Bucknell University tuition, cost & net price

The sticker price at Bucknell University is $83,756 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $40,766 on average, and what your family pays depends mostly on income. Choose yours below.

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Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

What your family pays
$40,766 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $83,756. College Scorecard.

Net price by family income

Average after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year

Sticker price, line by line

Per year, living on campusAll students
Tuition & fees$67,812
Housing & meals$16,118
Books & supplies$900
Personal & travel$2,000
Living-at-home adjustment−$3,074
Total cost of attendance$83,756

Cost items: IPEDS 2023-24, on-campus budget. Total: College Scorecard, which averages students living on and off campus; the adjustment row reconciles the two.

Debt after graduation

Median federal loan debt$23,250
Loan default rate0.8%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort
Debt as a share of earnings 10 years out25%

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Who gets aid

Students with Pell Grants12%Federal grants for lower-income students
Grants for the average aided student$42,990Sticker price minus average net price

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

College Scorecard

Need-based and merit aid at Bucknell University

What Bucknell University reported for full-time first-year students in fall 2025. Merit aid is the money net price averages miss for families who don't qualify for need-based aid.

If you qualify for need-based aid

Share of need met, on average93%Of students awarded need-based aid; excludes parent and unsubsidized loans
Students with need who had all of it met29%129 of 449
Average need-based grant$51,981
Average aid package$57,609Grants, work-study and need-based loans

If you don't qualify for need-based aid

Average merit scholarship from the college$20,060Students with no financial need; excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits
Students without need who got one21%121 first-year students

Items H2-H2A. Common Data Set 2025-26 (fall 2025 first-year students), published by the college.

Bucknell University net price compared with other Pennsylvania colleges

Bucknell University has the 111th-lowest average net price of 114 Pennsylvania colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAvg. net priceGraduationEarnings, 10 yrs
106Lehigh University$36,93188%$105,584
107Misericordia University$37,48572%$64,313
108Dickinson College$37,60780%$70,204
109Duquesne University$37,73077%$74,742
110Drexel University$38,50978%$84,648
111Bucknell University$40,76686%$93,807
112Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster$42,47869%$86,881
113Moore College of Art and Design$43,08657%$37,839
114Villanova University$43,75692%$100,423

College Scorecard, latest year. Average for all aided students; your price depends on income. All Pennsylvania colleges →

Why Bucknell University costs more or less than similar schools

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Bucknell University29%$40,76686%$93,807This school
Lafayette College31%$34,43388%$91,410
Franklin and Marshall College28%$36,42584%$76,124
Lehigh University26%$36,93188%$105,584
Bryn Mawr College29%$31,75982%$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 residentBucknell UniversityLafayette CollegeDifference
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.

Bucknell University cost questions

How much is tuition at Bucknell University?

Tuition and fees are $67,812 a year.

What is the total cost of attending Bucknell University?

The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal costs, is $83,756 a year.

What do families actually pay at Bucknell University?

After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $40,766 a year on average. Families earning $0–30k pay $20,980; $48–75k pay $23,679; $110k+ pay $55,724.

Does Bucknell University give merit scholarships?

For fall 2025, 121 full-time first-year students with no financial need received merit scholarships or grants from Bucknell University, averaging $20,060 (Common Data Set 2025-26, excluding athletic awards). Students with need had 93% of it met on average.

How much debt do Bucknell University graduates have?

The median federal loan debt at graduation is $23,250, and 0.8% of borrowers defaulted within three years of entering repayment (2017 cohort).

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By). Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote; confirm with the school's net price calculator. Back to Bucknell University overview