BGSU vs. VMI

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

 BGSU VMI
Location Bowling Green, OH Lexington, VA
Setting Distant Town Distant Rural
Enrollment 17,027 1,560
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #687 #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bgsu.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 BGSU VMI
Tuition (In State) $11,611 $10,076
Tuition (Out of State) $19,600 $40,778
Room & Board $11,784 $10,990
Avg Net Price $20,987 $17,229
Avg Grant Aid $8,795 $13,735
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 81%

Admission

 BGSU VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,629 1,171
Admitted 15,016 957
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 81.7%
Enrolled % 20.7% 49%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 22/28
SAT Range 1020/1230 1040/1260
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 BGSU VMI
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%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

 BGSU VMI
Graduation Rate 58% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 53% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $258

Diversity

 BGSU VMI
% Men 7% 61%
% Women 11% 9%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 80%
% Black 10% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 BGSU VMI
% In-State 87% 63%
% Out-of-State 12% 35%

Campus

 BGSU VMI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
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 VMI based on total student enrollment (17,027 students vs. 1,560 students)

BGSU vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BGSU or VMI?

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is 15.2% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($11,611.00 vs. $10,076.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 108.1% higher at VMI than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($40,778.00 vs. $19,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than BGSU ($17,229 vs. $20,987)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 7.2% lower than costs at Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($10,990 vs. $11,784)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Virginia Military Institute (94% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia Military Institute students is 56.2% larger than aid received Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($13,735 vs. $8,795)

BGSU vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 127 points higher than at BGSU (1012)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at BGSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at BGSU (3.6)
  • VMI has a higher acceptance rate (81.7%) than BGSU (80.6%)

BGSU vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Bowling Green State University Main Campus (69% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $18,500 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $43,600)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than BGSU graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,000)
  • VMI graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than BGSU graduates. ($258 vs. $268)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BGSU students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 53%)

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