2016 Fact Book

95 Figure 12 Trends in Enrollment by Gender 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Percent of Students Source: IPEDS Enrollment Survey Female Male Female students have been in the majority at NSU for more than 10 years, and have consistently been about 70 percent of total enrollment for the past five years (Figure 12 and Table 6). Women are the majority of students at every degree level. However, they only comprise 56 percent of professional students, compared to 70 percent of undergraduate students and 73 percent of graduate students (Table 6). Along with ethnicity and gender, age represents an important component of diversity in the student body. NSU has a large number of students of nontraditional college age. This is true at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with 30 percent of undergraduates age 25 or older and 40 percent of graduate and professional students older than age 35. Eighteen-year-old students entering the university directly from high school can study alongside working adults. Similarly, 22-year-old students starting graduate school immediately after completing their bachelor’s degree can perform research with seasoned professionals who have returned to school to further their careers. Many undergraduate and graduate students at Nova Southeastern University did not begin their programs immediately after high school or after graduating from college. With regard to full-time students, 80 percent of undergraduates, 20 percent of graduate students, and 40 percent of first-professional students were under age 25 during the 2015 fall term. A considerable rise in undergraduate-level students under age 25 has been noted, but the fraction of students under age 25 at the graduate-level has changed little in the past five years.