Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, Ohio · Public · 4-year · Town

At a glance

Average net price: $24,022What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 81%
Graduation rate: 63%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 12,812
In-state tuition: $14,460Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $22,448
SAT midpoint: 1,115
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $47,896Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$24,022

1/5

Better than 3% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).

Completion

63%

4/5

Better than 74% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).

Earnings

$47,896

2/5

Better than 27% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).

Debt at graduation

$25,000

1/5

Better than 9% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$33,007

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$24,022

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	63%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	82%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$25,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$47,896

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Construction Engineering	$69,146	44
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$68,261	101
Computer Engineering	$67,949	51
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	$66,669	82
Engineering-Related Fields	$65,996	67
Management Information Systems and Services	$65,280	34
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	$62,869	18
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$60,807	122
Information Science/Studies	$60,359	35
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations	$58,773	36
Accounting and Related Services	$55,838	87
Finance and Financial Management Services	$53,707	85
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$53,257	10
International Business	$53,188	26
Economics	$52,864	17
Marketing	$47,272	102
Public Health	$47,019	18
Mathematics	$46,678	16
Business/Commerce, General	$46,018	31
Health and Medical Administrative Services	$44,655	25
Environmental Design	$43,843	37
Chemistry	$43,840	56
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	$42,296	17
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$41,509	50
Journalism	$41,159	14
Social Work	$40,959	67
Interior Architecture	$40,669	18
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$40,271	139
Special Education and Teaching	$38,671	203
Graphic Communications	$38,489	57
Political Science and Government	$37,329	21
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$36,468	92
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General	$35,810	Not reported
Design and Applied Arts	$35,645	39
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other	$34,040	62
Gerontology	$33,497	4
Air Transportation	$33,172	69
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	$32,709	37
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	$32,175	52
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$31,919	124
Sociology	$31,484	14
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	$31,218	67
Fine and Studio Arts	$31,128	40
Biology, General	$30,861	121
Education, Other	$30,483	98
History	$30,226	25
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	$29,896	22
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication	$29,405	31
International/Globalization Studies	$29,013	10
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$28,620	40
Psychology, General	$28,007	127
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	$24,596	17
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$22,734	10
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$21,900	14
English Language and Literature, General	$21,825	10
Music	$20,632	17
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	$19,803	31
Visual and Performing Arts, General	$18,819	30
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	Not reported	41
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	Not reported	20
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics	Not reported	12
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other	Not reported	11
Fire Protection	Not reported	10
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	Not reported	9
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	Not reported	8
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	Not reported	8
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Not reported	5
Philosophy	Not reported	5
Geography and Cartography	Not reported	4
Physics	Not reported	4
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	2
Statistics	Not reported	2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	Not reported	2
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	1
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	1
Area Studies	Not reported	1
Nutrition Sciences	Not reported	1
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	Not reported	Not reported
Dance	Not reported	Not reported

All 79 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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