Music at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green's music program produces earnings that fall well below both state and national expectations—graduates earn just $20,632 in their first year, placing this program in the bottom 10th percentile among Ohio music programs. For context, Ohio's median music graduate earns $33,015, making Bowling Green's outcomes nearly $13,000 lower than the typical in-state alternative.

The $27,000 in debt is roughly average, but against such modest earnings it creates real financial strain. That first-year ratio of 1.31 means graduates owe more than their entire annual income, and even after four years when earnings climb to $29,027, they're still trailing the Ohio median by over $3,000. While the 41% earnings growth sounds promising, it's catching up from such a low starting point that graduates remain behind their peers. Several Ohio University campuses produce graduates earning over $36,000—a $16,000 advantage over Bowling Green even after four years.

The sample size here is small (under 30 graduates), which means a few outliers could skew these numbers. But even accounting for statistical noise, the gap between Bowling Green and other Ohio music programs is too wide to ignore. If your child is committed to music, this data suggests looking at higher-earning alternatives within Ohio, where in-state tuition rates remain competitive but outcomes appear substantially better.