Bridgewater State College

131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA 02325

Website: Bridgewater State College

Boyden Hall, Bridgewater's trademark structure.
Boyden Hall, Bridgewater's trademark structure.
[source]

Bridgewater State College School Description

Bridgewater State College is the largest state college in the Massachusetts Public Higher Education system and the fourth largest campus overall in the system, which comprises 15 community colleges, nine state colleges and a university with five campuses.

Bridgewater’s mission: to provide students with the finest possible educational experience and boundless opportunities to achieve – all at an affordable price.

Since the time of its founding in 1840, the college has remained steadfast in its commitment to empower individuals and to instill in its students and faculty a deep appreciation for the public good.

While maintaining its historic focus on the preparation of teachers, Bridgewater State College provides a broad range of baccalaureate degree programs through its School of Arts and Sciences, its School of Education and Allied Studies and its School of Business. At the graduate level, the college offers the Master of Arts and Master of Science in select disciplines, as well as the Master of Arts in Teaching, the Master of Education, the Master of Public Administration, the Master of Science in Management and the Master of Social Work. In addition, Bridgewater State College prepares current and future educators for postbaccalaureate and postmaster’s licensure.

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Bridgewater State College

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Bridgewater State College is a public liberal arts college located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It is the largest of the state's nine state colleges outside of the University of Massachusetts system. The school's mascot is the bear.

History

BSC was founded by Horace Mann as a normal school styled Bridgewater Normal School. One of the first normal schools in the nation, its initial mission was to train school teachers. Since the 1960s, the school has expanded its program to include liberal arts, business, and aviation science. Throughout its history, it has also been known as Bridgewater Teachers College, Bridgewater State Teachers College, and State Teachers College at Bridgewater.

Buildings and layout

West Campus

Samuel P. Gates House (1876 - 6,138 ft²) is a small woodframe structure that was once the dwelling house of Samuel Gates. Today, the building is used as the Admissions Office. Boyden Hall (1924 - 63,248 ft²) was constructed as the main building of Bridgewater Normal School following the campus fire of 1924. It now houses the Registrar's Office, Financial Aid services, Student Accounts, the President and Vice President's offices, administrative offices, the department of Information Technology, and several classrooms. On the lowest level, School Street side, is the Horace Mann Auditorium.

Harrington Hall (1926 - 26,640 ft²) was named in honor of Lee F. Harrington. Formerly it was the Burnell Campus School (see below). The building houses the School of Business.

Tillinghast Hall (1916 - 51,760 ft²), known as "Tilly," is located at the corner of School and Summer streets. Named after the first principal of Bridgewater Normal School, it houses faculty offices, department offices, a dining hall, the campus Post Office, and Health Services.

The Art Center (1904 - 14,924 ft²) was originally constructed as the Boyden Gymnasium (an indoor track remains on the second floor). It now houses the Art Department and the Anderson Art Gallery.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Northeast
Setting:
Large Town Setting
Type:
Public
Size:
Large (5,000 to 10,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Bears

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
7,851
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
97%
Athletic Programs:
Available
More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 12,173
Students Receiving Aid:
74%
More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 25
Selectivity:
Selective
More Admissions

Bridgewater State College Degree Programs

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Learn more about Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Master’s Degree Programs

Learn more about Master’s Degree Programs

Certificate Programs

Learn more about Certificate Programs

Bridgewater State College Students & Campus Life

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 97%
Part-Time 3%
Men vs. Women
Women 61%
Men 39%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 76%
Other 18%
African-American 4%
Hispanic 1%
Asian 1%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
In-State 93%
Out-of-State 7%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Massachusetts 93%
Connecticut 1%
Rhode Island 1%
New Jersey 0%
New Hampshire 0%
Percent of Students International: 1%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 33%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (New England Football Conference)
Basketball (Massachusetts State College Ath Assoc)
Baseball (Massachusetts State College Ath Assoc)
Track (Massachusetts State College Ath Assoc)

Bridgewater State College Expenses (Tuition & Fees)

Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) In-State Out-of-State  
Published Tuition and Fees:
$ 6,033 $ 12,173  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 910 $ 7,050  
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 5,123 $ 5,123  
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 1,577 16%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 952 49%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 514 30%  
Student Loans:
$ 2,490 62%  
Any Aid:
  74%  

Bridgewater State College Admissions

Acceptance Rate: 69% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 96%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 450, Math: 460
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 550, Math: 560

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 25.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Required
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Recommended
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice on Bridgewater State College

Yahoo

Question: will I get into bridgewater state college?

