Bridgewater State vs. Wellesley

Should I go to Bridgewater State University or Wellesley College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bridgewater State or Wellesley 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 State University vs. Wellesley College comparison
Bridgewater State University Wellesley College College 3 College 4
Bridgewater State University Wellesley College
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Overview

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
Location Bridgewater, MA Wellesley, MA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 9,550 2,418
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #643 #18
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bridgew.edu wellesley.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
Tuition (In State) $910 $64,000
Tuition (Out of State) $7,050 $64,000
Room & Board $14,586 $19,920
Avg Net Price $16,230 $21,501
Avg Grant Aid $8,911 $61,549
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 52%

Admission

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,631 8,184
Admitted 7,698 1,138
Acceptance Rate 89.2% 13.9%
Enrolled % 20.5% 50.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.21 3.86
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 18/27 33/35
SAT Range 1040/1230 1440/1550
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 Feb 15, 2026 Jan 8, 2026

Academics

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (17%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
Graduation Rate 52% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,700 $68,100
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,590 $8,900
Median Loan Payment $254 $92

Diversity

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
% Men 4% 1%
% Women 11% 3%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 78% 40%
% Black 9% 6%
% Hispanic 6% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 0% 12%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
% In-State 90% 11%
% Out-of-State 9% 73%

Campus

 Bridgewater State Wellesley
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Bridgewater State University is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (9,550 students vs. 2,418 students)

Bridgewater State vs. Wellesley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bridgewater State or Wellesley?

  • Wellesley College is 6,933% more expensive to attend than Bridgewater State for in-state tuition ($64,000.00 vs. $910.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 807.8% higher at Wellesley than Bridgewater State University ($64,000.00 vs. $7,050.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater State University than Wellesley ($16,230 vs. $21,501)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bridgewater State University are 36.6% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($14,586 vs. $19,920)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater State University than Wellesley College (72% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 590.7% larger than aid received Bridgewater State University ($61,549 vs. $8,911)

Bridgewater State vs. Wellesley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wellesley College (1369) is 373 points higher than at Bridgewater State (996)
  • Incoming Wellesley students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Bridgewater State (22)
  • Accepted freshman Wellesley students have a 0.65 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Bridgewater State (3.21)
  • Bridgewater State has a higher acceptance rate (89.2%) than Wellesley (13.9%)

Bridgewater State vs. Wellesley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bridgewater State or Wellesley? 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 Wellesley and Bridgewater State.

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Bridgewater State University (92% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Wellesley College earn on average $22,400 more per year than Bridgewater State graduates after ten years. ($68,100 vs. $45,700)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $15,690 lower median federal student loan debt than Bridgewater State graduates. ($8,900 vs. $24,590)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $162 less per month on federal student loans than Bridgewater State graduates. ($92 vs. $254)
  • More Wellesley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bridgewater State students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 64%)

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