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Lewisburg, PA · Private · 3,876 undergraduates · town

Bucknell University

Selective

Bucknell combines three distinct undergraduate colleges with optional first-year Residential Colleges that connect a seminar theme directly to where students live.

Institutional profile

Highly regarded Exceptional in career outcomes, and strong in academic standing.
Academic Strong Affordability Steady Career Exceptional Mobility Emerging Experience Solid
Academic standing Strong
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Exceptional
Mobility Emerging
Student experience Solid
Admission
32% admitted

11,010 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
87.9%

$93,807 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Bucknell University apart

Academic design

Students enter Arts and Sciences, Engineering, or the Freeman College of Management, each with its own degree structure and requirements.

Campus pattern

Lewisburg is a small Susquehanna River town, while most undergraduate housing, classes, athletics, and social life remain concentrated on the residential campus.

A signature opportunity

Residential Colleges pair a themed first-year seminar with a residence-hall community open to students across majors.

Can I get in?

32% admitted

Applicants must choose one of Bucknell's three undergraduate colleges, so the academic division is an application decision rather than a later declaration.

Recent applicant pool

11,010

About 32 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 32%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1300–1450
12001540
ACT middle 50%31–33
2935

Of admitted students, 27% submitted an SAT, and 10% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA7.5%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Bucknell University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Bucknell University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Students enter Arts and Sciences, Engineering, or the Freeman College of Management, each with its own degree structure and requirements.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Bucknell combines three distinct undergraduate colleges with optional first-year Residential Colleges that connect a seminar theme directly to where students live.

03

Use the application route carefully

Applicants must choose one of Bucknell's three undergraduate colleges, so the academic division is an application decision rather than a later declaration.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Applicants must choose one of Bucknell's three undergraduate colleges, so the academic division is an application decision rather than a later declaration.

Early DecisionNov 1
Early Decision IIJan 10
Regular DecisionJan 10
Fee and waiver$50 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$95,580
Average annual cost after aid$41,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Bucknell University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years87.9%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one94.8%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$93,807

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Economics

Recent graduates121
Median earnings$108,422

Political Science and Government

Recent graduates87
Median earnings$94,028

Biology, General

Recent graduates75
Median earnings$85,687

Psychology, General

Recent graduates71
Median earnings$66,206

What is campus life like?

Bucknell University beyond the classroom

Lewisburg is a small Susquehanna River town, while most undergraduate housing, classes, athletics, and social life remain concentrated on the residential campus.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Students enter Arts and Sciences, Engineering, or the Freeman College of Management, each with its own degree structure and requirements.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Lewisburg is a small Susquehanna River town, while most undergraduate housing, classes, athletics, and social life remain concentrated on the residential campus.

Signature opportunity

A reason to look closer

Residential Colleges pair a themed first-year seminar with a residence-hall community open to students across majors.

3,876 undergraduatesMid-Atlantictown setting100% of first-year students live on campus