


Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a private university whose current identity reflects a 1994 merger between Nova University and Southeastern University of the Health Sciences. Nova began in 1964 as the Nova University of Advanced Technology, initially emphasizing graduate education and research. Its expansion into undergraduate study broadened its academic scope.
The merger brought together Nova's programs and Southeastern's health-professions education. That history helps explain why NSU combines a conventional undergraduate experience with substantial graduate, clinical, and professional education. Applicants should distinguish the university's founding date from the later creation of particular colleges and degree programs.
NSU offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional education across arts and sciences, business, computing, education, engineering, health care, and other fields. Its academic organization includes the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences; the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship; the College of Computing and Engineering; and the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice.
Professional and health-related units include colleges of nursing, pharmacy, optometry, dental medicine, osteopathic medicine, allopathic medicine, health care sciences, psychology, and law. Representative undergraduate interests include biology, computer science, business, psychology, and nursing; professional pathways include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and law. Admission to an undergraduate major does not automatically confer admission to a later professional degree. Students considering an accelerated or combined-degree pathway should check its separate progression standards.
NSU's principal campus is in Davie, Florida, in the Fort Lauderdale area of Broward County. Its suburban setting places students within a large metropolitan region rather than in a secluded college town. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a practical option for students traveling to the main campus.
The university also operates other Florida locations and offers some programs online. A program's listed location matters: required classes, laboratories, clinical placements, and student services may not all be based at the main campus. Commuting is a significant part of the undergraduate experience; approximately 63% of students in the reported housing figures lived off campus. Students planning a commute should account for local traffic, parking arrangements, and the location of any required off-campus training.
NSU describes its mission in terms of academic programs, intellectual inquiry, research, leadership, and community engagement. Its stated vision emphasizes broader recognition for its education and research. These are institutional aims, not independently measured outcomes for every student or program.
The university is private and nonsectarian. Its combination of undergraduate study with graduate and professional education shapes its academic priorities, particularly in health-related fields. Prospective students can evaluate how those priorities appear in a specific major by examining its curriculum, faculty, experiential requirements, and available research opportunities.
Name of the institution
Nova Southeastern UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
20,000 and aboveSchool type
Upper-level higher education institution with graduate programsMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1964Nova Southeastern University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.