More selective than 65% of Maryland colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,220. College Scorecard.
Higher than 19% of Maryland colleges we cover and 22% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 24% of Maryland colleges we cover and 54% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Bowie State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,245 applicants, Bowie State University admitted 5,217 and 991 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Bowie State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Maryland residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Bowie State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bowie State University took 4.8 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Maryland. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,071 | $81,599 | 4.6 years |
| $30–48k | $16,646 | $79,568 | 4.5 years |
| $48–75k | $19,163 | $91,599 | 5.1 years |
| $75–110k | $22,808 | $109,022 | 6.1 years |
| $110k+ | $24,919 | $119,113 | 6.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (15% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($54,537) minus $36,731 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,806 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Bowie State University majors, earnings & careers
Bowie State University offers 26 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Bowie State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $103,814 | $25,125 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | $97,030 | $30,000 |
| Business Administration | $70,427 | $27,000 |
| History | $68,077 | $32,229 |
| Criminal Justice | $67,303 | $29,750 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $60,746 | — |
| Biology | $59,995 | $29,000 |
| Social Work | $57,224 | $31,000 |
Quick list of all 26 majors
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians$56,818
- Biology$59,995
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Business Administration$70,427
- Chemistry—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other$97,030
- Criminal Justice$67,303
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$60,746
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$48,707
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$33,841
- History$68,077
- Human Development and Family Studies$53,181
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,788
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Nursing$103,814
- Political Science—
- Psychology$54,082
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work$57,224
- Sociology$57,075
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Washington
Overall prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,438. Housing costs 51% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 16 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Prince George's County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Prince George's County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Bowie State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Maryland by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowie State University | 72% | $19,298 | 38% | $54,537 | This school |
| University of Baltimore | 79% | $13,868 | 38% | $61,335 | |
| Morgan State University | 82% | $14,985 | 41% | $50,698 | |
| Frostburg State University | 89% | $16,715 | 50% | $55,493 | |
| Salisbury University | 87% | $17,743 | 68% | $61,515 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bowie State University would cost you $5,430 more per year than University of Baltimore, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Bowie State University.
- University of Baltimore gives aided families $6,616 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maryland resident | Bowie State University | University of Baltimore | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $25,220 | $26,406 | −$1,186 |
| Average grants | −$5,922 | −$12,538 | +$6,616 |
| You pay | $19,298 | $13,868 | +$5,430 |
“+” means Bowie State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Bowie State University
What is the Bowie State University acceptance rate?
Bowie State University accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,217 of 6,245 applicants were admitted.
How much does Bowie State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,220 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,298 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,071 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,919.
How much do Bowie State University graduates earn?
Former Bowie State University students earn a median $54,537 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Bowie State University graduation rate?
38% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 68% return for their second year.
How long does a Bowie State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bowie State University costs about $91,599 after grants ($19,163 a year for 4.8 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,537 ten years after starting, $17,806 more than high school graduates in Maryland ($36,731), so the cost is repaid in 5.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bowie State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bowie-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).