BGSU vs. Ship

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

 BGSU Ship
Location Bowling Green, OH Shippensburg, PA
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 16,920 5,162
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #728 #666
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bgsu.edu ship.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BGSU Ship
Tuition (In State) $11,272 $9,570
Tuition (Out of State) $19,845 $10,048
Room & Board $12,584 $11,538
Avg Net Price $20,485 $21,462
Avg Grant Aid $8,898 $7,593
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 91%

Admission

 BGSU Ship
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,447 6,367
Admitted 13,723 5,590
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 87.8%
Enrolled % 21.4% 19.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.23
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25
SAT Range 990/1200 980/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Jul 15, 2025

Academics

 BGSU Ship
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 BGSU Ship
Graduation Rate 58% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $258

Diversity

 BGSU Ship
% Men 42% 47%
% Women 58% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 78%
% Black 10% 10%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 BGSU Ship
% In-State 88% 90%
% Out-of-State 11% 10%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than Ship based on total student enrollment (16,920 students vs. 5,162 students)

BGSU vs. Ship Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BGSU or Ship?

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is 17.8% more expensive to attend than Ship for in-state tuition ($11,272.00 vs. $9,570.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 97.5% higher at BGSU than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($19,845.00 vs. $10,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Ship ($20,485 vs. $21,462)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania are 9.1% lower than costs at Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($11,538 vs. $12,584)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (95% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bowling Green State University Main Campus students is 17.2% larger than aid received Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($8,898 vs. $7,593)

BGSU vs. Ship Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bowling Green State University Main Campus (1012) is 33 points higher than at Ship (979)
  • Incoming BGSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Ship (21)
  • Accepted freshman BGSU students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Ship (3.23)
  • Ship has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than BGSU (78.7%)

BGSU vs. Ship Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Ship is higher than Bowling Green State University Main Campus (60% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania earn on average $3,600 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($47,200 vs. $43,600)
  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than BGSU graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,000)
  • Ship graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than BGSU graduates. ($258 vs. $268)
  • More Ship graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BGSU students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 53%)

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