College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA 1,388 Undergrads 63.6% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$56,195
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,173
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,453
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,173
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$53,453
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate63.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.8%
SAT Avg
1,225
SAT Reading
25th: 53058375th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 54057575th: 715
ACT Composite
25th: 282575th: 29

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$465k
+$69k
-$19k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$393k
-$4k
-$92k
Full Cost$56k/yr
+$263k
-$134k
-$222k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-127%
Full Cost$56k/yr
Never
-110%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-108%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-91%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,398
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,724
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,450
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,436
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$36,347
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$25,781
Earnings (5yr)
$47,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$268k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,467
Lifetime Value Added
-$242k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.