BC vs. VMI

Should I go to Bridgewater College or Virginia Military Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BC or VMI is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Bridgewater College vs. Virginia Military Institute comparison
Bridgewater College Virginia Military Institute College 3 College 4
Bridgewater College Virginia Military Institute
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Overview

BC VMI
Location Bridgewater, VA Lexington, VA
Setting Small Suburban Distant Rural
Enrollment 1,421 1,512
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #676 #150
Religious Affiliation Church of Brethren - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bridgewater.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC VMI
Tuition (In State) $38,800 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $38,800 $39,590
Room & Board $13,830 $10,674
Avg Net Price $19,332 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $34,142 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 69%

Admission

BC VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,402 1,192
Admitted 3,074 847
Acceptance Rate 90.4% 71.1%
Enrolled % 13.7% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.65
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/28 22/29
SAT Range 1020/1230 1105/1300
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

BC VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

BC VMI
Graduation Rate 59% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,100 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $258

Diversity

BC VMI
% Men 48% 87%
% Women 52% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 80%
% Black 11% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

BC VMI
% In-State 73% 63%
% Out-of-State 24% 35%

Campus

BC VMI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Military Institute is larger than than BC based on total student enrollment (1,512 students vs. 1,421 students)

BC vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or VMI?

  • Bridgewater College is 296.6% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($38,800.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2% higher at VMI than Bridgewater College ($39,590.00 vs. $38,800.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than BC ($18,129 vs. $19,332)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 29.6% lower than costs at Bridgewater College ($10,674 vs. $13,830)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College than Virginia Military Institute (100% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 78.7% larger than aid received Virginia Military Institute ($34,142 vs. $19,111)

BC vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BC or VMI? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between VMI or BC .

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 105 points higher than at BC (1034)
  • Incoming VMI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at BC (24)
  • Accepted freshman VMI students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at BC (3.61)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (90.4%) than VMI (71.1%)

BC vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC or VMI? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between VMI and BC.

  • The graduation rate at VMI is higher than Bridgewater College (69% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $19,000 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $43,100)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • VMI graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More VMI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BC students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 77%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/