Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublicHBCU

Bowie State University

Bowie, Maryland·Public, 4-year or above·Mid East·bowiestate.edu
6-yr Graduation
38%
-6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
6,353
peer median 5,891
Avg net price
$19,298
+$2.2k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
4,669
4,669 candidates competed
Admitted
3,381
72.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
922
27.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
38%-6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
16%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
38%
Full-time retention
68%

Pell equity

10.0pp gap
Pell recipients
34%183 of 534
Non-Pell (all)
44%160 of 364
Subsidized loan, no Pell
44%67 of 154
No Federal Aid
44%93 of 210

Non-Pell students graduate at a 10.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 68 Title IV programs, 21 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 46 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
68
Passing
21
30.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.5% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.5%
+0.9pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

68programs
  • Passing21 · 30.9%
  • No Data46 · 67.6%
  • Failing1 · 1.5%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
21
No data
46

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

22
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-7.3%
$33,841 vs $36,491
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+28.0%
$79,149 vs $61,854
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+33.5%
$48,707 vs $36,491
Human Resources Management and Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+35.8%
$86,829 vs $63,916
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+45.7%
$53,181 vs $36,491
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+48.2%
$54,082 vs $36,491
Communication Journalism and Related Programs Other
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+50.4%
$83,948 vs $55,818
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+52.9%
$55,788 vs $36,491

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

21
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
91%
$71,750 debt · $79,149 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
80%
$27,000 debt · $33,841 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
72%
$54,468 debt · $75,995 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
56%
$27,490 debt · $48,707 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
49%
$27,563 debt · $55,788 earn
Communication Journalism and Related Programs Other
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
49%
$41,000 debt · $83,948 earn
Human Resources Management and Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
47%
$41,000 debt · $86,829 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
46%
$24,675 debt · $53,181 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1961Next review Nov 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 12

  1. Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  2. Apr 2023Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program
  3. Apr 2023Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  4. Mar 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  5. Sep 2021Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,071
$30–48k$16,646
$48–75k$19,163
$75–110k$22,808
$110k+$24,919

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$19,298
+$2,234vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $17,064
Federal loans
44.0%
In-state tuition
$9,218
Out-of-state
$19,938

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 2,803 students received $16.2M in Pell grants, alongside $29.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,803
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$16.2M
$16,183,050 total
Direct Loans
$29.7M
5,240 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
3k
’21
3k
’22
2k
’23
3k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$8.7M
2,237 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.5M
2,109 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$5.6M
405 loan awards
Parent PLUS$7.5M
456 loan awards
Grad PLUS$319K
33 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,742 borrowers who entered repayment, 101 (5.7%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
5.7%
+3.4pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,742
Defaulted
101
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
14.1%
2017
14.7%
2018
11.1%
2019
5.7%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Bowie State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs49
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

934 total completions
01Education
16617.8%
02Computer Sciences
15416.5%
03Business
15316.4%
04Psychology
10511.2%
05Security/Protective
768.1%
06Health Professions
727.7%
07Comm. Technologies
707.5%
08Biological Sciences
515.5%
09Visual/Performing Arts
495.2%
10Public Admin
384.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
6,353
12-mo unduplicated
7,130
Undergraduate
5,684
Graduate
1,446

Gender split

Men
38%2,680
Women
62%4,450

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
81.4%
Hispanic
5.7%
Two or more
4.3%
Unknown
2.8%
White
2.7%
Non-resident
1.6%
Asian
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
322
201 M · 121 W
Women athletes
37.6%
Athletic aid
$1.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$7.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$609K
$522K
Recruiting expense
$0
$0
Head-coach salaries
$103K
$57K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Football
135 M · —
$1.5M
Track and Field (Outdoor)
53 M · 38 W
$132K
Track and Field (Indoor)
54 M · 34 W
$301K
Basketball
16 M · 17 W
$1.4M
Volleyball
— · 27 W
$223K
Softball
— · 26 W
$303K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
5.77
37 offenses · 6,408 students

