Bridgewater, Va.- This fall, Bridgewater College received several accolades from “Washington Monthly and The Princeton Review, including recognition for the graduation of economically disadvantaged students, research initiatives and student affordability.

Each year, “The Washington Monthly” and The Princeton Review compile lists of colleges who deserve recognition based on a variety of categories. Using college statistics and analyzing different Bridgewater programs, the college has once again been recognized by both publications. 

“Bridgewater College offers a lot of undergraduate majors and minors with really strong liberal arts departments that allows students to learn how to write, analyze and have great problem-solving skills,” said Assistant Professor of Music Vimari Colon-Leon.

Bridgewater College ranked among the top 200 liberal arts colleges in “The Washington Monthly’s” 2022 rankings by demonstrating their contributions to the public good by providing social mobility, research and public service. 

“The liberal arts education Bridgewater College students receive trains them to think critically, to write thoughtfully and to reason effectively,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Leona Sevick. “They learn problem-solving and analytical skills, and they do so while developing leadership skills. This education trains them not for a single job, but for any job.”

Bridgewater College offers nearly 60 undergraduate major and minors, as well as four graduate programs. With class sizes under 20, students have opportunities for research and opportunities before their late college careers. 

The Research Experience at Bridgewater, also known as TREB, and the Dr. John Martin Summer Science Research Institution both provide funding for student led research and contribute to the recognition from “The Washington Monthly.” 

Accolades from such publications provide a gauge for the college to measure their success. They also provide feedback and highlights for faculty engagement with students. 

The “best bang for your buck” award is ranked based largely on the institute’s social mobility, and is determined by analyzing the college’s graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients. In the 2020-2021 year, nearly 100% of Bridgewater students received financial aid, and $45 million in scholarships and grants were awarded. 

“This type of exposure means that we are doing a lot of great things as a faculty for the students by also being named ‘best bang for your buck’ in the southeast region for this year,” said Colon-Leon.

The college was also ranked in The Princeton Review, which put the school in the top 150 colleges in the southeast region. The schools featured in this ranking are selected for their academic offering, amenities, school services, campus culture and extracurricular activities.

Bridgewater College being ranked in the top 200 liberal arts colleges and top 150 colleges in the southwest region is a reflection of the increased programs catering to affordability, student led research and campus life.