Graduating at 17
WFLA in Tampa reported in May 2024 that a 17-year-old had become one of the youngest graduates in Southeastern University's history. Southeastern is a private university in Lakeland, Florida, and the record it recognised was institutional: not a national first, but the youngest its own commencement had seen.
The university itself returned to the story the following spring. Its April 2025 announcement noted that its commencement would include the youngest graduates in its history, the ceremony at which Ostergaard completed a master's degree at 18.
A family pattern
He is the brother of Kaitlyn Ostergaard, and the university's framing of youngest graduates in the plural points at a household rather than an individual. Early-college families tend to work this way: once one child has compressed the timetable, the route is mapped for the next.
The sources here do not set out the curriculum, the method or the schooling arrangement that produced it. What they record is the result, twice, in consecutive academic years.
Law by 21
The stated aim is to be practising law by 21. In the United States that requires a three-year law degree and a state bar examination, so a graduate starting law school at 18 could in principle be admitted at about 21, provided the bar in question sets no higher minimum age.
The sources record him as headed to law school in the autumn of 2025. Whether he enrolled, where, and whether the timetable held is not documented here, and this page does not assume it did. Bar admission rules vary by state, and none of the reporting gathered here addresses whether Florida or any other jurisdiction would license an applicant of that age.
What early graduation actually proves
A degree at 17 measures pace, not ceiling. It shows that a student completed an accredited programme faster than the standard route, usually through credit accumulated before or during the normal high-school years, and it says nothing by itself about what the student will do with the qualification.
That is why the interesting part of this case is the stated plan rather than the record. The claim being made is not that he finished early but that he intends to be a practising lawyer at an age when most graduates are starting their first degree. That is a checkable prediction with a date attached.
What is documented and what is not
Documented: graduation from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, at 17 in 2024, as one of the youngest graduates in the university's history; a master's degree completed at 18; the university's own announcement in April 2025; the plan to attend law school from the autumn of 2025 and to practise by 21; and his sister Kaitlyn.
Not documented here: his date of birth, his earlier schooling, his degree subjects, which law school he entered, and any test scores or IQ figure. The birth year on this page is derived from his reported age in 2024.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viemens Bamfo | Ghana | Admitted to the University of Ghana at 12 (2019) | Age 12 |
| Yahya Elnajaar | Egypt | He was still in grade six when Egypt's science university admitted him | Age 12 |
| Dafne Almazán | Mexico | Completing a psychology degree at 13 | Age 13 |
| Shania Muhammad | United States | Langston University's youngest graduate, at 15 | Age 15 |
| Joshua Ostergaard | United States | One of the youngest graduates in the university's history | Age 17 |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- Graduated from Southeastern University at 17 in 2024 (WFLA)
- One of the youngest graduates in the university's history
- Completed a master's degree at 18
- Southeastern's April 2025 announcement referred to the youngest graduates in its history
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- Date of birth is not published; the birth year here is derived from his reported age
- Which law school he entered, and whether the by-21 timetable held, is not documented
- Degree subjects and earlier schooling are not recorded in these sources
Questions people ask about Joshua Ostergaard
How old is Joshua Ostergaard?
He was reported as 17 when he graduated in May 2024, which puts his birth year at about 2007. No date of birth appears in these sources.
What is Joshua Ostergaard known for?
Graduating from Southeastern University at 17, one of the youngest graduates in the university's history, and finishing a master's degree at 18.
Where did he study?
Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.
What does he plan to do next?
Law school from the autumn of 2025, with the stated aim of practising law by the age of 21.
Does he have siblings who did the same?
He is the brother of Kaitlyn Ostergaard, and the university's 2025 announcement referred to its youngest graduates in the plural.
Is Joshua Ostergaard on Wikipedia?
No Wikipedia article is recorded for him. The WFLA report and Southeastern University's own announcement are the primary references.
Is he the youngest graduate in America?
No such claim appears in these sources. The documented record is one of the youngest in his university's own history.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Joshua’s story?
At what age did Joshua Ostergaard take his bachelor's degree?
Which university did he attend?
By what age does he aim to practise law?
Sources
- 17-year-old becomes one of the youngest graduates in Southeastern University history — WFLA, 2024-05-01
- SEU's Spring Commencement to Include Youngest Graduates in Its History — Southeastern University, 2025-04-01
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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