Bowie State University vs Frostburg State University
Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data
Verdict
Bowie State University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Frostburg State University at 100.0%. Average median debt: Bowie State University at $47,370 vs Frostburg State University at $24,147. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $54,700 vs $60,500.
| Metric | Bowie State University | Frostburg State University |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| School Type | Public | Public |
| State | Md | Md |
| Avg Median Debt Average median debt across all tracked majors | $47,370 | $24,147* |
| Avg 1yr Earnings Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors | $54,700 | $60,500* |
| Majors Tracked | 20 | 20 |
| Best ROI Major | Computer and Information Sciences, Other (91/100) | Computer and Information Sciences (96/100)* |
| Best Major Debt | $40,467 | $20,944* |
| Best Major 1yr Earnings | $95,000 | $95,000 |
Bowie State University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Frostburg State University at 100.0%. Average median debt: Bowie State University at $47,370 vs Frostburg State University at $24,147. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $54,700 vs $60,500.
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Bowie State University and Frostburg State University graduate students at similar rates — 100.0% and 100.0% respectively. With completion rates comparable, the comparison reduces to cost, earnings, and program mix; the institutional-effect-on-completion question essentially nets out.
On debt, the gap is meaningful: graduates of Frostburg State University carry an average median debt of $24,147 compared to $47,370 at the more expensive option. Federal student loan debt at the higher figure typically translates into roughly $502/month in standard 10-year repayment versus $256/month at the lower — a real cash-flow difference that compounds over the first decade post-graduation.
Median first-year earnings sit moderately apart at Bowie State University and Frostburg State University. The school with stronger earnings has a real edge for high-cost-of-living markets where the absolute dollar figure matters; the school with lower earnings can still be the better choice in markets where the cost-of-living differential more than offsets the income gap.
Both schools sit in Md, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.