Safety Score
1.64 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Bowling Green, OH · Clery Act 2023 · Public
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 17,027-student campus.
- 1.64
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,865
- Rank of 3,050
- #65
- OH rank
- 17,027
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus reports 1.64 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #1,865 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 59% of ranked campuses its size.
- 1.64
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #1,865
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 59%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 17
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus decreased from 18 to 17 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesBowling Green State University-Main Campus is a Public institution located in Bowling Green, OH, enrolling approximately 17,027 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 48 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within OH, it ranks #65 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 17,027 enrolled students, this campus sits in the mid-sized institution bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is "Rape" with 22 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in OH averaging 3.96 incidents per 1,000 students, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus reports 58% fewer incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 5 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 9 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#1865
See peer comparison
State Rank (OH)
#65
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
17
across 11 crime categories
Where Bowling Green State University-Main Campus sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
2 safer than 41% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus percentile rank 38.9%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #1865 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus reports 58% fewer incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $14,460
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $22,448
- Avg Net Price
- $24,022
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 23%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 81%
- SAT Average
- 1117
- SAT Math Range
- 500–600
- ACT Average
- 23
- ACT Range
- 19–26
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 63%
- Retention Rate
- 82%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $41,281
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $47,896
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 67%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 17,027 enrolled students, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is in the largest 5% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyBowling Green State University-Main Campus: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 31% (13 → 17 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arson | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Burglary | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Fondling | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 17 | 25 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 34 | 85 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 16 | 21 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 46 | 80 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 30 | 18 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 59 | 85 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
OH
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
1.64 incidents / 1,000 students
CA
De Anza College
0.29 incidents / 1,000 students
PA
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
3.16 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
De Anza College
Cupertino, CA · 16,990 enrolled
Safety Score 0.29
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA · 17,076 enrolled
Safety Score 3.16
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA · 17,085 enrolled
Safety Score 4.92
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT · 16,960 enrolled
Safety Score 4.01
Duke University
Durham, NC · 17,112 enrolled
Safety Score 7.42
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Bowling Green State University-Main Campus nationally (rank #1865), regardless of size or state.
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
National Rank #1864
Finger Lakes Community College
Canandaigua, NY
National Rank #1866
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL
National Rank #1863
Ohio State University-Newark Campus
Newark, OH
National Rank #1867
East Texas Baptist University
Marshall, TX
National Rank #1862
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowling Green State University-Main Campus safe?
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus has a safety score of 1.64 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,865 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Bowling Green State University-Main Campus compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in OH.
Does Bowling Green State University-Main Campus have fire safety data?
Yes. Bowling Green State University-Main Campus reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 5 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Bowling Green State University-Main Campus's Safety Profile
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus in Bowling Green, OH enrolls 17,027 students and has a safety score of 1.64 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #1865 nationally. This relatively low score indicates fewer reported on-campus incidents relative to enrollment size.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents decreased from 18 in 2022 to 17 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 5 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus's 1.64 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Bowling Green State University-Main Campus against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.