Southeastern University (Florida) This article is about the university in Lakeland, Florida. For Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, see Nova Southeastern University. For other uses, see Southeastern University (disambiguation). Southeastern University is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama as a Bible college, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970.