Private nonprofit · University

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania · Distant town

28.9%
Admit rate
$40,766
Avg net price
86%
Graduation rate
$93,807
Median earnings

Bucknell University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (distant town setting), enrolling 3,876 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,876 undergradsDistant townVery selective · 29% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Patriot LeagueCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Bucknell University's admitted students.

Admit rate
28.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1310–1470
Avg GPA
3.62

Enter a test score to see where you land against Bucknell University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Bucknell University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, 30 miles (48 km) south by southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles (97 km) north of Harrisburg. Lewisburg was founded in 1785 by Ludwig Derr. A settler of the area (since as early as 1763–1769), Derr purchased several tracts of land from the William Penn family and other neighboring landowners, the largest of which was known as "The Prescott". Hufnagle Park is located along Bull Run in the heart of downtown. It offers open space, a picnic pavilion, playground equipment, and gardens. It is named in honor of former Public Safety director Gordon Hufnagle. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
105 miles
Nearest airport
20 miles to Williamsport (IPT)

How Bucknell University compares

Selectivity28.9%

More selective than 93% · #9 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1410

Higher than 90%

Graduation rate86%

Higher than 94% · #9 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention94%

Higher than 91%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$93,807

Higher than 97% · #6 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$40,766

Cheaper than 4% · #109 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment3,876

Larger than 73%

Percentiles compare Bucknell University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,925students
  • Undergraduate3,87699%
  • Graduate491%

Undergraduates by gender

3,876undergrads
  • Women2,00952%
  • Men1,86748%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black4.2%
  • Hispanic9.0%
  • Asian4.4%
  • Other or multiracial8.9%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,876
Graduate enrollment
49
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
12%
First-generation students
12%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$107,136
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$119,286
Endowment
$1,167,275,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,030 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania22%
  • Other U.S. states78%

A national draw — only 21% of first-years come from Pennsylvania; 74% arrive from other states.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
28.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1310–1470
SAT average
1410
SAT reading
650–730
SAT math
660–740
ACT composite
30–33
Average GPA
3.62

Cost

In-state tuition
$67,812
Room & board
$16,924
Books & supplies
$900
Total cost of attendance
$83,756
Average net price
$40,766

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
86%
Graduated on time (4 years)
82%
First-year retention
94%
Transferred to another college
7%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$78,852
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$93,807
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
35%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
89%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
82%
Low-income (Pell)
87%
First-generation
85%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,376
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
87%
Housing charge (year)
$9,956
Meal plan (year)
$6,162
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Patriot League
Varsity athletes
968 (475 men · 493 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (15)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)366
Football98
Lacrosse79
Rowing72
Swimming and Diving (combined)60
Soccer58
Baseball37
Water Polo36
Basketball34
Wrestling31
Field Hockey25
Softball22
Tennis20
Golf16
Volleyball14

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
70
Property offenses (2022–2024)
4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,969 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

25reported offenses a year
23 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
17
Fondling
6.0
Burglary
1.0
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$20,980
$30–48k
$12,276
$48–75k
$23,679
$75–110k
$28,165
$110k+
$55,724

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$96,494

$23,679/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

56%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$39,760
average award, among those who get one

Bucknell University discounts heavily: 56% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $39,760. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,034 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$93,807
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
29%
Out-earn a HS grad
88%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$89,814
Men
$96,945

Men out-earn women by $7,131 (8%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
43.9″
Annual snow
28.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lewisburg, PA US station (0.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Bucknell University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Bucknell University side by side →

Colleges near Bucknell University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.