Motto | College of Character, Community of Excellence |
---|---|
Type | Private, liberal arts |
Established | 1880 |
Affiliation | Church of the Brethren |
Endowment | US $70.1 million |
President | David W. Bushman |
Academic staff
|
145 |
Undergraduates | 1,800 |
Location | Bridgewater, Virginia, USA |
Colors |
Crimson and Gold |
Athletics | NCAA Division III, Old Dominion Athletic Conference |
Nickname | Eagles |
Website | http://www.bridgewater.edu |
Bridgewater College, is a private, coeducational, four-year liberal-arts college located in Bridgewater, a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. Established in 1880, Bridgewater College admitted women from the time of its founding and was the first private, co-educational, liberal arts college in Virginia to do so.
Located in the scenic and historic Shenandoah Valley, Bridgewater enrolls more than 1,800 students with guaranteed on-campus housing.
Bridgewater College was established in 1880 as Spring Creek Normal and Collegiate Institute by Daniel Christian Flory. Nine years later, the school was named Bridgewater College and chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia to grant undergraduate degrees. Bridgewater conferred its first Bachelor of Arts degree on June 1, 1891.
Bridgewater College became the first private, senior co-educational liberal arts college in Virginia and one of the few accredited colleges of its type in the South. The emphasis on ethical values in educational programs is a result of Bridgewater’s heritage and institutional idealism. The importance placed on these values can be seen through course offerings and convocation programs that encourage personal integrity and strong social consciousness.
The oldest portion of the Bridgewater College campus, consisting of five fine brick collegiate buildings constructed before 1911 is included in the Bridgewater Historic District. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Bridgewater offers more than 60 majors and minors, awarding the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Bridgewater students have the opportunity to study abroad through the BCA Study Abroad program and Interterm travel courses. Countries include Australia, Belgium, China, Cuba, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and Wales.