BGSU trustees celebrate continued enrollment growth, nationally recognized student experience at September meeting

Board recognizes fourth consecutive year of overall enrollment growth and the University's top-ranked first-year experiences

Bowling Green State University enters the new academic year with continued momentum marked by growing student success, national recognition and academic programs designed to prepare graduates for Ohio’s evolving workforce needs.

During their September meeting, the BGSU Board of Trustees celebrated first-year enrollment exceeding 4,000 students for the second consecutive year and continued overall enrollment growth while recognizing Bowling Green’s standing as a national leader in providing comprehensive student support throughout the academic journey.

Celebrating continued enrollment growth

At the Sept. 25 meeting, the board once again recognized faculty and staff for their dedication in welcoming Bowling Green's highest-achieving class for the third consecutive year. This fall’s first-year class includes 4,008 students, marking the second consecutive year enrollment has exceeded 4,000.

This fall also marks the fourth consecutive year of overall enrollment growth at BGSU, with total headcount at 20,799 students, up 2.1% over last year, serving as the University’s largest enrollment in nearly two decades. 

The University also sustained record-high retention rates over the past three years. The four-year graduation rate has increased 14% over the past five years, with more students than ever graduating in four years or less. 

“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,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “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 more students are choosing, again and again.”

This fall’s enrollment growth continues to be driven by a combination of in-demand academic programs, particularly in healthcare and STEM, and a top-ranked first-year experience that provides students with the resources, connections and support they need to succeed from the moment they arrive on campus. The University’s nationally recognized Career and Life Design program also continues to differentiate a Bowling Green education by putting students in the driver’s seat of their education and equipping them with the tools they need to navigate college and prepare for life after graduation.

Top-ranked first-year experiences

Trustees also recognized the continued strength of Bowling Green's first-year experiences, ranked No. 1 among public universities in Ohio and No. 3 in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, reflecting the University’s comprehensive efforts to support the transition to college while helping students build community, engage in campus life and define their path forward.

“Bowling Green State University is proud to be a leader not only in the state, but the nation, for student experience, and this ranking reaffirms our commitment to each student, from day one through graduation,” President Rogers said. “Higher education has long known how a student goes to college matters. At Bowling Green, we leaned in, investing in programs that give students the tools, framework and support to fully leverage all their educational experience has to offer. We are so grateful more and more students are choosing Bowling Green, a university that provides all the opportunities of a large, comprehensive research university, but at a size that allows each student the chance to take advantage of it, with the personalized support you’d find at a private school.”

Bowling Green also climbed in the report’s overall rankings, finishing at No. 148 nationally among public universities, up 11 spots from last year. The University is in the top 17% of the more than 1,700 four-year colleges and universities included in the ranking.

In addition to overall rankings, undergraduate programs with strong showings in the 2027 “Best Colleges” rankings include engineering, which remains in the top 100 programs in the nation and now stands at No. 2 among public universities in Ohio without a doctoral program; nursing, already one of the largest programs in northwest Ohio, and psychology, computer science and business, ranked among the best in the state among public universities.

President Rogers’ contract extended

At the meeting, the Board of Trustees and President Rogers mutually agreed to a contract extension through June 2029, allowing the president to continue advancing student success and career readiness, engaging external stakeholders, fundraising for the upcoming comprehensive campaign, elevating and expanding the University’s academic portfolio and sustaining the University’s continued momentum.

Action items of the board

In compliance with state law, the BGSU Board of Trustees completed a comprehensive review and evaluation of its general education curriculum. The board also approved a utility and tunnel rehabilitation project and a real estate sale.