BGSU total undergraduate enrollment up more than 3% for Fall 2026 semester

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4. BGSU total undergraduate enrollment up more than 3% for Fall 2026 semester

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The momentum continues at Bowling Green State University, where total undergraduate enrollment is up more than 3% for the Fall 2026 semester.

Driven by a combination of in-demand academic programs - particularly in healthcare and STEM - strong first-year enrollment and student retention rates, as well as the University's nationally recognized student experience, Bowling Green continues to see growth among students from across Ohio and the Midwest.

The University is up 11% in new students from the Cleveland area and up 32% from southeast Ohio.

A talent magnet to the region and state, Bowling Green's out-of-state enrollment continues to grow as well, with a 39% increase in new students from Wayne County, Michigan, home to Detroit, where the University offers an in-state tuition scholarship. Additionally, BGSU is up 40% in Pennsylvania, 20% in Maryland and greater Washington, D.C., and 12% across all out-of-state enrollment.

"We are so grateful so many students and families continue to choose Bowling Green, a university that offers the right programs, is the right size and is located in the right place," BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. "This is another banner year, and we are proud to have achieved our enrollment goals again, especially given the increasingly competitive landscape across Ohio's universities. This is the sweet spot for us, and we like this size - big enough to offer all the incredible opportunities of a large university in preparation for career and life, yet small enough that students don't need to compete with 50,000 students for those experiences to stand out. We want to thank our faculty and staff for creating a learning environment that more students are choosing, again and again."

As the No. 1 public university in Ohio for career preparation, Bowling Green continues to be recognized among the top five universities in the nation that students say they would choose again.

The incoming Fall 2026 class is the highest achieving in BGSU history, with a cumulative 3.77 grade point average and an average ACT score of 25.

Nursing, engineering and education experience continued growth

Degree programs driving significant growth at BGSU are directly aligned with workforce needs in Ohio and beyond, including nursing, engineering, education and pre-professional programs, like pre-med, pre-pharmacy and pre-law.

The growth is a result of the University's long-term strategic planning to invest and grow in academic areas in greatest demand.

New students enrolling in the Bowling Green nursing program are up 15%, reflecting a second consecutive year of growth. The BGSU School of Nursing, established in 2020 to support workforce needs and address a nationwide nursing shortage, is home to one of the region's largest nursing programs. In just six years, the program has built a reputation for a supportive learning environment that prepares students for the evolving demands of healthcare.

This past academic year, Bowling Green's nursing program achieved a 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate, well above the national average. Three out of every four nursing students at Bowling Green secure conditional job offers months before earning their degrees.

Enrollment in engineering programs also increased 30% this fall, continuing last year's growth. The programs are housed in the newly opened, state-of-the-art Engineering and Innovation Center, which combines hands-on learning, industry-leading technology and a workforce-aligned curriculum in the region's most modern university engineering lab.

The opening of the new Engineering and Innovation Center is among the many investments BGSU has made in recent years to prepare students for the emerging technologies shaping Ohio's manufacturing industry, which ranks third in the nation for manufacturing jobs.

Education also increased for the second consecutive year, rising 20% this fall. As the largest producer of Ohio's teachers at a single location in the state, BGSU has long been recognized for the caliber of its education program.

There is also a 32% increase in students entering pre-professional programs, which prepare students for advanced study and careers in dentistry, law, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant and veterinary medicine.

BGSU pre-professional programs also offer pathways for students to seamlessly transition into the University's innovative hybrid, accelerated Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Occupational Therapy programs. Students can also pursue a pathway to the University of Findlay's Doctor of Pharmacy program that can be completed in six years, compared with the traditional eight-year path.

"The continued growth we're seeing in high-demand programs like nursing, engineering and education reinforces the value of a BGSU education," said Erin Heilmeier, senior associate vice president for enrollment management. "Students want strong academic programs that prepare them for meaningful careers, but they also want to know they'll have access to the experiences, resources and support that make a college education transformative. At BGSU, they don't have to choose between the two."

Additional BGSU programs experiencing overall growth this fall include environmental science, up 67%; forensic DNA analysis, up 59%; sport management, up 38%; construction management, up 16%; and criminal justice, up 9%.

A right-sized university with opportunities for every student

At Bowling Green, students get the best of both worlds - a large, comprehensive university that is the right size to remain student-focused, with a nationally recognized career and life design program that provides one-on-one coaching throughout the college experience.

The University's innovative Career and Life Design program, available to every undergraduate student, continues to differentiate a Bowling Green education by equipping students with the tools they need to navigate college and prepare for life after graduation.

Bowling Green has become a national leader in career and life design, with more than 10,000 students introduced to the program since its launch in 2020.

Another hallmark of the Bowling Green experience is the opportunity for undergraduate students across all disciplines to conduct research alongside faculty mentors as early as their first year, preparing them for their careers and advanced study.

The strength of the Bowling Green student experience is reflected in The Wall Street Journal's Best Colleges rankings, which place the University in the top five in the nation for its student-recommendation score.

In Ohio, Bowling Green is the No. 1 university - big or small, public or private - that students say they would choose again.

Getting involved and building community at BGSU

At Bowling Green, students can explore new interests, make new connections and develop leadership skills through involvement in any of the University's more than 300 student organizations, including the Falcon Marching Band - America's largest college marching band and the largest student organization on campus.

Student organizations span academics, recreational sports, philanthropy, volunteering, health and wellness, social issues, hobbies and more.

In addition to competing in NCAA Division I athletics in the Mid-American Conference, Bowling Green has more than three dozen competitive, non-scholarship club sports teams that play against opponents from colleges and universities nationwide.