Bridgewater College welcomes its second-largest class

At the start of the 2018-19 academic year, Bridgewater College welcomed its second-largest class in history of 600 freshmen. That number is a 12 percent increase from last year’s freshman class of 534.

“We are pleased with our enrollment growth, but also in the quality, passion and diversity of our new students,” said Michael Post, vice president for enrollment management at Bridgewater. “We know families value the excellence we have provided in the past, as well as the excellence we are developing today.”

The Class of 2022 also has the largest enrollment of diverse students, who make up 36 percent of the incoming class.

“Our faculty, staff, coaches and current students go above and beyond to demonstrate the value our vibrant and growing community offers to a family,” Post said.

The College broke ground on a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion of the Alexander Mack Memorial Library in May. Completion of the state-of-the-art John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, which will house the library’s collections as well as serve as a multimedia production lab, is set for fall 2019.

Bridgewater’s continued focus on academic excellence includes expanding both its undergraduate and graduate programs, with a new undergraduate major in professional writing offered this fall. The College launched its first master’s program in 2017, a two-year Master of Science in Athletic Training, after being recognized as having one of the best undergraduate athletic training programs in the country.

In addition, the College announced a second master’s program for the 2019-20 academic year: a Master of Arts in Digital Media Strategy. The interdisciplinary program includes courses in communication, writing, design and technical production, which gives graduates an advantage in many professional spheres.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to more than 1,900 undergraduate students.