Public
Accredited · New England Commission on Higher Education
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
89.2% Acceptance Rate
Bridgewater State University — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
89.2%Acceptance Rate
3.21Avg GPA
1127Avg SAT
23Avg ACT
$25,164Annual Cost
$57,466Grad Salary
30.3%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
89.2%
Avg GPA
3.21
Avg SAT
1127
Avg ACT
23
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1040–1230
ACT Middle 50%
18–27
Avg Net Price
$17,970
Need-Based Aid
30.3% receive Pell
Bridgewater State University is a public, regional comprehensive university in Massachusetts known for its commitment to academic excellence and student-faculty collaboration. Admissions focus on high academic performance and evidence of readiness for a supportive, collaborative learning environment. The university seeks well-rounded students who will contribute to its vibrant and active campus community through engagement in academic, cultural, or social organizations.
Prospective students should highlight their potential for engagement, as Bridgewater State values active participation and critical inquiry. A strong application includes evidence of a consistent academic record and participation in school or community organizations that require collaboration. The admissions team favors students who are motivated to use the university's support systems to advance their specific professional and academic goals.
Bridgewater State University Acceptance Rate
Bridgewater State University (BSU) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 89.2% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 89.2% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.21 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.01 – 3.20
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.76
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Bridgewater State University Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Bridgewater State University is December 15 for Spring applicants, with additional plans listed below.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 126 days left — Spring
Spring
December 15
Fall Priority
March 15
Fall Final
August 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (December 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
BSU GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at BSU is 3.21. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 2.91–3.21 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.41–3.61.BSU GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.21 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.01 – 3.20
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.81 – 3.00
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.80
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Public university in Bridgewater, MA, part of the Massachusetts state university system; $50 application fee; nursing programs accredited by CCNE, education programs by CAEP.
- Massachusetts' admission standards are STATEWIDE policy applied uniformly across the state university system, not a BSU-specific formula - the same recalculation and sliding-scale rules likely apply at sister Massachusetts state universities, worth confirming if a family is comparing multiple in-state options.
- Fee waivers are available for documented financial need or participation in recognized fee-waiver/college-access programs - worth raising proactively with Admissions rather than assuming the $50 fee is fixed.
- Dual credit/credit-before-enrollment is explicitly NOT accepted per one third-party summary, which sits in some tension with BSU's own stated AP/IB credit policies - worth clarifying directly with BSU which specific credit-earning mechanisms (AP/IB vs. dual enrollment coursework itself) are and aren't accepted.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at BSU
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Bridgewater State University's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Bridgewater State University (BSU) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if BSU is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into BSU Without SAT or ACT?
BSU considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Bridgewater State University Average SAT Score: 1127
The average SAT score of admitted students at Bridgewater State University is 1127 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1127 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1230 SAT or 27 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Bridgewater State University allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1040, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at BSU. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 555 | 510 | 600 |
| SAT Reading | 580 | 530 | 630 |
| SAT Composite | 1127 | 1040 | 1230 |
Below 1040, you're behind most admitted students; at 1230 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1150
Can I get into Bridgewater State University (BSU) with a 1250 SAT?
A 1250 SAT puts you ahead of most of BSU's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Bridgewater State University (BSU) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at BSU is 23.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 23 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 22 | 19 | 25 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 18 | 27 |
Can I get into Bridgewater State University with a 27 ACT?
A 27 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of BSU's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at BSU.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for BSU
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
BSU is accessible to students who show core competency. Focus on proving readiness for college-level work and locking in financial aid.
Calculate the recalculated, WEIGHTED 3.0 GPA precisely - Massachusetts state standards apply specific point bonuses that differ from a student's actual high school GPA
BSU doesn't use a student's reported high school GPA directly: Massachusetts state admission standards require GPA to be RECALCULATED using only completed college-preparatory courses, on a weighted scale where Honors courses add 0.5 points and AP/Dual Enrollment/IB courses add a full 1.0 point. A student with a strong but unweighted 2.8 GPA who took several Honors or AP courses could clear the 3.0 threshold once properly recalculated - don't assume a student's self-reported GPA is the number BSU actually uses; have them (or a counselor) work through the state's recalculation method before assuming they fall short.
