by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Bridgewater College: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
For incoming students at Bridgewater, 69% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, for an average of $6,413 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,472, or about 99.5% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at Bridgewater, 60% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $6,377 per year. That is 16.5% greater than the first-year federal average of $5,472.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,754 in two years and roughly $25,508 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 60% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,377 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 839 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,349,895 |
The middle borrower at Bridgewater owes $17,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,676 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Bridgewater.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,798 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Bridgewater.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Bridgewater.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 410 | $24,837 |
| Completed (graduates) | 228 | $37,735 |
| Did not complete | 182 | $15,421 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $448.71/mo.
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Bridgewater.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Bridgewater appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 412 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,000 |
| Middle income | $18,094 |
| High income | $17,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,750 |
| Independent students | $14,779 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Bridgewater.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
Worth Knowing
Unlike most other debt, federal student loans generally survive bankruptcy — and unpaid balances can lead to wage garnishment — so borrow only what you truly need.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.