BGSU vs. Penn State Beaver

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

 BGSU Penn State Beaver
Location Bowling Green, OH Monaca, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,920 522
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #728
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bgsu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BGSU Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $11,272 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $19,845 $23,086
Room & Board $12,584 $12,254
Avg Net Price $20,485 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $8,898 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 87%

Admission

 BGSU Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,447 1,707
Admitted 13,723 1,591
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 93.2%
Enrolled % 21.4% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25 20/28
SAT Range 990/1200 1050/1260
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 Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 BGSU Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 58% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 BGSU Penn State Beaver
% Men 42% 55%
% Women 58% 45%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 75%
% Black 10% 9%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 BGSU Penn State Beaver
% In-State 88% 63%
% Out-of-State 11% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (16,920 students vs. 522 students)

BGSU vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BGSU or Penn State Beaver?

  • Penn State Beaver is 22.6% more expensive to attend than BGSU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $11,272.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.3% higher at Penn State Beaver than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($23,086.00 vs. $19,845.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than BGSU ($18,113 vs. $20,485)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 2.7% lower than costs at Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($12,254 vs. $12,584)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Penn State Beaver (95% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Beaver students is 4.2% larger than aid received Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($9,274 vs. $8,898)

BGSU vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bowling Green State University Main Campus (1012) is 13 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming BGSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than BGSU (78.7%)

BGSU vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BGSU or Penn State Beaver? 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 Penn State Beaver and BGSU.

  • The graduation rate at BGSU is higher than Penn State Beaver (58% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $11,700 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,600)
  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • BGSU graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BGSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 53%)

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