Nova Southeastern University (NSU) vs Palm Beach Atlantic University

Nova Southeastern University and Palm Beach Atlantic University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Florida, offer distinct educational experiences. Nova Southeastern University, with its sprawling campuses and diverse student body, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a wider range of academic programs, including popular majors like nursing, business, and psychology. Palm Beach Atlantic University, on the other hand, prides itself on its smaller class sizes, strong liberal arts foundation, and emphasis on Christian values. While both universities offer excellent opportunities for personal and intellectual growth, their unique characteristics cater to different student preferences and aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal values.

	Nova Southeastern University	Palm Beach Atlantic University
Overview
Location	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	West Palm Beach, Florida
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.5%	89.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$50
SAT range	1040 - 1310	1030 - 1240
ACT range	20 - 30	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%	77.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	31.0%
Total number of applicants	11,749	1,923
Total number of admissions given out	10,868	1,728
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,672	505
Yield rate	15.4%	29.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$57,175	$53,668
Average net price	$26,530	$27,881
Tuition	$33,510	$33,538
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,944 Meal plan: $3,190	Room/dormitory: $5,872 Meal plan: $5,256
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $23,747	99.0% Average amount $23,465
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,272	51.0% Average amount $5,286
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $14,731	6.0% Average amount $14,922

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,637 Men 27.8% Women 72.2%	2,837 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students	14,261 Men 27.8% Women 72.2%	850 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	52.3%
International students	3.8%	4.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,049	1,228
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Florida New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.5%	60.8%
Dropout rate	5.4%	36.5%
Transferred out	33.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $122,573 Year 2: $176,775 Year 3: $195,076 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $166,493 Year 2: $166,905 Year 3: $169,931 Information Science/Studies (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $117,731 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $129,964 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $89,302 Year 2: $112,701 Year 3: $117,811 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $92,664 Year 2: $114,892 Year 3: $116,799 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,520 Year 2: $100,224 Year 3: $110,420 Dentistry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $98,409 Year 2: $104,935 Year 3: $109,861 Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,905 Year 2: $92,040 Year 3: $100,946 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,562 Year 2: $87,235 Year 3: $96,127 Optometry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,752 Year 2: $88,588 Year 3: $94,659	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,539 Year 2: $113,354 Year 3: $121,395 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $57,694 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,359 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $55,997 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,575 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,914 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $40,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,875 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $40,718 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: $40,392 Year 3: $40,381 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,527 Year 2: $36,151 Year 3: $36,801 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,547 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $36,792

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