Bucknell University

Private · Selective · PA

Photo: Tomwsulcer (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingRural

Undergrads3,876

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate82%

6-yr grad rate86.3%

Drop-out rate6.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$68k

Out-of-state tuition$68k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity26.5%

Gender diversity52.1%

International4.5%

Identity—

Overview

Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania is a rarity: a liberal arts college with a full engineering college and Division I athletics under one roof, rather than choosing one identity and building around it the way most peer schools do. The campus is picture-book handsome, set on a hill above the Susquehanna River, and the school blends small-college intimacy with a broader range of professional programs than most liberal arts peers offer — students can study English literature and mechanical engineering at the same institution without transferring or cross-registering elsewhere.

Academics

Academics are rigorous across the arts and sciences, the Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering, with the engineering college giving students technical training layered on top of a genuine liberal arts foundation that's unusual to find combined at this scale — most engineering-strong schools are either large research universities or dedicated technical institutes, not small liberal arts colleges. Undergraduate research is a real point of emphasis, supported through dedicated summer research funding, and class sizes stay small with direct faculty access even in the professional programs.

Campus & student life

Greek life plays a large role in campus social life, with a substantial share of students going through recruitment, and Division I athletics give the school a bigger-campus energy and gameday culture than its size would otherwise suggest. The riverside campus and small-town setting of Lewisburg create a tight, self-contained residential community where most social life happens on or immediately around campus rather than in a nearby city.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic but competitive, and engineering and management applicants often face separate, program-specific review layered on top of general admission, so intended area of study matters from the start of the application rather than only after enrollment. Demonstrated interest in Bucknell's specific blend of liberal arts and professional training — rather than treating it as a generic small college — tends to help an application stand out.

After graduation

Bucknell's alumni network is famously loyal and engaged for a school of its size, and graduates place strongly into finance, consulting, engineering, and management roles straight out of undergraduate study, alongside solid numbers heading into graduate school. That network effect is a real, tangible advantage in recruiting for students who lean into it.

Worth knowing

The combination of prominent Greek life, Division I athletics, and an accredited engineering college within a liberal arts college gives Bucknell a social and academic character distinct from most small liberal arts schools — closer in feel to a small university than a typical rural LAC — which is worth understanding before applying if a student is picturing one or the other.

bucknell.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate28.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1310–1470 · ACT 30–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 10

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Coalition (Scoir).

Early decision IIJan 10

Financial aid formsJan 10

Bucknell does not offer Early Action; Early Decision I and II are binding plans requiring the student, a parent/guardian, and the counselor to sign an Early Decision Agreement committing to enroll if admitted.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