3-year trend

7.132 yrs ago3.981 yr ago5.77Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
107
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
49
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
6

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
27
Burglary
6
Rape
3
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

37total
  • On campus37

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
21
Dating violence
6
Stalking
28 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons17
Drugs032
Liquor020

Residence-hall fires

  • KENNARD HALL1 fire
    OtherDamage $100-$999
  • HALEY HALL1 fire
    Smoking materialsDamage $0-$99
  • ELLC4 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • ELLC4 fires
    OtherDamage $0-$99
  • ELLC4 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • ELLC4 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
248

Bowie State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Bowie State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectBowie State University
38%—6,353$19,298Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Salisbury University
68%87.5%7,025$17,743Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Frostburg State University
50%89.2%4,104$16,715Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Baltimore
38%78.7%3,187$13,868Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Towson University
69%82.0%19,401$17,413Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
New Jersey City University
34%98.4%5,429$16,053Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median44%87.5%5,891$17,064

Institutions like Bowie State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Bowie State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Bowie State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Planning, Analysis & Accountability
Reports to Division of Academic Affairs
Email
opaa [at] bowiestate.edu
Phone
301-860-4000
Address
James E. Proctor, Jr. Building, Room 312

The mission of OPAA is to provide decision support information to the campus community to promote continuous improvement and institutional effectiveness. OPAA integrates institutional and external data to inform student success strategies, resource allocation, enrollment management, and institutional strategic planning and performance.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Gayle Fink
    Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
  • Jacqueline Cade
    Director Institutional & Academic Programs

Common Data Set

Bowie State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
82.5%
Accessible
Yield
18.2%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
5,970
4,810 UG · 1,160 grad
6-yr graduation rate
36%
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
5,842
Admitted
4,814
Enrolled
877

5,842 applied → 4,814 admitted (82.5%) → 877 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
82.5%

Accessible — 82.5% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male79.4%
female83.9%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
895
Median
1025
75th
1208

Middle 50% SAT 895–1208 (median 1025).

High-school class rank

C10

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important1
Rigor of secondary school record
Important1
Academic GPA
Considered9
Class rankStandardized test scoresApplication EssayExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualitiesFirst generationState residencyWork experience
Not Considered7
Recommendation(s)InterviewAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
36%
Retention
—

6-year graduation rate 36%; first-year retention None.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students36%
Pell recipients32%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 5 pts below the overall rate (32% vs 36%).

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students91
10-19 students295
20-29 students319
30-39 students72
40-49 students3
50-99 students0
100+ students0

49% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
47%
Women faculty
57%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Business/marketing16%
Computer and information sciences12%
Psychology10%
Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services10%
Communication technologies9%
Education9%
Biological/life sciences7%
Visual and performing arts6%

STEM-dominant: ~19% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

04

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
Black or African American80.4%
Hispanic/Latino6.0%
Two or More Races4.1%
Race/Ethnicity Unknown3.5%
White2.6%
Nonresidents1.8%
Asian0.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0.2%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
86
Share
2%

2% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
4,81081%
Graduate
1,16019%

4,810 undergraduates and 1,160 graduate students.

05

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,397
Admitted
1,235
Enrolled
439

1,397 transfer applicants → 1,235 admitted (88.4%) → 439 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Bowie State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bowie State.

What is the graduation rate at Bowie State University?

Bowie State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 38% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Bowie State University?

Bowie State University reports a total enrollment of 6,353 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Bowie State University?

The average net price at Bowie State University is $19,298 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Bowie State University?

Bowie State University's yield rate is 27.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Bowie State University located?

Bowie State University is located in Bowie, Maryland 20715-9465.

Who runs Institutional Research at Bowie State University?

Bowie State University's IR work is done by the Office of Planning, Analysis & Accountability, which reports to Division of Academic Affairs.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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