Bridgewater College has been recognized as a College of Distinction and acknowledged by U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly and The Princeton Review for its work preparing students for success after graduation.
In this yearâs rankings, U.S. News recognized Bridgewater as among the Top Performers in Social Mobility and a Best National Liberal Arts College. Similarly, Washington Monthly ranked Bridgewater on its Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Best Bang for the Buck in the Southeast lists. The Princeton Review recognized Bridgewater as one of its Best Mid-Atlantic Regional Colleges and Colleges of Distinction listed BC as among the Best Business Colleges and Best Education Colleges.
âWe are pleased to have outside recognition of the values that are at the core of a Bridgewater education, including high-impact learning and the development of career-ready skills,â said Dr. Leona Sevick, provost and executive vice president of BC. âWith our commitment to transparency in our pricing, students and families are realizing a BC education is accessible for them.â
The recognition of BC as a Top Performer in Social Mobility by U.S. News and a Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly speaks to the Collegeâs success in serving students from economically disadvantaged families. Both organizations evaluate the performance of students who receive federal Pell grants for their rankings, with U.S. News exclusively considering these students for its rankings. This year, 37 percent of students in Bridgewaterâs Class of 2029 are Pell-eligible.
To be acknowledged as a College of Distinction, an institution must demonstrate its commitment to four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes. A large part of the College of Distinction evaluation process is information gleaned from college presidents, deans and administrators across the country, indicating the regard in which the colleges are held by peer institutions.
U.S. Newsâs methodology for its Best Colleges rankings relies heavily on institutional success measures, such as graduation rates, borrower debt and social mobility. In total, measures like these represent more than 50 percent of a schoolâs rank. Washington Monthly, on the other hand, considers three equally weighted factors in its Best College rankings: social mobility, research and community and national service.
In addition to being nationally ranked, the high-quality education BC provides earned it a spot on The Princeton Reviewâs Best Mid-Atlantic list. The unranked list contains 98 colleges in the region that The Princeton Review has determined to be âacademically outstandingâ and âwell worth considerationâ by college-bound students.
Media Contact:
Heather Cole
Editor & Media Relations Director
hcole@bridgewater.edu
9/23/25
