Bridgewater College announces new tuition price of $15,000 for 2024

BRIDGEWATER, Va. (WHSV) - Bridgewater College has announced a $25,000 drop in tuition for undergraduate students starting in 2024; changing its published price from $40,300 to $15,000.

President Dr. David Bushman says most private colleges like Bridgewater use a high tuition/high discount model in their pricing, setting a high ‘sticker price’ and then offering deep discounts through financial aid. Dr. Bushman says this can deter potential students from thinking of these institutions as a possibility for their higher education.

“It’s confusing, it’s complicated, and it actually scares people away. They’ll see a sticker price of $40,000 and they won’t even apply. We know this from national data, from our own research and so we want to provide an up-front cost, a tuition price that’s clear, easy to understand, and that actually does reflect the actual cost of education,” Dr. Bushman said.

Bridgewater’s VP for Enrollment Management Michael A. Post, says the new tuition price also gives families a clear look at the true cost of college, and hopefully knocking down some financial barriers.

“By being transparent about the real cost of a Bridgewater education, we are lowering that barrier to access and allowing more students to discover the real value of our educational experience,” Post said.

According to a recent study from the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), on average, private colleges cut 56.2% of tuition for first-time undergraduate students.

The new tuition, for all current and new students, takes effect at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.