More selective than 20% of Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $58,702. College Scorecard.
Higher than 37% of Virginia colleges we cover and 48% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 43% of Virginia colleges we cover and 50% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
BC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,984 applicants, Bridgewater College admitted 3,618 and 429 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1360 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
BC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Virginia residents studying full-time at eligible private nonprofit Virginia colleges may receive the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG): up to $5,250 a year for undergraduates in 2025-26, depending on state funding. Not included in the prices above. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), VTAG
BC majors, earnings & careers
Bridgewater College offers 30 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at BC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $81,050 | $26,000 |
| Political Science | $66,305 | — |
| Business Administration | $61,276 | $26,000 |
| Biology | $58,732 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $55,288 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $54,910 | — |
| Communications | $53,615 | $26,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $51,160 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 30 majors
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$58,732
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$61,276
- Chemistry—
- Communications$53,615
- Computer Science$81,050
- Economics—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- History$48,113
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,288
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$51,160
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science$66,305
- Psychology$42,141
- Sociology$49,139
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$54,910
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Harrisonburg
Overall prices in the Harrisonburg, VA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,264. Housing costs 18% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Rockingham County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Rockingham County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare BC with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater College | 92% | $17,800 | 53% | $53,453 | This school |
| Marymount University | 93% | $29,137 | 54% | $67,516 | |
| Randolph College | 94% | $15,921 | 46% | $53,409 | |
| Emory & Henry University | 84% | $19,061 | 56% | $47,385 | |
| Randolph-Macon College | 87% | $27,866 | 70% | $58,448 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bridgewater College would cost you $11,337 less per year than Marymount University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Bridgewater College, mostly from more Marymount University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$31,201).
- Bridgewater College gives aided families $12,855 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | BC | Marymount University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,090 | $40,920 | −$24,830 |
| Books & supplies | $905 | $2,000 | −$1,095 |
| Housing & meals | $14,370 | $16,188 | −$1,818 |
| Personal & travel | $3,420 | $5,360 | −$1,940 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$23,917 | −$7,284 | +$31,201 |
| Sticker price | $58,702 | $57,184 | +$1,518 |
| Average grants | −$40,902 | −$28,047 | −$12,855 |
| You pay | $17,800 | $29,137 | −$11,337 |
“+” means BC costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about BC
What is the BC acceptance rate?
Bridgewater College accepts 92% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,618 of 3,984 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1360 on the SAT.
How much does Bridgewater College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $58,702 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,800 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,283 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,448.
How much do BC graduates earn?
Former Bridgewater College students earn a median $53,453 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the BC graduation rate?
53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
Is BC the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing BC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bridgewater College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bridgewater-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).