Private · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Nova Southeastern University

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a private, doctoral-professional research university in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is known for its health sciences, optometry, osteopathic medicine, and graduate programs, while also serving a diverse undergraduate population.

  • Florida Bright Futures stackable with NSU institutional aid
  • Rolling admissions — apply any term, no fixed deadline
  • Strong pre-professional pathways in health, law, business, and education
Acceptance rate
93%
Undergrad enrollment
4,862
Institution type
Private doctoral
State
Florida

Type

Private university

Location

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Acceptance rate

93%

Undergrad enrollment

4,862

Nova Southeastern University is a private, doctoral-professional research university in Davie, just west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It enrolls about 4,800 undergraduates alongside a much larger graduate student body in programs ranging from osteopathic medicine and law to business and education.

For 2026–27, NSU's published tuition runs about $36,000, and the total cost of attendance with on-campus housing and a meal plan reaches roughly $54,000. NSU stacks Florida Bright Futures, the federal Pell Grant, and NSU merit and need-based aid, which can substantially reduce the published cost for Florida residents who qualify.

Out-of-state and international students pay the same published tuition rate and rely on NSU institutional aid and federal loans. The average grant aid for first-year students who receive aid is over $15,000, and the average net price for Florida residents with family income under $48,000 is below $25,000 per year.

Tuition & fees

$38,430

Total cost of attendance

$66,000

Tuition + housing + food + transport + other

Net price (after avg aid)

$44,000

After $22,000 average grant aid

Show full cost breakdown
CategoryAmount
Tuition and fees$38,430
Housing$16,010
Food and meal plan$5,870
Transportation$1,240
Books and other$4,450
Total annual cost$66,000
Need-blind (domestic)
Meets full need (domestic)
Need-blind (international)
Meets full need (international)
FAFSA eligible
State scholarship eligible

Nova Southeastern University meets 100% of demonstrated need for U.S. students; need-aware for internationals.

  • NSU Need-Based Grant

    Typical award: $15,000 / yr

  • NSU Merit Scholarship

    Typical award: $12,000 / yr

  • Federal Pell Grant

    Typical award: $7,395 / yr

  • Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

    Doctoral

    Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine — MD program at the Tampa campus.

    Program page
  • Pharmacy (PharmD)

    Doctoral

    NSU College of Pharmacy — 4-year professional doctorate with hospital placement.

    Program page
  • Optometry (OD)

    Doctoral

    NSU College of Optometry — 4-year professional doctorate with strong residency placement.

    Program page
  • Nursing (BSN)

    Bachelor's

    Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing with direct-admit BSN and state licensure prep.

    Program page
  • Law (JD)

    Doctoral

    Shepard Broad College of Law — bar prep with strong Florida placement.

    Program page
  • Business Administration (BBA)

    Bachelor's

    H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business with concentrations in finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

    Program page

Regular decision deadline

Rolling (priority: June 1 for Fall)

Application

Common App accepted

Apply now

GPA (middle 50%)

3.0 – 3.8 weighted (test-optional)

Test policy

Test-optional

  • NSU's pre-med advising is hands-on. I had a research position in a biology lab by junior year and an MD acceptance from NSU's own medical school.

    Senior, Biology (Pre-Med)

  • I picked NSU over FAU for the smaller cohort. My clinical placements are at Broward Health and I had a job offer before senior year.

    Junior, Nursing

  • I'm in the Huizenga College and the small class sizes mean I know every professor. I commute from Miami and the campus is easy to get to.

    Sophomore, Business

6-year grad rate

59%

Median starting salary

$52,400

10-year ROI (net)

$142,000

Top-paying majors

  • Nursing (BSN)$78,400
  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine$218,000
  • Pharmacy (PharmD)$124,000
  • Optometry (OD)$142,000
  • Computer Science$72,400

Where grads go: Broward Health, Memorial Healthcare, Citrus Health Network, Baptist Health South Florida, Cleveland Clinic.

SchoolTuitionTypeWhy compare
Nova Southeastern University$38,430PrivateYou are here
Florida Atlantic UniversityOpen the calculatorSouth Florida public alternative at a lower in-state price point.
Barry UniversityOpen the calculatorNearby South Florida private with similar mission and aid structure.
Florida International UniversityOpen the calculatorLarge South Florida public; NSU is the private alternative.

Open the calculator, add NSU and one of the peers above, and the cost engine will fill in tuition, net price, and your loan gap automatically.

Nova Southeastern University operates across multiple campuses and program modalities. Each entry below has its own published cost of attendance.

How much is NSU tuition for 2026–27?

For 2026–27, Nova Southeastern's published tuition is approximately $36,000. With on-campus housing and a meal plan, the total cost of attendance is around $54,000 per year. NSU publishes separate tuition tables for the Health Professions Division and other programs.

Does NSU accept the Bright Futures Scholarship?

Yes. NSU is a Florida private university and accepts all three Bright Futures levels — Florida Academic Scholars (FAS), Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS), and Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV). Bright Futures can stack with NSU institutional aid for Florida residents.

What is the average net price at NSU?

After federal and institutional grant aid, the average net price for first-year Florida residents who receive aid is around $30,000 per year. For Florida residents with family income under $48,000, the average net price is below $25,000. The published sticker price is the ceiling, not the typical cost.

Is NSU test-optional?

Yes. NSU is test-optional for first-year applicants. The university reviews applications holistically and considers the rigor of the applicant's coursework, GPA, and other factors. Test-optional status is reviewed yearly — check NSU's admissions page for the current policy.

Does NSU meet full demonstrated financial need?

No. NSU is not a meet-full-need institution. It packages federal grants, federal loans, and NSU institutional aid from the merit and need pools, but the package depends on the student's profile. The average grant aid for first-time students who receive aid is over $15,000 per year.

What GPA do you need for NSU?

There is no published minimum GPA. NSU admits most applicants who complete the required high school course units and reviews other applications holistically. The middle-50% admitted GPA range is 3.0 to 3.8 weighted.

Hear from current NSU students about real cost after aid

If you got a Bright Futures award and stacked it with NSU aid, share your year, residency, family income bracket, and what you actually paid per year. NSU aid stacks differently for every student.

Open the community thread

Reviewed by Geek College Editorial Team. First published 2026-04-30. Last reviewed 2026-07-10.