I have taken 5 honors courses, 1 AP course, and 2 advanced courses. My GPA (weighted) is around a 2.9. However, my SATs are low (1200). I am taking them again but I am not a great test taker. I usually make honor roll but finals always bring my grades down. My guidance dept hasn't been too helpful. Am I out of reach? The other schools I am looking at are: Framingham, Suffolk,Curry, Salem, and Worcester.
17 months ago
JC
JC

Best Answer

You seem to be in range - I think it's worth applying. Given your high-level classes - so while your GPA might be a little low, there should be other factors. You really should press your guidance department for help. Even if they're not much help. Here are the average score data for Bridgewater State College: Admission 6,532 applied, 4,640 admitted, 1,361 enrolled, 3.02 average high school GPA Average high school GPA 3.02 Test scores SAT verbal scores over 500 53%, SAT math scores over 500 57%, ACT scores over 18 90%, SAT verbal scores over 600 11%, SAT math scores over 600 12%, ACT scores over 24 37%, SAT math scores over 700 1%
Bud
Bud

Question: I am contemplating going to school at either Bridgewater State College, Roger Williams University, or...?

...UMASS Dartmouth. Could anybody tell me their personal experiences at these schools and why or why I shouldn't explore an education through one? If it matters, I will be pursuing an education in the Elementary Education field
18 months ago

Best Answer

I don't know about Roger Williams, and all I know about UMass is that its supposedly a major party/drug school, but as for Bridgewater, I have a cousin and several friends there. My cousin is also pursuing a degree in elementary education. Everyone I know who goes there has loved it. It's a gorgeous campus, and it's close to the city and James Madison University, which are always fun for daytrips, parties, or excursions and things like that. As far as the education program goes, it is one of the top schools in the state as far as that goes. I've heard it can be a little rigorous at times. My cousin is taking an overloaded schedule right now so she can fit in all the classes she wants to take. From what I can tell, it's a good choice for any education major.

Question: Transfer to bridgewater state college?

I applied to bridgewater state college with 26 college credits and a GPA of 2.12 they say they would like a 2.0. Do you think i will get in?
20 months ago

Best Answer

No one can tell you for sure, but I'll give you a tip about the transfer admissions process. When a student applies to a university straight out of high school, the admissions department evaluates a number of different things - GPA, SAT scores, essays, letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, maybe even an interview. Why? Because the point of the admissions process is to identify the applicants who are most likely to succeed. Colleges know that none of the individual criteria are completely accurate in predicting college performance. After all, high school classes are not at all like college classes, so a good high school GPA MIGHT predict that a student would do well in college, but then again, it might not. (The same point can be made about SAT scores, too) When you apply to transfer from one college to another, the school has a nearly PERFECT form of predictive information that will allow the admissions department to predict your college performance. It's called "how you did at your previous college." Given that most universities require all students to maintain a 2.0 overall GPA in order to be classified as making "satisfactory academic progress", a GPA of 2.12 is probably not going to earn you high marks for transfer admission. Face it, your submitted grades are telling Bridgewater State that "I was barely managing to keep my head above water at Krabtree College", so Bridgewater's best prediction of your Bridgewater performance will be "more the same". I can't tell you that you won't get in, but if you want an honest assessment, I can tell you that you certainly aren't going to blow the admissions department away. I think the key phrase, when describing their 2.0 requirement is this one: "Please note that these are merely minimum grade point averages and do not guarantee admission." Good luck, though. I hope you get in.

Question: Would it be a good idea for Bridgewater State College to soon become a university?

I am a student at Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Mass. Recently, I recieved an email from the school's administration explaining about the possibility of the college becoming a university in the near future. The school's administration is in the process of setting up exploratory teams and scheduled open community discussions to assess the feasibility of the college's current and future status. It seems exciting, but I wonder what people throughout The Commonwealth thinks of the possibility of having a second state-run university system, other than UMass?
37 months ago

Best Answer

I'm a professor at Framingham State College - we're also thinking about becoming a university instead of a college (as are a couple of the other state colleges in Massachusetts). The only real difference is in the title. University means that the school offers graduate degrees. So it wouldn't really be another university *system*, just a name change. That said, I think it would be beneficial. University sounds better than College, which may attract more and better students. Also, even though there's no real difference to an undergraduate student between a college and a university here in the US, overseas the college is really more of a high school, so a name change may help recruit students from other countries. Changing the name to University might also help in getting money for the schools - just because it sounds more prestigious.

Photos

  • Boyden Hall, Bridgewater's trademark structure.
    Boyden Hall, Bridgewater's trademark structure. [source]
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Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater, MA 02325
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