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Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, VA 1,400 Undergrads 61.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$58,702
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,800
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,722
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$17,800
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (10yr)$55,722
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate61.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
91.7%
SAT Avg
1,180
SAT Reading
25th: 55058375th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 47057575th: 680
ACT Composite
25th: -2575th: -
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
+$494k
+$34k
+$17k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$430k
-$30k
-$47k
Full Cost$59k/yr
+$283k
-$177k
-$194k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
48
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-74%
Full Cost$59k/yr
Never
-92%
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-78%
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-85%
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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$25,562
Earnings
-
Nat: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,732
Nat: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,276
Nat: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,615
Nat: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,050
Nat: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Nat: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Nat: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$315k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,910
Nat: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,113
Nat: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$25,781
Earnings (4yr)
$51,160
Nat: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Nat: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Nat: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3899
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $46,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Nat: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$260k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,305
Nat: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,141
Nat: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,139
Nat: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,288
Nat: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Master's Degrees
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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.