BGSU vs. FGCU

Should I go to Bowling Green State University Main Campus or Florida Gulf Coast University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BGSU or FGCU 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. Florida Gulf Coast University comparison
Bowling Green State University Main Campus Florida Gulf Coast University College 3 College 4
Bowling Green State University Main Campus Florida Gulf Coast University
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Overview

 BGSU FGCU
Location Bowling Green, OH Fort Myers, FL
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,920 15,969
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #728 #802
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bgsu.edu fgcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BGSU FGCU
Tuition (In State) $11,272 $4,191
Tuition (Out of State) $19,845 $22,328
Room & Board $12,584 $9,772
Avg Net Price $20,485 $10,834
Avg Grant Aid $8,898 $7,268
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 72%

Admission

 BGSU FGCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,447 15,657
Admitted 13,723 11,647
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 74.4%
Enrolled % 21.4% 24.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 4.0
Typical High School Grades B+ A/A+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/25 20/25
SAT Range 990/1200 1040/1200
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Jul 15, 2025 Nov 1, 2024

Academics

 BGSU FGCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 BGSU FGCU
Graduation Rate 58% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $268 $201

Diversity

 BGSU FGCU
% Men 42% 42%
% Women 58% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 78% 66%
% Black 10% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 BGSU FGCU
% In-State 88% 75%
% Out-of-State 11% 22%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than FGCU based on total student enrollment (16,920 students vs. 15,969 students)

BGSU vs. FGCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BGSU or FGCU?

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is 169% more expensive to attend than FGCU for in-state tuition ($11,272.00 vs. $4,191.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.5% higher at FGCU than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($22,328.00 vs. $19,845.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Gulf Coast University than BGSU ($10,834 vs. $20,485)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Gulf Coast University are 28.8% lower than costs at Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($9,772 vs. $12,584)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Florida Gulf Coast University (95% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bowling Green State University Main Campus students is 22.4% larger than aid received Florida Gulf Coast University ($8,898 vs. $7,268)

BGSU vs. FGCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Florida Gulf Coast University (1081) is 69 points higher than at BGSU (1012)
  • Incoming FGCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at BGSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman FGCU students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at BGSU (3.6)
  • BGSU has a higher acceptance rate (78.7%) than FGCU (74.4%)

BGSU vs. FGCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BGSU or FGCU? 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 FGCU and BGSU.

  • The graduation rate at BGSU is higher than Florida Gulf Coast University (58% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Florida Gulf Coast University earn on average $1,600 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($45,200 vs. $43,600)
  • Florida Gulf Coast University students graduate with a $6,500 lower median federal student loan debt than BGSU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,000)
  • FGCU graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than BGSU graduates. ($201 vs. $268)
  • More FGCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BGSU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 53%)

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