10-yr median earnings
$54,537
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Bowie, Maryland
Bowie State University
Bowie State University is a public institution in Bowie, Maryland. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $19,298
- Avg net price / yr
- $54,537
- 10-yr median earnings
- 38.2%
- 150%-time completion
- 72.4%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Bowie State University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 22%
- former-student earnings, US
- 72.4%
- acceptance rate
- 38.2%
- 150%-time completion
- +24%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Bowie State University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
41/100
Bowie State University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B+
$54,537
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$19,298
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
38.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$22,985
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
43.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
68.2%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$19,298
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
38.2%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 38.2%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Bowie State University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Bowie State University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Bowie State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$54,537 Top 22% higher than 78% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Bowie State University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $54,537 | #1134 of 5103 | 78th |
| Average net price | $19,298 | #2949 of 5020 | 41st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 38.2% | #3766 of 4858 | 22nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,043 | #743 of 5462 | 86th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
5,043
Undergraduate enrollment
72.4%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
38.2%
150%-time completion
$54,537
10-yr median earnings
68.2%
First-year retention
How Bowie State University ranks in Maryland
State rank among 66 reporting Maryland colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Bowie State University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $54,537 | #21 of 66 | 68th |
| Average net price | $19,298 | #44 of 69 | 36th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 38.2% | #45 of 67 | 33rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,043 | #13 of 74 | 82nd |
Highest former-student earnings in Maryland
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland Baltimore | $88,174 | - |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University | $87,555 | $18,809 |
| 3 | Capitol Technology University | $85,035 | $22,102 |
| 4 | University of Maryland-College Park | $82,860 | $15,678 |
| 5 | Loyola University Maryland | $82,652 | $30,574 |
| 6 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County | $69,960 | $16,467 |
| 7 | Ner Israel Rabbinical College | $66,330 | $13,572 |
| 8 | Washington College | $65,518 | $27,898 |
| 9 | Notre Dame of Maryland University | $65,344 | $19,169 |
| 10 | University of Maryland Global Campus | $65,287 | $22,063 |
| 11 | Towson University | $64,390 | $17,413 |
| 12 | Washington Adventist University | $64,249 | $18,526 |
| 21 | Bowie State UniversityThis school | $54,537 | $19,298 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 72.4% |
| ACT Average | 19 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Bowie State University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$17,071 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$16,646 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$19,163 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$24,919 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Bowie State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $9,218 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $19,938 |
| Average Net Price | $19,298 |
44.4%
Pell Grant Rate
44.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,985
Median Debt
$244/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Bowie State University rose +49.2% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $12,962 in 2013 to $19,335 in 2023, a rise of $6,373 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $12,9622023 · $19,335
Over the same years, enrollment went +20.7% (4,313 → 5,207 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
63.6%
Female
35.5%
First Generation
Outcomes
68.2%
Retention Rate
$43,877
Median Earnings (6yr)
60.8%
Earning Over $25K
43.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 38.2% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 68.2% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $43,877 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $54,537 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 60.8% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 43.9% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $22,985 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $244/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 15 | 813 | $62,941 | $103,814 | $23,331 |
| Master's | 8 | 136 | $90,986 | $135,681 | $40,462 |
Top programs at Bowie State University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$135,681 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$103,814 median earnings
- Public Administration
Public Administration
$98,800 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other
$97,030 median earnings
- Human Resources Management…
Human Resources Management and Services
$86,829 median earnings
- Communication, Journalism,…
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
$83,948 median earnings
- Mental and Social Health S…
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
$79,149 median earnings
- Student Counseling and Per…
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
$76,499 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Bowie State University? ▼
Bowie State University is a public institution in Bowie, Maryland. The acceptance rate is 72.4%. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,043 students.
How much do Bowie State University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Bowie State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $54,537 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $43,877.
How much does Bowie State University cost? ▼
The average net price at Bowie State University is $19,298. In-state tuition is $9,218 and out-of-state tuition is $19,938. Median student debt at graduation is $22,985.
What is the graduation rate at Bowie State University? ▼
Bowie State University has a 38.2% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 68.2%.
Is Bowie State University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Bowie State University is $22,985, while former students earn a median of $54,537 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 42% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 43.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $244.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Bowie State University
- Compare Bowie State University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Maryland side by side.Browse Maryland
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.