BGSU trustees celebrate continued momentum with current and prospective students, approve new and reimagined degrees to support career and workforce success during February meeting

Board also takes action to keep a BGSU education accessible

With continued momentum across the learning community, the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees is ensuring a Bowling Green education remains relevant, accessible and meaningful through in-demand academic offerings and unique experiences that support student success and career readiness.

At their first meeting of 2026, trustees recognized the University's steady and managed growth to bolster student learning experiences and opportunities and approved new and reimagined academic programs to meet workforce needs in Ohio and beyond.

Milestone momentum with current and prospective students

During the Feb. 20 meeting, the board celebrated the learning community's collective work in welcoming over 1,600 prospective students and families from 28 states to BGSU for the milestone 30th Presidents Day Open House.

Continuing to serve as one of the largest and most comprehensive visit days in Ohio, the open house is held when classes are in session, empowering future students to immerse themselves in active classrooms and research labs, individually meet with current students and faculty and experience state-of-the-art facilities and vibrant campus life as they continue their college search.

The success of the Feb. 16 open house comes as BGSU is experiencing its largest spring enrollment in nearly two decades at 19,484 total students. The milestone follows back-to-back years of record-setting freshman classes at the University, reflecting sustained student confidence in the value of a BGSU education and experience.

A record 93% retention rate among first-year students is also a major contributing factor to this spring's enrollment, underscoring the University's ranking by The Wall Street Journal as the No. 1 university in Ohio, and among the top five universities in the nation, that students say they would choose again.

New and reimagined degrees to support career and workforce success

Ensuring BGSU remains a leader in innovative student and workforce-focused programs, the board of trustees approved the creation of a new Accelerated Bachelor of Applied Studies in General Business.

Designed for non-traditional learners who are balancing life and work, the streamlined and flexible bachelor's degree program will provide students with a comprehensive foundation across seven core business disciplines – accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, information systems and entrepreneurship – while maintaining high academic standards.

With an emphasis on applied learning, the 90-credit-hour program offered through the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business will reduce overall time and cost to degree completion while also meeting Ohio's workforce demands for broadly trained business professionals who are prepared for supervisory, small business and generalized leadership roles.

"At BGSU, we are committed to continuous academic innovation that supports graduate career success and drives workforce needs," said Ravi Krovi, provost and senior vice president at BGSU. "Our creation of a new, accelerated bachelor's program in general business will reduce barriers to education by empowering non-traditional learners to earn a quality and respected BGSU degree that advances their career and life goals. Whether taking classes in-person or online, students who enroll in our program will be well-prepared to take the next step in their professional lives with a relevant BGSU education."

BGSU is set to begin offering the all-new degree program starting in Fall 2026, pending approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

The BGSU board also voted to revise the existing Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education to better support student learning and outcomes, further solidifying the University's longstanding legacy in teacher education preparation and training.

Housed in the BGSU College of Education and Human Development, the enhanced bachelor's degree program will offer a more flexible, student-centered approach by creating two distinct pathways: a teacher licensure specialization leading to intervention specialist licensure, and a community organization specialization for students pursuing careers outside of K-12 teaching.

By offering multiple pathways, the revised program will ensure students can earn their degree even if they choose not to pursue licensure, while still benefiting from the strong applied foundation of special education coursework. The updated degree program also features fewer credit hours and co-requisite requirements and the option to take classes fully online through BGSU Online, promoting on-time graduation at a reduced overall cost.

Keeping education accessible

As part of the Falcon Tuition Guarantee, trustees locked in room and board rates for all new, incoming students in the upcoming 2026-27 academic year, which will not increase during their first four years at BGSU. Rates for currently enrolled students are already locked in and are unaffected by February's board action.

For the class of 2030, the board approved an average 2.5% adjustment in rates for its four-tiered housing system, which ranges from basic to premium residence hall rooms. The rate for the University's Bronze Meal Plan, which the state uses for comparison purposes, will increase by 3% or an average of $4.38 per week.

The room and board rates for the upcoming academic year reflect an overall reduction in cost compared to the previous year.

BGSU continues to remain one of the most affordable universities for room and board expenses among Ohio’s public institutions, according to data reported to the state.