Bridgewater State University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and in-state Massachusetts residents. no major red flags in the data. a public school with 7,829 students.
About This School
Bridgewater State University is a public institution located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts with approximately 7,829 undergraduate students enrolled. Bridgewater State University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 88%. The average net price after financial aid is $16,383 per year. The graduation rate is 53%, and the typical graduate earns $47,900 within 10 years of enrollment.
Bridgewater State University is a public university with its main campus in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. Including its off-campus sites in New Bedford, Attleboro, and Cape Cod, BSU has the fourth-largest campus of the 29 institutions in the Massachusetts Public Higher Education System. BSU's sports teams are called the Bears. Its school colors are crimson, white, and black.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: at $17,970/year net price and only $18,746 in median debt at graduation, the cost is genuinely manageable, but a 55% graduation rate means nearly half of students who start here don't finish — that's worth taking seriously before enrolling. Worth considering if you're a Massachusetts resident looking for an affordable path to a degree, particularly in education or one of BSU's stronger programs, but come in with a clear plan and use academic support resources early, because the 77% freshman retention rate suggests the second year is where many students start to drift.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 14% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Bridgewater State University graduates earn most above the national rate in Criminal Justice and Corrections ($64,178 vs $55,378 nationally), and most below it in Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods ($64,769 vs $86,176).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 309 | $51,939 | $50,706 | +$1,233 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 145 | $64,178 | $55,378 | +$8,800 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 140 | $64,769 | $86,176 | −$21,407 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 135 | $56,968 | $56,359 | +$609 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 127 | $58,255 | $51,389 | +$6,866 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 124 | $51,523 | $47,382 | +$4,141 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 93 | $79,315 | $76,194 | +$3,121 |
| Social Work | 72 | $59,510 | $51,790 | +$7,720 |
| Biology, General | 70 | $60,880 | $57,214 | +$3,666 |
| History | 69 | $52,936 | $50,680 | +$2,256 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 68 | $51,020 | $48,590 | +$2,430 |
| Sociology | 55 | $54,224 | $52,657 | +$1,567 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (7,829 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Bridgewater State University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Bridgewater State University?
Bridgewater State University has an acceptance rate of 88%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Bridgewater State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Bridgewater State University has an acceptance rate of 88%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Bridgewater State University cost?
The average net price at Bridgewater State University is about $16,383 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Bridgewater State University?
Bridgewater State University has a graduation rate of 53%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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