Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA · Private · Patriot League
Navora's full analysis of Bucknell University — where an applicant's profile stands against the published cohort, requirements tracking, essays and deadlines — is free with an account.
See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Bucknell University admitted 28.9% of applicants university-wide (3,291 of 11,377).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 28.9% | 3,291 | 11,377 |
| In-state | 33.3% | 582 | 1,746 |
| Out-of-state | 37.1% | 2,574 | 6,947 |
| International applicants | 5.0% | 135 | 2,684 |
| Early Decision (binding) | 55.5% | 666 | 1,201 |
| Men | 25.7% | 1,460 | 5,691 |
| Women | 32.2% | 1,830 | 5,684 |
Early Decision applicants were admitted at 55.5%, vs 28.9% overall — ED is a binding commitment.
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 3,291 admitted students, 991 enrolled (30.1% yield).
Bucknell University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1310–1470
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 30–33
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.25–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Bucknell University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $88,136/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $67,812 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $20,324 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $88,136/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $20,980 |
| $30k–48k | $12,276 |
| $48k–75k | $23,679 |
| $75k–110k | $28,165 |
| Over $110k | $55,724 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Fellowship — $32,000 per year (Presidential)
- Trustee Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Trustee)
- Arts Merit Scholarship — $2,500 to $20,000 (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Bucknell Achievement Award — Varies (Merit)
- Bucknell University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Need-Based Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Presidential Fellowships — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
International applicants
Some aid available for internationals.
- Presidential Fellowship — $32,000 per year (Presidential)
- Trustee Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Trustee)
- Arts Merit Scholarship — $2,500 to $20,000 (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Bucknell University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Presidential Fellowships — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Bucknell University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Common Application or Coalition Application (powered by Scoir)
- Personal Essays (submitted through application platform)
- Secondary School Report with Counselor Recommendation
- Teacher Evaluation (at least one)
- Official High School Transcript
- Mid-Year Report (if applicable)
- Early Decision Agreement Form
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional) (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Common Application or Coalition Application (powered by Scoir)
- Personal Essays (submitted through application platform)
- Secondary School Report with Counselor Recommendation
- Teacher Evaluation (at least one)
- Official High School Transcript
- Mid-Year Report (if applicable)
- Early Decision Agreement Form
- SAT or ACT Scores (optional) (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Bucknell University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:
- Please explain your interest in your first-choice major/undecided status and your second-choice major, should you opt to list one.Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $93,807
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 86.3%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 94%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $27,000
- At graduation
Bucknell University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News Liberal Arts: #30
- WSJ: #90
- Forbes: #85
- Niche: #131
Deadlines
- 2026-11-15Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Bucknell University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Social sciences (22%), Engineering (16%), Business & marketing (14%).
Student–faculty ratio: 9:1 · 53% of class sections have under 20 students.
Bucknell University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.