Nova Southeastern University (NSU) vs Ave Maria

Nova Southeastern University and Ave Maria University, both located in Florida, offer distinct educational experiences. Nova Southeastern University, with an acceptance rate of 60%, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including popular majors like nursing, business, and psychology. Ave Maria University, on the other hand, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 48% and is known for its strong liberal arts and Catholic identity. While both universities offer a vibrant campus life, Nova Southeastern University's larger student body provides a more diverse and bustling atmosphere, while Ave Maria University's smaller size fosters a close-knit community. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions, including graduation rates, tuition costs, and available financial aid options.

	Ave Maria University	Nova Southeastern University
Overview
Location	Ave Maria, Florida	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Campus setting	Rural: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	78.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.0%	92.5%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1040 - 1310
ACT range	N/A	20 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		42.0%
Students submitting ACT score		17.0%
Total number of applicants	3,705	11,749
Total number of admissions given out	2,373	10,868
Admitted students who chose to enroll	377	1,672
Yield rate	15.9%	15.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,977	$57,175
Average net price	$18,643	$26,530
Tuition	$23,521	$33,510
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,562 Meal plan: $5,528	Room/dormitory: $10,944 Meal plan: $3,190
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 $21,230	100.0% Average amount $23,747
Students receiving federal student loan	55.0% Average amount $5,696	45.0% Average amount $5,272
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $11,852	7.0% Average amount $14,731

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,259 Men 45.1% Women 54.9%	6,637 Men 27.8% Women 72.2%
Graduate students	43 Men 69.8% Women 30.2%	14,261 Men 27.8% Women 72.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.3%	3.8%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,244	2,049
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Theology Social Sciences Education	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.9%	60.5%
Dropout rate	39.1%	5.4%
Transferred out	N/A	33.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,648 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $36,766 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,250 Year 3: $34,401 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,800 Year 2: $30,988 Year 3: $30,767 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,762 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Theological and Ministerial Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,775 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: N/A	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

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Nova Southeastern University (NSU) vs Ave Maria

Ave Maria University

Nova Southeastern University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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