BC vs. VWC

Should I go to Bridgewater College or Virginia Wesleyan College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BC or VWC 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 Wesleyan College comparison
Bridgewater College Virginia Wesleyan College College 3 College 4
Bridgewater College Virginia Wesleyan College
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Overview

BC VWC
Location Bridgewater, VA Norfolk, VA
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 1,421 1,538
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #676 #631
Religious Affiliation Church of Brethren United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bridgewater.edu vwc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC VWC
Tuition (In State) $38,800 $36,010
Tuition (Out of State) $38,800 $36,010
Room & Board $13,830 $11,070
Avg Net Price $19,332 $23,046
Avg Grant Aid $34,142 $27,568
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

BC VWC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,402 1,718
Admitted 3,074 1,399
Acceptance Rate 90.4% 81.4%
Enrolled % 13.7% 20.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.39
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/28 27/29
SAT Range 1020/1230 1190/1365
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

Academics

BC VWC
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

BC VWC
Graduation Rate 59% 48%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,100 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

BC VWC
% Men 48% 44%
% Women 52% 56%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 73% 54%
% Black 11% 24%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 4% 6%

Students

BC VWC
% In-State 73% 73%
% Out-of-State 24% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Wesleyan College is larger than than BC based on total student enrollment (1,538 students vs. 1,421 students)

BC vs. VWC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or VWC?

  • Bridgewater College is 7.7% more expensive to attend than VWC for in-state tuition ($38,800.00 vs. $36,010.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.7% higher at BC than Virginia Wesleyan College ($38,800.00 vs. $36,010.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater College than VWC ($19,332 vs. $23,046)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Wesleyan College are 24.9% lower than costs at Bridgewater College ($11,070 vs. $13,830)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College as Virginia Wesleyan College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 23.8% larger than aid received Virginia Wesleyan College ($34,142 vs. $27,568)

BC vs. VWC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bridgewater College (1034) is 52 points higher than at VWC (982)
  • Incoming BC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at VWC (22)
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at VWC (3.39)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (90.4%) than VWC (81.4%)

BC vs. VWC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC or VWC? 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 VWC and BC.

  • The graduation rate at BC is higher than Virginia Wesleyan College (59% vs. 48%)
  • Graduates from Bridgewater College earn on average $1,400 more per year than VWC graduates after ten years. ($43,100 vs. $41,700)
  • Virginia Wesleyan College and BC graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Virginia Wesleyan College and BC graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VWC students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 57%)

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