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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia

29
F
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return
$-47,195 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

24.1 yrs
Break-even
-59%
10-year ROI
$48,348
Median earnings as of 2024
78% of Bridgewater College students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$17,800
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$48,348
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$34,466
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$26,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
53%
Graduation rate as of 2024
78%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
81%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
75%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$-47,195
After 10 years
$-13,715
After 20 years
$19,765
After 30 years
$53,245
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$49,831
Men
$59,903

17% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$48,122
From higher-income families
$56,896

15% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$53,445
Independent students
$52,017

3% gap between the two groups

32%
First-generation students
60%
Take federal student loans
94%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 66%Hispanic 8%Asian 2%Black 11%Other 14%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$13,283
$30k–$48k$12,468
$48k–$75k$15,046
$75k–$110k$20,582
$110k+$21,448

How Bridgewater College compares

This college against the Virginia and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Bridgewater College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Bridgewater College

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$57,724$26,000+182%Strong return
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's$53,447$26,000+87%Strong return
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$51,398$27,000+41%Break-even
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$49,009$26,000-11%Poor return
English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's$47,436-32%Poor return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's$47,686$25,781-40%Poor return
Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's$47,450$26,000-46%Poor return
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, GeneralAssociate's$36,347$26,500-291%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Bridgewater College

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

92%
Admission rate
1,180
Average SAT
25
Median ACT
1,400
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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