Bowling Green State University College Portrait
Bowling Green State University1001 East Wooster Street Bowling Green, OH 43403
419-372-BGSU
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University is passionate about offering a nurturing atmosphere where values exploration, critical thinking and character development flourish. The goal is to graduate culturally literate, self-assured, technologically sophisticated, productive citizens who are prepared to lead, inspire and preserve the great traditions of democracy. The University emphasizes a culture of respect, celebrates diversity and provides the personal attention typical of a small, private college. Smaller residential learning communities, undergraduate research, first-year transition programs, interdisciplinary collaborations and an expectation of campus and community involvement reinforce learning both in and out of the classroom.
Living in the Falcons Community
A primarily residential campus, BGSU teaches and guides students as they personalize, reinforce, and extend learning by applying in their own lives what they have learned in the classroom -- moving beyond awareness and understanding to application, performance, synthesis, and integration. BGSU students use the rich educational opportunities found outside the classroom to broaden their range of experiences, strengthen interpersonal skills, and build and experience community. Through co-curricular experiences that foster a positive living and learning environment for success, students are supported and challenged academically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, physically, and otherwise in building knowledge, values and identity. Through a dynamic partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, students are supported in their personal growth in such areas as career preparation, leadership development, effective citizenship, and successful engagement with others through nationally recognized programs like our Residential Learning Communities, First-Year Experience programs, Greek Life, and Career Services. BGSU is Education in Action.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 17,706 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 14,807 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 7,969 | 54% |
| Men | 6,838 | 46% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 87 | 1% |
| Asian | 131 | 1% |
| African American / Black | 1,568 | 11% |
| Hispanic | 494 | 3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 10 | <1% |
| White | 11,616 | 78% |
| Two or More Races | 92 | 1% |
| International | 313 | 2% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 496 | 3% |
| Where do BGSU undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Ohio | 87% |
| Other US States & Territories | 11% |
| Other Countries | 2% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are BGSU undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 21 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 7% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 19 - 25 | |
| Math | 18 - 24 | 450 - 570 |
| English | 18 - 24 | |
| Critical Reading | 450 - 560 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 34% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 70% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 82% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.2 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 98% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $22,297
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend Bowling Green State University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 53% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $6,544. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 60% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $7,644. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
BGSU Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 67% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 93% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 797 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 46% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 17% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 74% |
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Campus-based Housing
88% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
43% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
BGSU is dedicated to providing students with the resources they need to be successful members of the community. This includes the implementation of timely and appropriate intervention strategies and programs when students do not follow university policies. BGSU is dedicated to modeling responsibility, character development and values education. Through the integration of new learning and the reflection of one's behavior, students at BGSU learn what it means to be a responsible citizen in a community.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Research Universities (high research activity)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, lower transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Comprehensive doctoral (no medical/veterinary)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
Student Activities and Involvement at BGSU
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 94% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 59% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 34% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 83% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 21% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 63% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 65% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 12% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 94% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 92% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 60% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 59% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 93% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 54% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 79% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 95% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 76% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 65% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 84% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 53% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 74% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 78% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 79% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at Bowling Green State University in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 3,037 |
| Master's | 929 |
| Doctoral | 85 |
| Total | 4,051 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES | 5% |
| Rhetoric and Composition | 4% |
| Design and Visual Communications, General | 4% |
| Psychology, General | 4% |
| Teacher Education, Multiple Levels | 3% |
| Links to degree programs at Bowling Green State University |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 86% four-year success and progress rate means that 86% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
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Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 3,869 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 615 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 77%
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Student Learning at Bowling Green State University
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Assessment of student learning outcomes at Bowling Green State University is vital to the University’s pursuit of its mission. BGSU’s institution-wide progress toward becoming the premier learning community in Ohio and one of the best in the nation has transformed the institution and is leading the way in documenting educational accountability while maintaining a sharp and clear focus on what really counts, student success. Assessment at BGSU includes the articulation of University-wide and program-specific learning outcomes; multiple methods of data collection such as examinations, portfolios, performance assessment by external evaluators, classroom assessment activities, feedback from alumni and employers, assessment of support functions and co-curricular activities; and improvement in the learning environments based upon assessment results.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
- Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1107
Senior Score: 1214
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 23
Senior Score: 24
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1068
Senior Score: 1078
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1071
Senior Score: 1217
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 23
Senior Score: 24
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1068
Senior Score: 1078