St. Bona vs. BGSU

Should I go to Saint Bonaventure University or Bowling Green State University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Bona 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.

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Saint Bonaventure University vs. Bowling Green State University Main Campus comparison
Saint Bonaventure University Bowling Green State University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Saint Bonaventure University Bowling Green State University Main Campus
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Overview

St. Bona BGSU
Location Saint Bonaventure, NY Bowling Green, OH
Setting Remote Town Distant Town
Enrollment 2,603 17,027
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #502 #687
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sbu.edu bgsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Bona BGSU
Tuition (In State) $38,950 $11,611
Tuition (Out of State) $38,950 $19,600
Room & Board $15,000 $11,784
Avg Net Price $27,659 $20,987
Avg Grant Aid $27,508 $8,795
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 94%

Admission

St. Bona BGSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,299 18,629
Admitted 3,505 15,016
Acceptance Rate 81.5% 80.6%
Enrolled % 16.4% 20.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.6
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30 20/26
SAT Range 1050/1260 1020/1230
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 30, 2025 Jul 15, 2025

Academics

St. Bona BGSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (29%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)

Outcomes

St. Bona BGSU
Graduation Rate 63% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,800 $43,600
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

St. Bona BGSU
% Men 9% 7%
% Women 17% 11%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 78%
% Black 6% 10%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 9% 2%

Students

St. Bona BGSU
% In-State 78% 87%
% Out-of-State 17% 12%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus is larger than than St. Bona based on total student enrollment (17,027 students vs. 2,603 students)

St. Bona vs. BGSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Bona or BGSU?

  • Saint Bonaventure University is 235.5% more expensive to attend than BGSU for in-state tuition ($38,950.00 vs. $11,611.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 98.7% higher at St. Bona than Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($38,950.00 vs. $19,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bowling Green State University Main Campus than St. Bona ($20,987 vs. $27,659)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bowling Green State University Main Campus are 27.3% lower than costs at Saint Bonaventure University ($11,784 vs. $15,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Bonaventure University than Bowling Green State University Main Campus (98% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Bonaventure University students is 212.8% larger than aid received Bowling Green State University Main Campus ($27,508 vs. $8,795)

St. Bona vs. BGSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Saint Bonaventure University (1066) is 54 points higher than at BGSU (1012)
  • Incoming St. Bona students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at BGSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman BGSU students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at St. Bona (3.48)
  • St. Bona has a higher acceptance rate (81.5%) than BGSU (80.6%)

St. Bona vs. BGSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Bona 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 St. Bona.

  • The graduation rate at St. Bona is higher than Bowling Green State University Main Campus (63% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Saint Bonaventure University earn on average $5,200 more per year than BGSU graduates after ten years. ($48,800 vs. $43,600)
  • Bowling Green State University Main Campus students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Bona graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • BGSU graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than St. Bona graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More St. Bona 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/