IU Northwest vs. BGSU

Should I go to Indiana University Northwest or Bowling Green State University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IU Northwest or BGSU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Kent State University of Toledo Cleveland State Ohio University Purdue Calumet Ohio State Miami UC BSU GVSU University of Akron CMU
Indiana University Northwest vs. Bowling Green State University Main Campus comparison
Indiana University Northwest Bowling Green State University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Indiana University Northwest Bowling Green State University Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 IU Northwest BGSU
Location Gary, IN Bowling Green, OH
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 3,198 16,920
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #882 #728
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iun.edu bgsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Northwest BGSU
Tuition (In State) $7,274 $11,272
Tuition (Out of State) $20,634 $19,845
Room & Board $9,412 $12,584
Avg Net Price $6,553 $20,485
Avg Grant Aid $8,754 $8,898
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 95%

Admission

 IU Northwest BGSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,915 17,447
Admitted 1,538 13,723
Acceptance Rate 80.3% 78.7%
Enrolled % 27.3% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.14 3.6
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25 20/25
SAT Range 950/1170 990/1200
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

 IU Northwest BGSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 IU Northwest BGSU
Graduation Rate 23% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,500 $43,600
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,030 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $268

Diversity

 IU Northwest BGSU
% Men 25% 42%
% Women 75% 58%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 55% 78%
% Black 18% 10%
% Hispanic 20% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 IU Northwest BGSU
% In-State 97% 88%
% Out-of-State 2% 11%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than IU Northwest based on total student enrollment (16,920 students vs. 3,198 students)

IU Northwest vs. BGSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU Northwest or BGSU?

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is 55% more expensive to attend than IU Northwest for in-state tuition ($11,272.00 vs. $7,274.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4% higher at IU Northwest than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($20,634.00 vs. $19,845.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Northwest than BGSU ($6,553 vs. $20,485)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Northwest are 33.7% lower than costs at Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($9,412 vs. $12,584)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than Indiana University Northwest (95% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bowling Green State University Main Campus students is 1.6% larger than aid received Indiana University Northwest ($8,898 vs. $8,754)

IU Northwest vs. BGSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bowling Green State University Main Campus (1012) is 84 points higher than at IU Northwest (928)
  • Incoming BGSU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at IU Northwest (20)
  • Accepted freshman BGSU students have a 0.46 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at IU Northwest (3.14)
  • IU Northwest has a higher acceptance rate (80.3%) than BGSU (78.7%)

IU Northwest vs. BGSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU Northwest or BGSU? 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 BGSU and IU Northwest.

  • The graduation rate at BGSU is higher than Indiana University Northwest (58% vs. 23%)
  • Graduates from Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn on average $4,100 more per year than IU Northwest graduates after ten years. ($43,600 vs. $39,500)
  • Indiana University Northwest students graduate with a $970 lower median federal student loan debt than BGSU graduates. ($25,030 vs. $26,000)
  • IU Northwest graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than BGSU graduates. ($258 vs. $268)
  • More BGSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU Northwest students, three years after graduation. (53% vs. 33%)

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