BGSU vs. Defiance College

Should I go to Bowling Green State University Main Campus or Defiance College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BGSU or Defiance College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Bowling Green State University Main Campus vs. Defiance College comparison
Bowling Green State University Main Campus Defiance College College 3 College 4
Bowling Green State University Main Campus
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Overview

 BGSU Defiance College
Location Bowling Green, OH Defiance, OH
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,920 540
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #728
Religious Affiliation - United Church of Christ - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bgsu.edu defiance.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BGSU Defiance College
Tuition (In State) $11,272 $34,556
Tuition (Out of State) $19,845 $34,556
Room & Board $12,584 $10,940
Avg Net Price $20,485 $23,196
Avg Grant Aid $8,898 $24,970
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 99%

Admission

 BGSU Defiance College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,447 2,722
Admitted 13,723 1,711
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 62.9%
Enrolled % 21.4% 8.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.12
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/25 17/23
SAT Range 990/1200 860/1110
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 15, 2025

Academics

 BGSU Defiance College
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 BGSU Defiance College
Graduation Rate 58% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 $43,700
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

 BGSU Defiance College
% Men 42% 60%
% Women 58% 40%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 80%
% Black 10% 8%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 BGSU Defiance College
% In-State 88% 66%
% Out-of-State 11% 31%

Campus

 BGSU Defiance College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than Defiance College based on total student enrollment (16,920 students vs. 540 students)

BGSU vs. Defiance College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BGSU or Defiance College?

  • Defiance College is 206.6% more expensive to attend than BGSU for in-state tuition ($34,556.00 vs. $11,272.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 74.1% higher at Defiance College than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($34,556.00 vs. $19,845.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Defiance College ($20,485 vs. $23,196)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Defiance College are 15% lower than costs at Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($10,940 vs. $12,584)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Defiance College than Bowling Green State University Main Campus (99% vs. 95%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Defiance College students is 180.6% larger than aid received Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($24,970 vs. $8,898)

BGSU vs. Defiance College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BGSU or Defiance College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Defiance College or BGSU .

  • The average SAT score at Bowling Green State University Main Campus (1012) is 28 points higher than at Defiance College (984)
  • Incoming BGSU students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Defiance College (22)
  • Accepted freshman BGSU students have a 0.48 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Defiance College (3.12)
  • BGSU has a higher acceptance rate (78.7%) than Defiance College (62.9%)

BGSU vs. Defiance College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BGSU or Defiance College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Defiance College and BGSU.

  • The graduation rate at BGSU is higher than Defiance College (58% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Defiance College earn on average $100 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($43,700 vs. $43,600)
  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Defiance College graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • BGSU graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Defiance College graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Defiance College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BGSU students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 53%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/