More selective than 34% of Ohio colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $33,007. College Scorecard.
Higher than 77% of Ohio colleges we cover and 67% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 32% of Ohio colleges we cover and 34% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
BGSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 18,629 applicants, Bowling Green State University admitted 15,016 and 3,114 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1000–1210 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
BGSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Ohio 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
State aid: Ohio residents with household income up to $96,000 and a Student Aid Index of 3,750 or less may receive an Ohio College Opportunity Grant: up to $4,000 a year at public university main campuses (less at regional campuses) in 2026-27. Not included in the prices above. Ohio Department of Higher Education, OCOG 2026-27 award memo (FA27-001)
What BGSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bowling Green State University took 4.3 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 Ohio. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $18,396 | $78,183 | 6.3 years |
| $30–48k | $18,547 | $78,825 | 6.3 years |
| $48–75k | $21,820 | $92,735 | 7.4 years |
| $75–110k | $25,741 | $109,399 | 8.8 years |
| $110k+ | $27,414 | $116,510 | 9.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (49% 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 ($47,896) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,458 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.
BGSU majors, earnings & careers
Bowling Green State University offers 79 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Health & Medicine · 11
- Business & Finance · 10
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Arts & Design · 7
- Engineering · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at BGSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $93,626 | $27,000 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $89,514 | $26,404 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $86,245 | $27,000 |
| Management Information Systems | $84,838 | $20,000 |
| Information Science / Studies | $84,273 | $25,564 |
| Construction Engineering | $82,365 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $79,291 | $25,000 |
| Nursing | $78,798 | $25,848 |
Quick list of all 79 majors
- Accounting$77,880
- Air Transportation$75,845
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$51,385
- Area Studies—
- Biology$47,131
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$51,758
- Business$59,221
- Business Administration$79,291
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$69,239
- Chemistry$60,065
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences$70,493
- Computer Engineering$93,626
- Construction Engineering$82,365
- Criminal Justice$52,068
- Dance—
- Dietetics$54,796
- Economics$74,844
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,168
- Education (Subject Teaching)$47,937
- Education, Other$45,147
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other$75,677
- Engineering-Related Fields$89,514
- English$41,578
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$53,620
- Environmental Design$59,873
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$39,707
- Finance$76,659
- Fire Protection—
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$86,245
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Gerontology$50,070
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$54,274
- Graphic Communications$52,388
- Health Administration$61,483
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$66,280
- Health Sciences$54,424
- History$50,693
- Human Development and Family Studies$43,468
- Information Science / Studies$84,273
- Interior Architecture$53,592
- International / Global Studies$49,925
- International Business$74,183
- Journalism$48,803
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$52,818
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$42,463
- Management Information Systems$84,838
- Marketing$65,926
- Mathematics$74,705
- Medical Laboratory Science$73,290
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$46,341
- Music$44,037
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$78,798
- Nutrition Science—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$53,809
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics—
- Physics—
- Political Science$58,254
- Psychology$46,481
- Public Health$56,114
- Public Relations and Advertising$70,583
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Work$51,267
- Sociology$38,346
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$45,224
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$57,196
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$36,036
- Theatre$37,094
- Visual and Performing Arts$46,944
- Writing$50,120
— 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 →Special Education → Special education teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
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
Living in Toledo
Overall prices in the Toledo, OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,145. Housing costs 33% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 35 inches of rain a year, 21 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Wood County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Wood County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare BGSU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green State University | 81% | $24,022 | 64% | $47,896 | This school |
| Kent State University at Kent | 86% | $20,787 | 64% | $45,388 | |
| Ohio University | 85% | $21,637 | 65% | $52,581 | |
| University of Toledo | 92% | $17,249 | 57% | $50,632 | |
| Youngstown State University | 84% | $12,767 | 50% | $41,544 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bowling Green State University would cost you $3,235 more per year than Kent State University at Kent, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Bowling Green State University, mostly from more Kent State University at Kent students living at home, which lowers its average (+$2,566).
- Kent State University at Kent gives aided families $795 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | BGSU | Kent State University at Kent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $14,460 | $13,232 | +$1,228 |
| Books & supplies | $640 | $1,200 | −$560 |
| Housing & meals | $11,784 | $13,040 | −$1,256 |
| Personal & travel | $5,194 | $4,732 | +$462 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$929 | −$1,637 | +$2,566 |
| Sticker price | $33,007 | $30,567 | +$2,440 |
| Average grants | −$8,985 | −$9,780 | +$795 |
| You pay | $24,022 | $20,787 | +$3,235 |
“+” means BGSU 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 BGSU
What is the BGSU acceptance rate?
Bowling Green State University accepts 81% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 15,016 of 18,629 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1000–1210 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
How much does Bowling Green State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $33,007 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,022 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,396 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,414.
How much do BGSU graduates earn?
Former Bowling Green State University students earn a median $47,896 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the BGSU graduation rate?
64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
How long does a BGSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bowling Green State University costs about $92,735 after grants ($21,820 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,896 ten years after starting, $12,458 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 7.4 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: “Bowling Green State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).