Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Bowling Green, Ohio · Public · 12,812 undergraduates · bgsu.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
81%
of 21,938 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1000 to 1210
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$34,760Est.Estimate
$43,430 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
81% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$43,430
a year in 2027-28, from a $43,430 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1110
Send your score
About 33% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 950, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- Reviews applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.
Source: Test Optional · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Dec9Other deadline · December 9, 2026
- Mar1Priority deadline · March 1, 2027Apply by this date for the best chance at admission and scholarships.
Who gets in
81%
of applicants were admitted: 17,836 of 21,938 for fall 2025.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 20% of them sent SAT scores and 60% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1000 to 1210
Reading and Writing 510 to 620
Math 490 to 600
ACT composite 19 to 25
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 16003.4%
- 1200 to 139927%
- 1000 to 119950%
- 800 to 99918%
- 600 to 7991.2%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.70
- 4.026%
- 3.75 to 3.9922%
- 3.50 to 3.7418%
- 3.25 to 3.4915%
- 3.00 to 3.249.8%
- 2.50 to 2.998.6%
- Below 2.501.1%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$34,760
a year, in state
$43,430
a year, out of state (tuition $21,710)
- Tuition (in state)$13,040
- Fees$2,730
- Food and housing$14,220
- Books and supplies$800
- Transportation and other$3,970
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus published $32,832 in state for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$17,881
- $30,001 to $48,000$16,662
- $48,001 to $75,000$18,793
- $75,001 to $110,000$22,860
- Over $110,000$25,624
Financial aid
55%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$12,127
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
33%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $6,335 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 1/15
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
Ohio programs for residents
Governor's Merit Scholarship
$5,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- Homeschool / dropout prevention & recovery / nonchartered nonpublic applicants (top 5% of similar applicants by ACT/SAT); Apply via ODHE portal in senior year; homeschoolers upload superintendent's response to home-education notification; Selective Service if applicable; on-time graduation; junior on track at determination
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
40 of 40
Earn credit with a score of 3
40 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,300Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ARTS 1020 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ARTS 1120 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | ETHN 1200 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ARTH 1450 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1040 |
| Biology | 4 | 8 | BIOL 2040 & 2050 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 5 | MATH 1310 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 10 | MATH 1310 & 2320 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 5 | CHEM 1230, 1240 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 10 | CHEM 1230, 1240, 1270 & 1280 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | CHIN 1010 & 1020 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | CHIN 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | CHIN 1010, 1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLS 1710 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | CS 1010 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CS 1050 |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | ART 1030 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | WRIT 1110 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | WRIT 1110 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | BIOL 1010 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HIST 1520 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | FREN 1010 & 1020 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | FREN 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 14 | FREN 1010, 1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | GERM 1010 & 1020 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | GERM 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 14 | GERM 1010, 1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 2300 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | ITAL 1010 & 1020 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | ITAL 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 14 | ITAL 1010, 1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | JAPN 1010 & 1020 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | JAPN 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | JAPN 1010,1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| Latin | 3 | 8 | LAT 1010 & 1020 |
| Latin | 4 | 11 | LAT 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| Latin | 5 | 14 | LAT 1010, 1020, 2010, & 2020 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 2030 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 2020 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUCT 1100 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 2 | MUCT 1510 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 4 | MUCT 1410 & 1510 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 5 | PHYS 2010 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 5 | PHYS 2020 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 5 | PHYS 2120 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 5 | PHYS 2110 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 5 | MATH 1280 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYC 1010 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | HNRS 1XXX |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | HNRS 1XXX |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | SPAN 1010 & 1020 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | SPAN 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 14 | SPAN 1010, 1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 11 | SPAN 1010, 1020 & 2010 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 14 | SPAN 1010, 1020, 2010 & 2020 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | MATH 1150 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLS 1100 |
| United States History | 3 | 6 | HIST 1250 & 1260 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 6 | HIST 1510 & 1520 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
66%
Come back for a second year
82%
Typical earnings
$52,269
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Bowling Green State University-Main Campus$46,064
- All colleges$51,546
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 57 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Bowling Green State University-Main Campus. The Bowling Green State University-Main Campus logo is a trademark of the college.