Liberal arts college
#19 Best colleges for marketing in AmericaBucknell University
Lewisburg, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $40,766 a year
Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for marketing in America#19 of 834
- Best colleges for accounting in America#26 of 1,132
- Best colleges for business in America#52 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#52 of 1,318
- Best colleges in America#93 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#77 of 1,418
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- Best test-optional colleges in America#83 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#79 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#79 of 1,283
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#113 of 1,829
- Best colleges for history in America#82 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#79 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#82 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#82 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#78 of 1,063
- Best mid-size colleges in America#49 of 667
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#82 of 1,116
- Best colleges for engineering in America#62 of 749
- Best colleges for economics in America#81 of 788
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#48 of 367
- Most selective colleges in America#96 of 683
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#107 of 704
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#109 of 693
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#137 of 690
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#141 of 598
In Pennsylvania
- Best colleges for business in Pennsylvania#5 of 108
- Best colleges for accounting in Pennsylvania#4 of 80
- Best colleges for education in Pennsylvania#5 of 85
- Best colleges for psychology in Pennsylvania#8 of 105
- Best colleges in Pennsylvania#9 of 118
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Pennsylvania#9 of 118
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- Best test-optional colleges in Pennsylvania#9 of 113
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Pennsylvania#8 of 98
- Best colleges for marketing in Pennsylvania#5 of 60
- Best colleges for English in Pennsylvania#8 of 87
- Best colleges for history in Pennsylvania#8 of 80
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Pennsylvania#8 of 80
- Best colleges for chemistry in Pennsylvania#8 of 77
- Best colleges for mathematics in Pennsylvania#8 of 77
- Best colleges for art and design in Pennsylvania#8 of 74
- Best mid-size colleges in Pennsylvania#5 of 43
- Best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania#7 of 57
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Pennsylvania#8 of 62
- Best colleges for economics in Pennsylvania#7 of 53
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Pennsylvania#9 of 62
- Most selective colleges in Pennsylvania#9 of 60
- Best colleges for music in Pennsylvania#8 of 51
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Pennsylvania#10 of 62
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Pennsylvania#10 of 54
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.86%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.94%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,410 · ACT 31.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$24,614
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $83,756 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 3,846 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 12% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 78% |
| Total students | 3,892 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $40,766 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $83,756 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 86% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 92% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 90% |
| First-year retention | 94% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $93,807 |
| Admission rate | 29% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $913 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 12% |
| Average SAT | 1410 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 650–730 |
| SAT math | 660–740 |
| ACT composite | 30–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Economics | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Political science | |
| International relations | |
| Biology | |
| Romance languages | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Psychology | |
| English |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Business administration, Chemistry, Classics, Data Analytics, Education (general), Electrical engineering, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, Fine arts, Geography, Geology and earth science, German, History, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Management science, Marketing, Mathematics, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Sociology, Statistics, Teacher education, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric, Zoology/Animal Biology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Engineering | |
| Business | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,924 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Patriot League |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 17%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 97%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $281,861IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 88% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | State College Regional Airport (UNV)About 51 miles away |
| Nearest major airport | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)About 114 miles away |
| Town population | 5,257Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PhiladelphiaAbout 113 miles away |
| Typical weather | 27°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Lewisburg, PA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 3.53 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.50 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Bucknell University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 6% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Bucknell University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $40,766 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Bucknell University?
- Bucknell University admitted 29% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Bucknell University’s graduates do?
- 86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $93,807; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 211291
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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