Public Graduate Good 59/100

Bowie State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Bowie, Maryland

About Bowie State University

Thinking about Bowie State University, a college in Maryland where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Bowie State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Bowie, Maryland. It enrolls 5,043 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
72.4%
Graduation
30.4%
Net Price
$19,298
Median Earnings (10yr)
$54,537
Enrollment
5,043
Student : Faculty
16:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 19
Value 55
Affordability 65
Selectivity 32

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Bowie State University admits 72.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
72.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Bowie State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 3.9 pts since 2019
79.7%201981.2%202087%202186.5%202283.5%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $19,298 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$19,298
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
44%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
44%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,218
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$19,938
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,241
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,721
Books & Supplies
$2,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,660
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,660
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,220

Application fee: $40 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $17,071
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $16,646
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $19,163
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $22,808
  • Over $110,000
    $24,919

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,500
10% percentile
$5,750
25% percentile
$22,985
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$36,791
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $13,750 ↓ $9,235
No Pell $11,000 ↓ $11,985
Dependent students $12,250 ↓ $10,735
Independent students $15,750 ↓ $7,235
Female students $13,750 ↓ $9,235
Male students $11,750 ↓ $11,235
Pell recipients: 17.6% (4,039 students)No Pell: 14.1% (3,231 students)Dependent students: 15.7% (3,598 students)Independent students: 20.1% (4,626 students)Female students: 17.6% (4,039 students)Male students: 15.0% (3,451 students)Overall Median$22,985
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,250, less than completers ($22,985), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

30% of students who start here finish within six years, and 69% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
30%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
69%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,537 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$54,537
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$42,000$46,000$49,000$53,000$56,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$46,400

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$52,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$48,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$49,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$47,600

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,300, about 12% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 11.1 pts across 6 years
39.2%1yr43.9%3yr43.9%5yr50.3%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 50% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,043 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 36% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
5,043
Part-Time
15%
First-Generation
36%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Black 81.4% 4,107
Hispanic 5.7% 287
Other 4.9% 249
White 2.7% 135
International 1.6% 78
Asian 0.9% 47
Black: 81.4% (4,107 students)Hispanic: 5.7% (287 students)Other: 4.9% (249 students)White: 2.7% (135 students)International: 1.6% (78 students)Asian: 0.9% (47 students)Total5,043

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Bowie State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large Suburb Bowie, Maryland
Housing
Partly residential 1,900 beds available
Adult Learners
16% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Historically Black College / University (HBCU)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Psychology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Bowie State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 45 distinct programs across 18 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
6 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,643
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$46M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$97,292
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

248 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 50 20% $126,904
Associate Professors 63 25% $101,552
Assistant Professors 100 40% $88,623
Instructors 6 2% $93,046
Lecturers 29 12% $67,751

Pros & Cons of Bowie State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Bowie State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical

Frequently Asked Questions about Bowie State University

The questions families ask most about Bowie State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Bowie State University hard to get into?
Admissions at Bowie State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 72.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Bowie State University?
72.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Bowie State University cost?
Budget around $19,298 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bowie State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,537 a year against a net price of $19,298, about 2.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Bowie State University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Bowie State University graduates earn?
About $54,537 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bowie State University accredited?
Yes. Bowie State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Bowie State University?
5,043 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Bowie State University?
30% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Bowie State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Bowie State University located?
Bowie State University is located in Bowie, Maryland.
What programs does Bowie State University offer?
45 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Bowie State University?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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