2021 NSU Fact Book

2021 FACT BOOK 117 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 six years (Figure 12 and Table 6). Women are the majority of students at every degree level. However, they only comprise 58 percent of professional students, compared to 71 percent of undergraduate students, and 77 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 7 percent of undergraduates age 25 or older and 25 percent of graduate and first- 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 profession- als who have returned to school to further their careers. NSU also serves many traditional-age students. With regard to full-time students, 90 percent of undergradu- ates, 25 percent of graduate students, and 54 percent of first-professional students were under age 25 during the fall 2020 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. Figure 12 Fall 2016–2020 Enrollment by Gender Percent of Students 0 25% 50% 75% 100% Fall 2019 Fall 2020 Fall 2018 Fall 2017 Fall 2016 Term Female Male Fall 2016–2020 Enrollment by Gender Gender Fall 2016 Fall 2017 Fall 2018 Fall 2019 Female 70% 70% 71% 71% Male 30% 30% 29% 29% Fall 2020 72% 28% i