elected 2020; re-elected 2024; Council-Manager government form
- City of Melbourne — Annual Comprehensive Financial Report FY2024 https://www.melbourneflorida.org/files/assets/public/v/1/annual-comprehensive-financial-report/2024-acfr.pdf Used for: Excess fund balance of $16,089,499 as of September 30, 2024; Olde Eau Gallie Riverfront Redevelopment Fund tax increment financing with Brevard County
- City of Melbourne — Melbourne Downtown Community Redevelopment Area https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Government/Departments/Community-Development/Community-Redevelopment-Areas/Melbourne-Downtown-CRA Used for: Downtown CRA established August 10, 1982; expanded 2006; ongoing revitalization mission
- City of Melbourne — City Receives $1.5 Million in State Funds for Key Projects https://www.melbourneflorida.org/News-articles/City-Receives-1.5-Million-in-State-Funds-for-Key-Projects Used for: $1.5 million in state funds for key projects in FY2025-2026 state budget
- City of Melbourne — West Hibiscus Boulevard Drainage Infrastructure Project https://www.melbourneflorida.org/Home/Components/News/News/11270/381 Used for: 2025 dual 9'x7' concrete box culvert replacement; five-month construction estimate; drainage and roadway improvements
- NASA — Kennedy Space Center History https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/kennedy-space-center-history/ Used for: KSC as departure site for first human moon journey; historical role in U.S. space program; economic catalyst for Space Coast
- L3Harris Technologies — Q4 and Full Year 2024 Earnings Press Release https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2025/01/l3harris-technologies-reports-fourth-quarter-full-year-2024-results Used for: L3Harris Technologies headquarters in Melbourne, FL confirmed; Q4 2024 revenue of $5.5 billion; ongoing operations as major aerospace/defense employer
- Northrop Grumman Newsroom — Global Power Made in America: Northrop Grumman Makes It in Florida https://news.northropgrumman.com/global-power-made-in-america-northrop-grumman-makes-it-in-florida Used for: Melbourne facility growth from 6 to 17 buildings (2016-2022); B-21 Raider program; digital design focus; $1.6 million in 2024 charitable contributions to STEM and military/veteran causes in Florida
- Melbourne Orlando International Airport — Business Opportunities https://www.mlbair.com/business-opportunities Used for: Annual economic impact over $3 billion; daily population exceeding 20,000; aerospace/defense/manufacturing characterization
- Eastern Florida State College — Melbourne Campus https://www.easternflorida.edu/campuses/melbourne/index.php Used for: CITE programs: advanced manufacturing, robotics, cybersecurity, engineering; Health Sciences and Public Safety Institutes on Melbourne campus
- Eastern Florida State College — CITE Groundbreaking News Release, April 2024 https://www.easternflorida.edu/news-events/news-releases/2024/04-08-efsc-technology-education-center-groundbreaking.php Used for: $20 million CITE facility; groundbreaking April 2024; scheduled opening August 2025; Bachelor Degrees, Associate Degrees, College Certificates offered
- Eastern Florida State College — State Budget Funds High-Tech Centers, June 2022 https://www.easternflorida.edu/news-events/news-releases/2022/06-06-state-budget-funds-efsc-high-tech-centers.php Used for: $19.7 million Florida Legislature appropriation for CITE Melbourne; 16 college programs in aerospace, computer technology, engineering, advanced manufacturing
- Florida Institute of Technology — Institutional Research Enrollment Reports https://www.fit.edu/institutional-research/enrollment-reports/ Used for: Fall 2024 official enrollment reporting for Melbourne campus and online programs (fifth-week methodology)
- Florida Institute of Technology — Official Website https://www.fit.edu/ Used for: STEM mission; Emil Buehler Center for Aviation Training and Research; Ralph S. Evinrude Marine Operations Center on Crane Creek; applied learning from day one
- Brevard Public Schools — Official Website https://www.brevardschools.org/ Used for: District mission; Melbourne High School Health First Healthcare Academy announcement; graduation milestone data
- Brevard Public Schools — 25 Brevard Schools Named 2024-2025 Florida Schools of Excellence https://www.brevardschools.org/article/2467377 Used for: Florida State Board of Education Schools of Excellence designation; Spessard L. Holland Elementary and Robert L. Stevenson Elementary named among 25 honorees; top 20% statewide criterion; Florida Legislature program created 2017
- Space Coast Daily — Health First, Brevard Public Schools Partner for Healthcare Academy, November 2025 https://spacecoastdaily.com/2025/11/health-first-brevard-public-schools-partner-to-create-four-year-healthcare-career-pathway/ Used for: Melbourne High School Health First Healthcare Academy; four-year program; hands-on training, industry certifications, clinical experience before graduation
- Melbourne High School — Official Brevard Public Schools Site https://melbourne.brevardschools.org/ Used for: Melbourne High School academic programs: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Career and Technical Education, Dual Enrollment, ESE
- Henegar Center for the Arts — Theatre History https://henegarcenter.com/theatre-history/ Used for: Melbourne School building constructed 1919, opened fall 1920; nonprofit BRAG established May 20, 1983; Henegar Center opened August 1987; Indian River Players
- Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) — About the Lagoon https://onelagoon.org/the-lagoon/about-the-lagoon/ Used for: IRL temperate/subtropical transition zone; biological diversity characterization; lagoon as economic engine
- St. Johns River Water Management District — Indian River Lagoon Facts https://www.sjrwmd.com/waterways/indian-river-lagoon/facts/ Used for: Indian River Lagoon as 156-mile-long estuary; brackish water characteristics; Atlantic salt water mixing with freshwater
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Indian River Lagoon: An Introduction to a Natural Treasure (2007) https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-01/documents/58692_an_river_lagoon_an_introduction_to_a_natural_treasure_2007.pdf Used for: Indian River Lagoon 156 miles long; makes up 40 percent of Florida's eastern coast; lagoon ecology documentation