by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Bridgewater State University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Bridgewater State, 84% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, for an average of $6,270 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,024, representing 73.2% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Counting every undergraduate at Bridgewater State, 78% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $4,706 each per year. It comes to 16.9% greater than the first-year federal average of $4,024.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $9,412 by year two and around $18,824 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 78% |
| Average federal loan per year | $4,706 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 6,127 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $28,831,046 |
The middle borrower at Bridgewater State owes $18,746 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $18,746 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,286 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,760 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Bridgewater State.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,750 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,250 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Bridgewater State.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Bridgewater State.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1297 | $17,500 |
| Completed (graduates) | 701 | $18,070 |
| Did not complete | 596 | $17,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $214.87/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Bridgewater State.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1280 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 17 | — |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1061 | $16,897 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 236 | $21,213 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Bridgewater State.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Bridgewater State is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2152 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,500 |
| Middle income | $19,140 |
| High income | $18,325 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,993 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,250 |
| Independent students | $20,733 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Bridgewater State.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Worth Knowing
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.