Bowie State University
Bowie, Maryland · Website
$54,537
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$54,537
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Bowie State University is a public 4-year college in Bowie, Maryland with 5,043 undergraduates and 1,217 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,298 a year (tuition and fees $9,218 in-state, $19,938 out-of-state). It admits 72% of applicants and 38% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $54,537 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,985 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,298
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,218
Out-of-state $19,938
Admission rate
72%
US median 78%
Completion rate
38%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,985
About $244 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$54,537
Rank 1,134 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $19,298
- Tuition in-state
- $9,218
- Tuition out-of-state
- $19,938
- Cost of attendance
- $25,220
- Students with a need-based grant
- 44%
- Students with federal loans
- 44%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $17,071
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $16,646
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $19,163
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $22,808
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $24,919
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $7,660 in 2015-16 to $9,218 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 72%
- SAT reading, middle
- 475
- SAT math, middle
- 455
- ACT, middle
- 19
- Undergraduates
- 5,043
- Graduate students
- 1,217
- Part-time students
- 15%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 38%
- Retention rate
- 68%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 58
- Endowment
- $47.3M
- Other
- Historically Black college
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,134 of 5,094 US colleges and 21 of 66 in Maryland (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MD median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,298 | $17,413 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,218 | $10,410 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 72% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 38% | 47% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 68% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,985 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,877 | $36,662 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $54,537 | $44,910 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 31% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 68% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
58 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 147 | $22,897 | $50,683 | $70,427 | $68,257 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 102 | $21,500 | $41,367 | $67,303 | $55,378 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 97 | $22,750 | $35,168 | $56,818 | $44,889 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 87 | $23,000 | $36,765 | $54,082 | $50,706 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 68 | $27,500 | $58,006 | $97,030 | $77,632 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $26,500 | $26,266 | $59,995 | $57,214 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | Withheld | Withheld | $33,841 | $51,490 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $22,578 | $38,893 | $57,075 | $52,657 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, OtherMaster's | Master's | 33 | Withheld | $52,873 | $83,948 | $85,444 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 32 | $23,500 | $32,989 | $57,224 | $51,790 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $21,500 | $70,278 | $103,814 | $88,910 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | Withheld | $52,619 | $60,746 | $47,382 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,995 | $65,184 |
| Public AdministrationMaster's | Master's | 27 | $39,924 | $73,949 | $98,800 | $81,408 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,374 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $27,000 | Withheld | $68,077 | $50,680 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $20,750 | $36,381 | $55,788 | $54,562 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $20,500 | $34,257 | $53,181 | $48,568 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesMaster's | Master's | 18 | $41,000 | $63,595 | $86,829 | $83,558 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 17 | Withheld | $58,606 | $79,149 | $59,571 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionDoctoral | Doctoral | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $100,573 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's | Master's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | $76,499 | $60,111 |
| Information Science/StudiesMaster's | Master's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $112,705 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,775 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Bowie and Maryland on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Maryland
- Homes: Homes for sale in Maryland
Questions and answers
How much does Bowie State University cost?
$19,298 a year is the average net price at Bowie State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,218 for in-state students and $19,938 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $25,220. Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,071 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Bowie State University?
72% of applicants are admitted to Bowie State University. The median admission rate of colleges in Maryland is 76%.
How much do Bowie State University graduates earn?
$54,537 a year is the median pay of former Bowie State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,877 after 6 years). That ranks 1,134 of 5,094 US colleges and 21 of 66 in Maryland. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Public Administration (Master's) at $73,949.
How much student debt do Bowie State University graduates have?
$22,985 is the median federal student loan debt of Bowie State University graduates, about $244 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 44% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Bowie State University?
38% of first-time, full-time students at Bowie State University finish within 6 years. 68% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Bowie State University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (147 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (102 bachelor's graduates), Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians (97 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 58 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.