Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green State University logo
#827 / #241
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#940
Most Desirable School
Public university in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States

Bowling Green State University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#241
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
81%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$14,892
Graduation rate
66%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
12,812

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

Bowling Green State University Featured Rankings

About Bowling Green State University

According to Wikipedia, Bowling Green State University is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the natural and social sciences, education, arts, business, health and wellness, humanities and applied technologies. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 as a normal school, specializing in teacher training and education. The university has developed from a small rural normal school into a comprehensive public research university. It is a part of University System of Ohio and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Bowling Green State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
18,62981%82%66%110522

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Bowling Green State University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$14,892
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$17,881
30K - 48K$16,662
48K - 75K$18,793
75K - 110K$22,860
110K+$25,624

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Bowling Green State University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Bowling Green State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $52,269 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Bowling Green State University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
19,95815,9104,048

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Bowling Green State University?

Bowling Green State University is located at 220 McFall Ctr, Bowling Green, OH 43403.

How Safe is Bowling Green State University?

Relative to its enrollment, Bowling Green State University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Bowling Green has a violent crime rate of 0.07% and a property crime rate of 0.96%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.

What Is Bowling Green State University Known For?

Bowling Green State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Bowling Green State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Bowling Green State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Philosophy
#445
World Rank
#502
Historical Rank
#136
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #136 in the U.S. and #445 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Sociology
#508
World Rank
#520
Historical Rank
#143
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #143 in the U.S. and #508 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Psychology
#329
World Rank
#352
Historical Rank
#145
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #145 in the U.S. and #329 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
Economics
#760
World Rank
#773
Historical Rank
#171
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #171 in the U.S. and #760 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Mathematics
#812
World Rank
#865
Historical Rank
#201
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #201 in the U.S. and #812 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Literature
#590
World Rank
#644
Historical Rank
#208
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #208 in the U.S. and #590 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Communications
#804
World Rank
#835
Historical Rank
#228
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #228 in the U.S. and #804 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Education
#947
World Rank
#907
Historical Rank
#231
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #231 in the U.S. and #947 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
History
#656
World Rank
#678
Historical Rank
#231
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #231 in the U.S. and #656 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Computer Science
#954
World Rank
#956
Historical Rank
#240
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #240 in the U.S. and #954 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Business
#924
World Rank
#925
Historical Rank
#275
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #275 in the U.S. and #924 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
Biology
#1112
World Rank
#1101
Historical Rank
#283
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #283 in the U.S. and #1112 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Political Science
#1178
World Rank
#1193
Historical Rank
#298
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #298 in the U.S. and #1178 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Engineering
#2006
World Rank
#2023
Historical Rank
#325
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #325 in the U.S. and #2006 worldwide for influence in Engineering.

engineering Degrees
Medical
#1189
World Rank
#1194
Historical Rank
#329
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #329 in the U.S. and #1189 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
Chemistry
#1723
World Rank
#1747
Historical Rank
#332
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #332 in the U.S. and #1723 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Social Work
#859
World Rank
#861
Historical Rank
#350
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #350 in the U.S. and #859 worldwide for influence in Social Work.

social-work Degrees
Criminal Justice
#681
World Rank
#684
Historical Rank
#377
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #377 in the U.S. and #681 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
Nursing
#1099
World Rank
#1099
Historical Rank
#407
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #407 in the U.S. and #1099 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees
Earth Sciences
#1786
World Rank
#1800
Historical Rank
#428
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #428 in the U.S. and #1786 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.

earth-science Degrees
Physics
#2627
World Rank
#2656
Historical Rank
#597
USA Rank

Bowling Green State University ranks #597 in the U.S. and #2627 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees

Who Are Bowling Green State University's Most Influential Alumni?

Bowling Green State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Philosophy, and Sociology. Here are some of Bowling Green State University's most famous alumni:

James Baldwin
James Baldwin
An American writer .
William Julius Wilson
An American sociologist.
William Easterly
William Easterly
An American development economist.
Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe
An American educator and astronaut.
Arnold Rampersad
An American academic.
Carolyn Forché
Carolyn Forché
An American writer.
Russell Barkley
An American psychologist and author.
James G. Nell
James G. Nell
An American software engineer.
James Purdy
James Purdy
A Writer.
Anthony Walsh
Anthony Walsh
An American criminologist.
Orel Hershiser
An American baseball player and analyst.
Sally Miller Gearhart
Sally Miller Gearhart
An American teacher, feminist, science fiction writer, and political activist.

Who Are Bowling Green State University's Most Influential Faculty?

Bowling Green State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Psychology, Philosophy, and Sociology. Here are some of Bowling Green State University's most famous faculty:

Rebekah Modrak
Rebekah Modrak
An American artist and writer.
Kristen Rudisill
An American academic.
Peter Boyer
Peter Boyer
An American composer.
Thomas Rosenkranz
An American pianist.
Andrea Reinkemeyer
An American composer.