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Bridgewater State University: Boyden Hall, Bridgewater State University
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Regional university

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $16,383 a year

Median debt at graduation: $24,286 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 42%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.53%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.75%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,180 · ACT 27.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,273

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$10,007
$30,001–$48,000$11,579
$48,001–$75,000$13,559
$75,001–$110,000$16,904
Over $110,000$21,176

Full cost of attendance before aid: $26,160 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
8,172
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 43% · Women 57%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
34%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
9%
Total students9,550
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$16,383
Cost of attendance (per year)$26,160
Median federal debt at graduation$24,286
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
53%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
61%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
62%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
64%
First-year retention75%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$57,466
Admission rate88%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$50
Students receiving Pell grants32%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1060–1263ACT 25–30
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1180
SAT reading & writing550–650
SAT math510–613
ACT composite25–30
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 33% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$87,099
Chemistry$80,287
Accounting$79,315
Economics$70,473
Air Transportation$70,215
Management science$64,769
Criminal justice$64,178
Biology$60,880
Social work$59,510
Political science$58,936
Secondary education$58,255
Geography$57,550
Communication studies$56,968
Romance languages$56,609
Special education$55,692
Mathematics$54,709
Sociology$54,224
Allied health$53,872
History$52,936
Geology and earth science$52,219
Psychology$51,939
Teacher education$51,523
English$51,020
Anthropology$50,376
Speech-language pathology$50,059
Fine arts$45,747

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Dance, Geography and Environmental Studies, Health sciences, Marketing, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Rehabilitation and therapy, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business15%
Education15%
Psychology13%
Health professions9%
Criminal justice and security8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates15%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older13%
On-campus room and board (per year)$15,247
SportsNCAA Division III · Massachusetts State College Athletic Association
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member17 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 10%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time100%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$8,450IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 40% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 26 miles away · about 50 minutes by car
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreBostonAbout 24 miles away · about 45 minutes by car
Typical weather27°F in January · 71°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Bridgewater, MA

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.140.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.380.04
Burglary0.030.08
Motor vehicle theft0.030.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Bridgewater State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Bridgewater State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $16,383 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Bridgewater State University?
Bridgewater State University admitted 88% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Bridgewater State University’s graduates do?
53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $57,466; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,286.

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