Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. BC

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

Penn State Lehigh Valley BC
Location Center Valley, PA Bridgewater, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small Suburban
Enrollment 888 1,421
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #676
Religious Affiliation - Church of Brethren - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu bridgewater.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Lehigh Valley BC
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $38,800
Tuition (Out of State) $24,318 $38,800
Room & Board $12,984 $13,830
Avg Net Price $18,142 $19,332
Avg Grant Aid $9,886 $34,142
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 100%

Admission

Penn State Lehigh Valley BC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,806 3,402
Admitted 1,699 3,074
Acceptance Rate 94.1% 90.4%
Enrolled % 15.7% 13.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26 22/28
SAT Range 1100/1290 1020/1230
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 Lehigh Valley BC
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (13%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Lehigh Valley BC
Graduation Rate 47% 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 Lehigh Valley BC
% Men 57% 48%
% Women 43% 52%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 73%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 16% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

Penn State Lehigh Valley BC
% In-State 93% 73%
% Out-of-State 6% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bridgewater College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (1,421 students vs. 888 students)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. BC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or BC?

  • Bridgewater College is 165.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($38,800.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 59.6% higher at BC than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($38,800.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than BC ($18,142 vs. $19,332)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 6.5% lower than costs at Bridgewater College ($12,984 vs. $13,830)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bridgewater College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bridgewater College students is 245.4% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($34,142 vs. $9,886)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. BC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Bridgewater College (1034) is 15 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming BC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman BC students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than BC (90.4%)

Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. BC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley.

  • The graduation rate at BC is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (59% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $12,200 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,100)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley 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/