Bucknell University
About
Bucknell University is a private liberal-arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. It offers 65 majors and 70 minors in the sciences and humanities. Located just south of Lewisburg, the 445-acre (1.80 km2) campus rises above the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 63 Title IV programs, 14 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 49 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing14 · 22.2%
- No Data49 · 77.8%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 3
- Jun 2024Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Feb 2022Approved for Distance EducationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 579 students received $3.5M in Pell grants, alongside $19.3M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 448 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Bucknell
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 15
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus22
Includes 22 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Hunt Hall1 fireElectricalDamage $50,000-$99,999
- Swartz Hall1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Bucknell vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Bucknell selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectBucknell University | 86% | — | 3,969 | $40,766 | Baccalaureate |
| 91% | 13.9% | 3,211 | $28,786 | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 17.6% | 3,126 | $38,782 | Baccalaureate | |
| 96% | 5.4% | 6,938 | $29,519 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $17,379 | Baccalaureate | |
| 79% | 42.9% | 2,554 | $30,308 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 31.4% | 2,775 | $34,433 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 25.9% | 7,692 | $36,931 | R2 Research | |
| 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $31,483 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 29.2% | 2,238 | $34,832 | Baccalaureate | |
| 85% | 22.2% | 3,722 | $31,309 | Baccalaureate | |
| 92% | 27.0% | 10,041 | $43,756 | R2 Research | |
| 89% | 21.7% | 9,322 | $28,719 | R2 Research | |
| 89% | 34.1% | 9,818 | $19,096 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 89% | 22.2% | 3,467 | $31,396 |
Institutions like Bucknell
Explore the federal data for institutions in Bucknell's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateNew York
Colgate University
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.9%Enrollment3,211Net price$28,786View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
College of the Holy Cross
Grad rate87%Admit rate17.6%Enrollment3,126Net price$38,782View data - R1 ResearchNew Hampshire
Dartmouth College
Grad rate96%Admit rate5.4%Enrollment6,938Net price$29,519View data - BaccalaureateNorth Carolina
Davidson College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.4%Enrollment1,869Net price$17,379View data - BaccalaureateSouth Carolina
Furman University
Grad rate79%Admit rate42.9%Enrollment2,554Net price$30,308View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Lafayette College
Grad rate88%Admit rate31.4%Enrollment2,775Net price$34,433View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Lehigh University
Grad rate88%Admit rate25.9%Enrollment7,692Net price$36,931View data - BaccalaureateVermont
Middlebury College
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.7%Enrollment2,803Net price$31,483View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Trinity College
Grad rate84%Admit rate29.2%Enrollment2,238Net price$34,832View data - BaccalaureateVirginia
University of Richmond
Grad rate85%Admit rate22.2%Enrollment3,722Net price$31,309View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Villanova University
Grad rate92%Admit rate27.0%Enrollment10,041Net price$43,756View data - R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
Wake Forest University
Grad rate89%Admit rate21.7%Enrollment9,322Net price$28,719View data - R2 ResearchVirginia
William & Mary
Grad rate89%Admit rate34.1%Enrollment9,818Net price$19,096View data
Bucknell Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research & Analytics provides analysis and information to help Bucknell plan for the future, make strategic decisions, evaluate effectiveness and shape policies.
Visit IR office page- Rita LiuDirector, Institutional Research
- Jocelyn ZhaoInstitutional Research and Decision Support Analyst
Common Data Set
Bucknell's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Reports & documents (6)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardbucknell.edu
- Data definitionInstitutional DataThe Office of Institutional Research & Analytics at Bucknell University maintains a repository of key data and information in electronic and print formats, making reports and data available as appropriate. This page provides access to the Common Data Set and various reports and data linked to the university's outcomes, accountability, and consumer information.bucknell.edu
- Data dictionaryInstitutional Data2026The Office of Institutional Research & Analytics at Bucknell University compiles and maintains key data and reports, including the Common Data Set, which standardizes data reporting across higher education institutions. The Common Data Set serves as a repository for standardized data and is available for recent academic years, while older data can be requested. The office makes this data accessible to internal and external stakeholders, supporting transparency and informed decision-making on issues related to institutional performance, accreditation, assessment, retention, graduation, and post-graduation outcomes.bucknell.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFact Book 2025-262025The Bucknell University Fact Book 2025-26 is a comprehensive source of information about the university, compiled by the Office of Institutional Research & Analytics with input from various departments. It contains key quantifiable data about Bucknell’s programs, financial and physical resources, as well as faculty, staff, and student information. The Fact Book is intended to be a consistent and accurate source of information about Bucknell University.bucknell.edu
- Strategic planThe Plan for Bucknell 2025: A Thriving, Inclusive and Sustainable Future2019The Plan for Bucknell 2025 sets forth a strategic direction to ensure Bucknell University's sustainable and vibrant future. It is built around four commitments: enhancing academic excellence, fostering diversity and inclusion, enriching the residential student experience, and ensuring financial and environmental sustainability. Implementing these initiatives will position Bucknell to thrive amidst higher education challenges, reaffirming its place among peer institutions.bucknell.edu
Notable alumni of Bucknell (8)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Edward McNight BrawleyAcademia
- Jessica JackleyBusiness
- Marc LoreBusiness
- Les MoonvesEntertainment
- William Shadrack ShallenbergerGovernment
- Norman ThomasGovernment
- Christy MathewsonSports
- Mike MuscalaSports
Frequently asked questions about Bucknell University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bucknell.
What is the graduation rate at Bucknell University?
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Who runs Institutional Research at Bucknell University?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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