1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Bowie State University](/school/bowie-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Bowie State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/bowie-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/bowie-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/bowie-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bowie-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bowie-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Bowie State University graduates earn? The reported median is $65,066 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $7,765 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $65,066. That figure is at the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $7,765 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 61st percentile. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $834. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $926. Earnings vary substantially by program mix. The earnings scenarios range from $50,000 on the downside to $86,075 on the upside, with $65,066 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Nursing graduates earn $103,814 four years after completion, and Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services graduates earn $97,030. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, reports median earnings of $70,427. An estimated 27.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $65,066 **Rank for difference from expectations** 61st percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Bowie State University reported median** $65,066 **Peer schools comparable schools · $7,765 below Bowie State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,760 below Bowie State University** $63,306 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $50,000 to $86,075, around the reported median of $65,066. Compare the lower scenario with [Bowie State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/bowie-state-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $50,000 **Median · reported** $65,066 **Higher estimate** $86,075 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Bowie State University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Bowie State University graduates’ reported earnings are $1,760 above that expectation, the 61st percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Bowie State University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$834 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$926 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$1,760 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Bowie State University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning program at Bowie State University is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $103,814 four years after completion. It is a small program, with 25 degrees awarded a year. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awards 177 degrees annually and posts median earnings of $70,427. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #130 nationally within its field. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services is a smaller but higher-earning field, with 81 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,030. At the more moderate end, Psychology awards 98 degrees and reports median earnings of $54,082, with an Azimuth national rank of #132. Bowie State University has 10 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with 15 programs reporting earnings data. The strongest ranking belongs to Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, which [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) #2 in its field nationally and #2 in Maryland, with 100 degrees awarded and median earnings of $56,818 four years after completion. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, at 177 degrees awarded and median earnings of $70,427. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Nursing graduates earn $103,814 four years out, from 25 degrees a year. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services is both the fourth-largest program and the second-highest-earning, with 81 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,030. Criminal Justice rounds out the top-ranked programs at #10 nationally, with 75 degrees awarded and earnings of $67,303. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $103,814 **Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other** $97,030 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $70,427 **History** $68,077 **Criminal Justice and Corrections** $67,303 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods** $60,746 **Biology, General** $59,995 **Social Work** $57,224 [Explore Bowie State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/bowie-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $50,000, a typical outcome of $65,066, and an upside of $86,075. The spread reflects variation by field. At the high end, Nursing graduates earn $103,814 four years after completion. Among the largest programs, Psychology sits at the lower end at $54,082. A median of $65,066 four years after completion shows where federally aided Bowie State University graduates typically land when they are working and not enrolled. That measurement draws on 1,033 completers tracked in the recent federal data. Azimuth places that median in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that gap in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $50,000 on the downside to $86,075 on the upside, with $65,066 as the typical outcome. These scenarios reflect the spread across program clusters rather than the path of any individual graduate. Based on the program mix, an estimated 27.3% of graduates continue on to graduate study. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).