Bowie State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Bowie State University, a public university in Maryland, reports a 72% acceptance rate and sits in the moderately selective band. In practice that means it admits more applicants than it rejects, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Bowie State University weighs, where it ranks among Maryland schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1020, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Bowie State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Bowie State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Bowie State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Bowie State University?
Your odds at Bowie State University are not the same as its 72% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Bowie State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Bowie State University hard to get into?
Bowie State University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 72% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Bowie State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Bowie State University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Bowie State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Bowie State University?
Bowie State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1020. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Bowie State University.
Your chances at Bowie State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Bowie State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Bowie State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 960 SAT?
About 90% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 960 SAT, the middle of Bowie State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1020 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/bowie-state-university.
How to get into Bowie State University
Built from Bowie State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Bowie State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Bowie State University carries about a 3.21 core GPA and a 970 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
Bowie State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Bowie State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.bowiestate.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Bowie State University, and how many get in?
Bowie State University admitted 5,217 of the 6,245 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 83.5%. 991 enrolled. Only about 19% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Bowie State University enrolls about 5,043 undergraduates in total, 60% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Bowie State University?
Bowie State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Bowie State University looks for
What Bowie State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Bowie State University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Bowie State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Bowie State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Bowie State University cost after financial aid?
Bowie State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $25,220 per year. Tuition and fees are $9,218 for MD residents and $19,938 for out-of-state students, a $10,720 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,298 a year, and it ranges from $17,071 for families earning under $30,000 to $24,919 for families earning over $110,000. 44% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Bowie State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Bowie State University student who received federal aid earns $54,537 a year, up from $43,877 at six years. 38% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 68% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $22,985; 44% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Bowie State University compares in Maryland
Bowie State University ranks #9 most selective of 17 schools in Maryland in our database.
Among the 17 Maryland schools we track, Bowie State University ranks #9 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Johns Hopkins University (6%) and U.S. Naval Academy (9%) sit nearby, which makes Maryland a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Bowie State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Bowie State University often weigh James Madison University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and University of Memphis, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bowie State University's acceptance rate?
Bowie State University admitted 5,217 of 6,245 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 83.5% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 19% of admitted students enrolled.
Is Bowie State University test-optional?
Yes. Bowie State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Bowie State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Bowie State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $19,298 a year against a sticker price of about $25,220. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $17,071 on average.
What do Bowie State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Bowie State University are $54,537 a year among students who received federal aid, and 38% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Bowie State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Bowie State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Bowie State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Bowie State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Bowie State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Bowie State University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Bowie State University?
Bowie State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.