More selective than 93% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,756. College Scorecard.
Higher than 93% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 96% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 98% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Bucknell University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 11,010 applicants, Bucknell University admitted 3,524 and 1,030 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1470 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Bucknell University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Bucknell University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bucknell University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $20,980 | $85,179 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $12,276 | $49,841 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $23,679 | $96,137 | 1.7 years |
| $75–110k | $28,165 | $114,350 | 2.0 years |
| $110k+ | $55,724 | $226,239 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (82% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($93,807) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $58,010 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Bucknell University majors, earnings & careers
Bucknell University offers 53 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Science & Math · 11
- Engineering · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Bucknell University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $156,885 | — |
| Accounting | $130,990 | $26,881 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $122,651 | — |
| Economics | $108,422 | $25,888 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $99,860 | $19,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $99,536 | $27,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $95,693 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $94,028 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 53 majors
- Accounting$130,990
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$85,687
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business Administration—
- Chemical Engineering$99,536
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$95,693
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences$122,651
- Computer Engineering$156,885
- Data Analytics—
- Economics$108,422
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$49,785
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$66,963
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- International Business—
- International Relations$90,393
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$99,860
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$94,028
- Psychology$66,206
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$76,364
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer Engineering → Computer hardware engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 9.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lewisburg
2 bedrooms $1,028.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 29 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Union County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Union County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Bucknell University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucknell University | 29% | $40,766 | 86% | $93,807 | This school |
| Lafayette College | 31% | $34,433 | 88% | $91,410 | |
| Franklin and Marshall College | 28% | $36,425 | 84% | $76,124 | |
| Lehigh University | 26% | $36,931 | 88% | $105,584 | |
| Bryn Mawr College | 29% | $31,759 | 82% | $75,217 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bucknell University would cost you $6,333 more per year than Lafayette College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Bucknell University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,414).
- Lafayette College gives aided families $5,710 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Bucknell University | Lafayette College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $67,812 | $65,398 | +$2,414 |
| Books & supplies | $900 | $1,000 | −$100 |
| Housing & meals | $16,118 | $18,640 | −$2,522 |
| Personal & travel | $2,000 | $1,150 | +$850 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,074 | −$3,055 | −$19 |
| Sticker price | $83,756 | $83,133 | +$623 |
| Average grants | −$42,990 | −$48,700 | +$5,710 |
| You pay | $40,766 | $34,433 | +$6,333 |
“+” means Bucknell University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Bucknell University
What is the Bucknell University acceptance rate?
Bucknell University accepts 29% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,524 of 11,010 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1470 on the SAT or 30–33 on the ACT.
How much does Bucknell University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $83,756 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $40,766 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $20,980 and families earning $110k+ pay $55,724.
How much do Bucknell University graduates earn?
Former Bucknell University students earn a median $93,807 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Bucknell University graduation rate?
86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
How long does a Bucknell University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bucknell University costs about $96,137 after grants ($23,679 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $93,807 ten years after starting, $58,010 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 1.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bucknell University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bucknell-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).