BRIDGEWATER, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) — Bridgewater College was recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly and The Princeton Review with national and regional accolades, signifying its dedication to preparing students for success with a transformative education.

In this year’s rankings, U.S. News recognized Bridgewater as a top performer on social mobility and a Best National Liberal Arts College. Similarly, Washington Monthly ranked Bridgewater on its Best Liberal Arts College and Best Bang for the Buck in the Southeast lists. The Princeton Review recognized Bridgewater as one of its Best Mid-Atlantic Regional Colleges.

“It is always an honor to be recognized for the work our faculty and staff do to empower students of all backgrounds with an accessible and transformative education,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Leona Sevick. “We strive to create an experience that connects students to important ideas and real-world learning opportunities in order to prepare them for personal and professional fulfillment.”

U.S. News’s Best Colleges rankings rely heavily on institutional success measures, like graduation rates, borrower debt and social mobility. These represent over 50% of a school’s rank. On the other hand, Washington Monthly considers three equally weighted factors in its Best College rankings: social mobility, research and community and national service.

U.S. News and Washington Monthly use an institution’s social mobility score to rank Top Performers on Social Mobility and Best Bang for the Buck, focusing on how well they graduate economically disadvantaged students. Both consider Pell grant recipients, with U.S. News only including them. This year, 36% of Bridgewater’s Class of 2028 are Pell-eligible, up from 30% in the 2023–24 academic year. The social mobility rankings and the increase in Pell-eligible students show BC’s commitment to transparency about college costs and providing an affordable education.

BC’s high-quality education earned it a spot on The Princeton Review’s Best Mid-Atlantic list. The unranked, alphabetized list contains 97 region colleges deemed “academically outstanding” and “well worth consideration” by college-bound students. In the 2024-25 academic year, Bridgewater expanded its educational opportunities by launching undergraduate majors in game design and criminology, along with a master of arts and graduate certificate in nonprofit management.