Bridgewater College

Founded in 1880, Bridgewater College was Virginia’s first private co-educational liberal arts college and was established by 26-year-old Daniel Christian Flory.

Today the institution offers more than 60 degree programs to around 1,850 students, all of whom receive guaranteed on-campus accommodation. The 300-acre campus is located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, around two hours south-west of US capital Washington D.C.

There are around 60 sports, social, religious, academic and cultural clubs and societies that students can join, while nearby cities include Staunton, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville.

The institution is also the home of the Bridgewater Eagles, the university athletics teams that compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference against 13 other institutions. The university sponsors a total of 20 sports, nine for men and eleven for women.

Bridgewater College has developed a study abroad program too, that allows students to spend a semester at institutions all over the world, including universities in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

Among the university traditions is Founder’s Day, commemorated on April 3^rd every year, which is the birthdate of founder Daniel Christian Flory. A special Founder’s Day convocation is held where honours are awarded and achievements are celebrated.

Among the notable former Bridgewater College students are professional golfer David Branshaw and physicist Moses Hung-Wai Chan, who was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2000 and became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004. Former US Representative Jacob A. Garber and former Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, George Steven Agee, are also among the college alumni.