BGSU strategy for navigating higher education’s ‘enrollment cliff’ featured on Bloomberg

President Rodney K. Rogers featured on ‘Wall Street Week’ to discuss the strategic decisions driving BGSU enrollment growth

As many universities are experiencing declining enrollment, Bowling Green State University is experiencing the opposite, and its approach – which has contributed to four consecutive years of enrollment growth – is drawing national attention.

BGSU was recently featured on Bloomberg’s “Wall Street Week,” with anchor David Westin saying, “Bowling Green State [University] is one of the universities that is finding creative solutions to counteract the pain from the demographic decline.”

With a background in both business and higher education, BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers shared in the Oct. 4 episode how Bowling Green began planning years ago to adapt to the changing landscape of higher education, including a focus on differentiating the University through in-demand programs and a distinctive student experience.

As part of that strategic planning, the University invested in programs aligned with workforce needs, particularly in STEM and healthcare fields – a move that has continued to draw students to Bowling Green. 

Amid a nationwide pilot shortage, Bowling Green strengthened its aviation program through strategic partnerships and infrastructure investments. The program is now among the largest in the country.

 

During the global pandemic in 2020, the University established its standalone School of Nursing to support workforce needs and address a nationwide nursing shortage. In just a few short years, the nursing program has become one of the largest in the region, with new student enrollment up 15% this fall.

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 secure conditional job offers months before earning their degrees, reflecting the program’s reputation for providing a supportive learning environment that prepares students for the evolving demands of healthcare.

The College of Engineering and Innovation recently opened its state-of-the-art facility, equipped with specialty labs that allow students to train using advanced technology, preparing them for careers in one of Ohio’s largest industries.

“We really wanted to make sure we had the right programs and that we were engaging students in ways we could stand out in terms of how we’re delivering those programs,” Rogers told Westin.

The city of Bowling Green, consistently ranked as one of America’s best and safest college towns, and its mayor, Mike Aspacher, were also featured in the episode. The city and the University have forged a strong relationship that contributes to the economic vitality of Bowling Green and the surrounding region.

Ohio is expected to see a 6% decline in high school graduates through 2041, while many of its surrounding states are projected to experience double-digit decreases, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

The projections are forcing universities to adapt.

One area of increased emphasis and investment is career outcomes. Beyond preparing students for the workforce, BGSU is committed to helping students determine whether they are on the right career path through hands-on experiences and prototyping exercises designed to help them explore that question early in their college careers.

Bowling Green’s approach contributed to its ranking as the No. 1 public university in Ohio for career preparation. That work is further supported by the University’s Career and Life Design program, where students learn how to navigate college with one-on-one guidance from career and life design coaches who help them define their path forward.

Bowling Green has also used its size to its advantage, developing a nationally ranked first-year experience while achieving record retention and increasing graduation rates. 

In its 2027 Best Colleges report, U.S. News and World Report recognized the University’s comprehensive efforts to support the transition to college while helping students build community, engage in campus life and prepare for their careers.

Bowling Green was also recently selected as one of only three finalists – the only one in the Midwest – for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ 2026 Excellence in Student Success Award, which recognizes universities for demonstrating a comprehensive, systemic commitment to advancing student success.

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 available to every undergraduate student. 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.

Students can also explore new interests, make new connections and develop leadership skills by participating in any of the University’s more than 300 student organizations or more than three dozen club sports.

“We believe that it’s not so much where you go to college; it’s how you go to college, and there’s a fair amount of research to demonstrate this,” Rogers said. “How one goes to college is very, very important; choosing the right university that certainly has the right programs but is also the right size, where students – not just the top 10% of students – but all students have opportunities to be involved and engaged.”