Penn State vs. BC

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

 Penn State BC
Location University Park, PA Bridgewater, VA
Setting Small City Small Suburban
Enrollment 50,399 1,436
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #603
Religious Affiliation - Church of Brethren - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bridgewater.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State BC
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $40,300
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $40,300
Room & Board $13,030 $14,370
Avg Net Price $27,450 $19,660
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $36,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 100%

Admission

 Penn State BC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 3,984
Admitted 46,605 3,618
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 90.8%
Enrolled % 19.4% 11.9%
Avg High School GPA - 3.61
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32 28/29
SAT Range 1220/1400 1070/1375
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

 Penn State BC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

 Penn State BC
Graduation Rate 87% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $43,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State BC
% Men 8% 1%
% Women 8% 2%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 73%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 Penn State BC
% In-State 51% 69%
% Out-of-State 40% 25%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than BC based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 1,436 students)

Penn State vs. BC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or BC?

  • Bridgewater College is 104.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($40,300.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.7% higher at BC than Penn State Main Campus ($40,300.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bridgewater College than Penn State ($19,660 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 10.3% lower than costs at Bridgewater College ($13,030 vs. $14,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 214% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($36,350 vs. $11,577)

Penn State vs. BC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 168 points higher than at BC (1034)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at BC (24)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (90.8%) than Penn State (54.2%)

Penn State vs. BC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or BC? 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 BC and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Bridgewater College (87% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $12,200 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,100)
  • Penn State Main Campus students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 69%)

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