Communication and Media Studies at Bridgewater College

Starting at under $30,000 straight out of college puts Bridgewater's communication graduates roughly $5,000 behind the Virginia median and nearly $7,500 below the national average for this major. That's bottom-quartile performance both statewide and nationally, placing it among the weaker options for students pursuing this degree. While the $26,000 debt load seems manageable on paper, it equals nearly 90% of first-year earnings—a tight squeeze when you're trying to establish financial independence.

The 26% earnings growth to year four shows graduates do make gains, but they're essentially climbing back to where typical communication majors start. Even at $37,099 four years out, they're still trailing Virginia Tech grads ($44,309) and UVA grads ($47,368) by substantial margins. For context, the state's top programs deliver starting salaries 60% higher than what Bridgewater graduates see initially.

The small sample size here matters—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outliers could skew these numbers significantly. But the pattern is consistent across both earnings benchmarks: Bridgewater graduates are starting behind their Virginia peers and not catching up. Unless there are compelling non-financial reasons to choose this program, families should recognize they're likely paying similar tuition and debt for below-average career outcomes in a state with stronger communication programs at comparable or lower cost.