Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA · Public · Large suburb · BSU · Bridgewater State

Public institution in Bridgewater, MA · 7,899 undergraduates · 89% acceptance rate · $57,466 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Top 15%Undergraduates

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price: $17,970893rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
In-state tuition & fees: $11,389719th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees: $17,529703rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
Cost of attendance: $25,164698th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
Median graduate debt: $24,2861,184th lowest of 1,880 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $57,466666th highest of 1,969 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $46,673751st highest of 1,964 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year): 54.6%982nd highest of 2,031 reporting
Full-time retention: 76.9%854th highest of 1,853 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate: 89.2%1,211th most selective of 1,608 reporting
Average SAT: 1127585th highest of 1,024 reporting
Median ACT: 24421st highest of 954 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates: 7,899319th largest of 2,162 reporting
Student-faculty ratio: 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
Pell Grant share: 30.3%1,181st highest of 2,140 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 26 mi (BOS)

On 1 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Most Selective Colleges in Massachusetts#48

Applying

EANov 17
RDFeb 15

Common App member: Yes
Application fee: $50
Personal essay: Optional / not required
Writing supplement: No

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 34 reported programs.

Field	Level	1 yr	2 yr
Computer Science	bachelors	$53,775	$60,623
ChemistryPhysical Sciences	bachelors	$48,198	$44,170
Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness	bachelors	$45,696	$46,869
Air TransportationTransportation	bachelors	$43,240	$41,565
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBusiness	bachelors	$43,215	$44,371
MathematicsMathematics & Statistics	bachelors	$42,682	$44,077
EconomicsSocial Sciences	bachelors	$40,428	$43,426
Geography and CartographySocial Sciences	bachelors	$39,369	$36,488
Political Science and GovernmentSocial Sciences	bachelors	$38,906	$33,281
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement	bachelors	$38,857	$38,412
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation	bachelors	$38,529	$35,823
Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesPhysical Sciences	bachelors	$38,289	$30,119

Campus facts

Founded in 1840source
Athletic nickname: "Bears"source
Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
School colors: Red and Whitesource
Motto: "Not to be Ministered Unto but to Minister"source
Campus size: about 270 acressource
Formerly known as "Bridgewater Normal School" (1840–1846)source
Formerly known as "Bridgewater State Normal School" (1846–1932)source
Formerly known as "Bridgewater State Teachers College" (1932–1960)source
Formerly known as "State College at Bridgewater" (1960–1965)source
Formerly known as "Bridgewater State College" (1965–2010)source
Athletic conference: D-IIIsource
A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
A Space-grant]] institutionsource
Plays for the "The Scoop{{cite web|url=https://www.bsubears.com/sports/fball/2019-20/releases/Connolly_BostonHerald_CranberryBowl|title=Historic Cranberry Bowl Enters 41st Edition|date=November 14, 2019|publisher=Bridgewater St. |access-date=November 16, 2019}}" (since 1974)source
Notable alum: Robert Stacksource
Notable alum: Jeffrey Donovansource

Athletics — 13 sports

NCAA Division III with football · NCAA Division III

Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.