Use the state "sliding scale" deliberately if recalculated GPA falls under 3.0 - but know this REQUIRES submitting a standardized test score voluntarily
For students whose recalculated weighted GPA doesn't reach 3.0, Massachusetts' sliding scale allows a strong standardized test score to compensate for the GPA shortfall - but accessing this sliding scale REQUIRES the student to choose to submit ACT/SAT scores, even though BSU is otherwise test-optional. A student sitting just under the GPA bar should treat test submission as a strategic CHOICE specifically to unlock the sliding scale provision, not skip testing reflexively because the school advertises as test-optional.
Know the firm floor: a recalculated GPA below 2.0 forecloses first-year admission outright, with transfer-after-community-college as the explicitly stated alternative path
Massachusetts state standards explicitly state that an applicant with a recalculated high school GPA below 2.0 (C average) MAY NOT be admitted as a first-year student at all - this is a hard state-level floor, not a soft BSU preference. BSU's own page is notably direct about this, explicitly inviting these students to reapply later as TRANSFER students after completing college credits elsewhere. For a student in this position, frame community college as the genuinely correct first step toward BSU specifically, not a consolation prize, since BSU itself names this as the intended pathway.
Submit official AP/IB scores directly through testing organizations to BSU's specific institutional codes - self-reported scores on the application alone won't generate credit
BSU awards college credit for AP exams scored 3+ and IB Higher Level courses scored 4+, but requires official scores sent DIRECTLY from College Board (BSU's code is 3517) or the IB organization - not just listed on the application. A student with strong AP/IB results should request official score reports be sent to BSU as a discrete action item separate from submitting the general application, since omitting this step means the credit simply won't appear on the degree audit regardless of actual exam performance.
Expert Insight:
BSU's accessible overall acceptance profile (commonly cited around 89%, average GPA in the 3.2-3.35 range across various sources) can obscure that Massachusetts' state-mandated recalculation and sliding-scale system is a genuinely technical, multi-step process most families won't intuitively understand from a simple "what's your GPA" conversation. A family should not self-assess BSU eligibility from their student's transcript GPA alone; the actual evaluated number requires applying the state's specific Honors/AP/IB weighting formula first.
BSU Profile
Full Name
Bridgewater State University (BSU)
City
Bridgewater
State
Massachusetts
ZIP Code
2325
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Is a BSU Degree Worth It?
Whether BSU is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $75,100, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.9%.
How much does a degree from BSU Cost?
The sticker price is $25,164/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $17,970.
30.3% of students receive a Pell Grant and 71.4% take federal loans at BSU. File your FAFSA early and list BSU as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a BSU Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $57,466. That's about 42% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Bridgewater State University. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery, AL | 1090 | 21 |
| Spring Hill College | Mobile, AL | 1090 | 22 |
| Troy University | Troy, AL | 1086 | 22 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | 1095 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of the Ozarks | Clarksville, AR | 1088 | 21 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 1116 | 22 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin, CA | 1093 | 22 |
| Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO | 1084 | 20 |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO | 1077 | 22 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Bridgewater State University. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO | 1119 | 24 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Bridgewater State University. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
Degree Programs at BSU
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About BSU Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Bridgewater State University run about $57,466 a year.
At about $25,164 a year, Bridgewater State University is on the more affordable end.
About 30.3% receive a Pell Grant at Bridgewater State University. The odds are moderate and largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 89.2%, Bridgewater State University's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Bridgewater State University average a 3.21 GPA.
Bridgewater State University doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 2.91 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.81, Bridgewater State University becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Bridgewater State University — aim above 1127, ideally within the 1040–1230 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Bridgewater State University is December 15 for Spring applicants.
The application fee is 50. Fee waivers may be available. Check with admissions.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is December 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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