Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts·Public, 4-year or above·New England·bridgew.edu
6-yr Graduation
53%
-0.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
9,727
peer median 5,819
Avg net price
$16,383
+$328 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
9,096
9,096 candidates competed
Admitted
7,987
87.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,551
19.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
53%-0.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
32%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
53%
Full-time retention
75%

Pell equity

9.0pp gap
Pell recipients
48%276 of 577
Non-Pell (all)
57%515 of 904
Subsidized loan, no Pell
57%222 of 389
No Federal Aid
57%293 of 515

Non-Pell students graduate at a 9.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 92 Title IV programs, 36 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 56 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
92
Passing
36
39.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

92programs
  • Passing36 · 39.1%
  • No Data56 · 60.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
35
No data
56

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

36
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+16.0%
$45,747 vs $39,449
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+25.0%
$57,978 vs $46,391
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+26.9%
$50,059 vs $39,449
English Language and Literature General
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+27.0%
$62,844 vs $49,483
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+27.7%
$50,376 vs $39,449
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+29.3%
$51,020 vs $39,449
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+30.6%
$51,523 vs $39,449
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+31.7%
$51,939 vs $39,449

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

30
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
54%
$27,000 debt · $50,376 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
52%
$27,000 debt · $51,523 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
51%
$23,500 debt · $45,747 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
51%
$27,000 debt · $52,936 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
50%
$25,500 debt · $51,020 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
50%
$37,893 debt · $75,783 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
50%
$27,000 debt · $54,224 earn
Mathematics
Bachelor Degree · Mathematics And Statistics
49%
$27,000 debt · $54,709 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1953Next review Jun 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 8

  1. Feb 2024Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  2. Sep 2023Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  3. Mar 2023Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  4. Mar 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  5. Jul 2021Initial Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,007
$30–48k$11,579
$48–75k$13,559
$75–110k$16,904
$110k+$21,176

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$16,383
+$328vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $16,055
Federal loans
75.0%
In-state tuition
$11,808
Out-of-state
$17,948

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 3,253 students received $18.2M in Pell grants, alongside $44.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,253
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$18.2M
$18,211,419 total
Direct Loans
$44.9M
8,665 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
’20
3k
’21
3k
’22
3k
’23
3k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$13.9M
3,384 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$18.6M
4,481 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$6.4M
410 loan awards
Parent PLUS$5.9M
390 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2,778 borrowers who entered repayment, 48 (1.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.7%
-0.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,778
Defaulted
48
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.7%
2017
5.5%
2018
5.6%
2019
1.7%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Bridgewater State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs84
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,922 total completions
01Education
52027.1%
02Business
31916.6%
03Psychology
25113.1%
04Public Admin
1668.6%
05Health Professions
1487.7%
06Security/Protective
1316.8%
07Communication
1246.5%
08Social Sciences
995.2%
09Multi/Interdisciplinary
844.4%
10English Language
804.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
9,727
12-mo unduplicated
11,797
Undergraduate
9,623
Graduate
2,174

Gender split

Men
39%4,649
Women
61%7,148

Race / ethnicity composition

White
67.4%
Hispanic
11.0%
Black
10.6%
Two or more
7.4%
Asian
2.4%
Non-resident
0.7%
Unknown
0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
392
222 M · 170 W
Women athletes
43.4%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$3.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$4K
$4K
Head-coach salaries
$21K
$19K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
100 M · 56 W
$200K
Football
100 M · —
$181K
Soccer
30 M · 29 W
$122K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
25 M · 25 W
$124K
Wrestling
34 M · —
$92K
Basketball
16 M · 16 W
$218K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.20
21 offenses · 9,550 students

3-year trend

2.312 yrs ago1.771 yr ago2.20Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
61
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
52
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
7
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
13
Rape
4
Fondling
2
Burglary
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

21total
  • On campus19
  • Public property2

Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
6
Dating violence
8
Stalking
14 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons11
Drugs22
Liquor2193

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 4 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
338

Bridgewater State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Bridgewater State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectBridgewater State University
53%—9,727$16,383Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Fitchburg State University
55%86.9%5,892$14,262Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Worcester State University
61%88.0%5,745$13,381Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Salem State University
50%95.9%6,230$15,996Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Framingham State University
48%83.6%4,002$16,114Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Westfield State University
54%81.4%4,588$16,721Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median54%86.9%5,819$16,055

Institutions like Bridgewater State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Bridgewater State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Bridgewater State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support
Email
oir [at] bridgew.edu
Phone
508.531.2282
Address
Boyden Hall, Rm 201, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA 02325

The Office of Institutional Research & Decision Support (OIR) collects, analyzes, interprets and disseminates trustworthy and official University data for critical data-informed decision-making. Guided by equitable best practices in research and analytics, the office collaborates with campus stakeholders to support and uphold the strategic goals of the University, the state, and the region.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Amanda Colligan
    Executive Director, Institutional Research & Decision Support
  • Rebecca Mushet
    Associate Director, Institutional Research & Decision Support

Common Data Set

Bridgewater State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Total enrollment
9,449
8,490 UG · 959 grad
6-yr graduation rate
64%
First-year retention
74%
Student–faculty ratio
14 to 1
01

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
64%
Retention
74%

6-year graduation rate 64%; first-year retention 74%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students64%
Pell recipients57%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 7 pts below the overall rate (57% vs 64%).

02

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students346
10-19 students545
20-29 students272
30-39 students62
40-49 students13
50-99 students26
100+ students5

70% of classes have under 20 students; 2% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
14 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
96%
Women faculty
50%

Key faculty indicators.

03

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White53.4%
Hispanic/Latino16.3%
Black or African American9.1%
Two or more races7.2%
Race/ethnicity unknown6.2%
Asian4.3%
Non-resident alien3.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native0.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
8,49090%
Graduate
95910%

8,490 undergraduates and 959 graduate students.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Bridgewater State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bridgewater State.

What is the graduation rate at Bridgewater State University?

Bridgewater State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 53% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Bridgewater State University?

Bridgewater State University reports a total enrollment of 9,727 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Bridgewater State University?

The average net price at Bridgewater State University is $16,383 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Bridgewater State University?

Bridgewater State University's yield rate is 19.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Bridgewater State University located?

Bridgewater State University is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02325.

Who runs Institutional Research at Bridgewater State University?

Bridgewater State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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