Northern Illinois University (NIU) vs Bowling Green State University-Main Campus (BGSU)

Northern Illinois University (NIU) and Bowling Green State University-Main Campus (BGSU) are two public universities located in the Midwestern United States, offering a wide range of academic programs and opportunities. While both institutions share similarities, they also have distinct characteristics that set them apart. NIU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students, while BGSU has a slightly higher graduation rate. NIU's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population, while BGSU has a higher percentage of undergraduate students. Both universities offer popular majors in fields such as business, education, and engineering, but NIU has a stronger focus on STEM disciplines, while BGSU excels in health professions and visual and performing arts. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Northern Illinois University
Overview
Location	Bowling Green, Ohio	Dekalb, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.7%	70.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1020 - 1210	N/A
ACT range	20 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	64.0%
Total number of applicants	18,295	22,602
Total number of admissions given out	14,404	15,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,760	2,285
Yield rate	19.2%	14.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,189 Out of state: $34,177	$27,218
Average net price	$16,684	$13,265
Tuition	In state: $10,776 Out of state: $18,764	$9,606
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,170 Meal plan: $4,804	$11,098
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $7,888	98.0% Average amount $13,008
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,305	58.0% Average amount $5,313
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $13,247	5.0% Average amount $11,726

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,465 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students	3,180 Men 37.9% Women 62.1%	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	11.3%	N/A
International students	4.0%	4.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,911	4,500
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Ohio Michigan Illinois Indiana New York	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.5%	50.8%
Dropout rate	13.3%	46.9%
Transferred out	23.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $84,102 Year 3: $83,744 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,302 Year 2: $79,688 Year 3: $76,011 Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $62,772 Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $75,005 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,793 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $74,656 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,119 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $74,156 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $65,131 Year 3: $71,653 Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,158 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $70,152 Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,435 Year 2: $64,829 Year 3: $68,794 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,054 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $67,036 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $65,091	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $118,716 Year 2: $98,186 Year 3: $125,726 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,047 Year 2: $88,920 Year 3: $96,563 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,161 Year 2: $91,587 Year 3: $94,214 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,013 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $76,350 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,606 Year 2: $75,204 Year 3: $75,980 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,752 Year 2: $64,150 Year 3: $74,168 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,234 Year 2: $66,989 Year 3: $74,151 Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $57,535 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $73,940 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $70,453 Year 2: $69,151 Year 3: $72,792 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,291 Year 2: $63,685 Year 3: $72,760

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