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Summary
Bucknell University is a private institution that was founded in 1846. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,508, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 445 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Bucknell University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 29. Its tuition and fees are $43,866 (2011-12).
Bucknell University, located in the small town of Lewisburg, Pa., is conveniently situated about three hours from New York, Washington, and Philadelphia. Nearly 90 percent of undergraduates live on campus in traditional residence halls, substance-free housing, or small house communities, among other options. With more than 150 clubs and organizations on campus, students can participate in a wide range of activities. There is sizable Greek community on campus comprising more than half of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The Bucknell Bison, as the school’s athletic teams are called, field more than 25 varsity teams in the NCAA Division I Patriot League. Bucknell’s athletic facilities include an Olympic-sized pool, 18-hole golf course, and state-of-the-art fitness center.
Bucknell is divided into the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of Management. The undergraduate curriculum is guided by a liberal arts core, and students can choose from 50 majors including professional programs in education, engineering, management, and music. About 40 percent of students at Bucknell take advantage of study-abroad programs offered in nearly 60 countries. Bucknell traditions include the Chrysalis Ball, an annual student/faculty/staff gala, and First Night, an event held in January to celebrate the successful completion of freshman students’ first semester.
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With academic programs in the arts, engineering, humanities, management, and social and natural sciences, and broad opportunities outside of the classroom, Bucknell prepares students for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected global society. The University's 3,500 undergraduates can choose from more than 50 majors and 60 minors. Students can build robots, write and perform in their own plays or debate solutions to the crisis in Libya. Engineers make art, artists analyze DNA and philosophers make music. Each student chooses his or her own pathway, but what unites everyone is a shared passion for learning and a desire to achieve deeper levels of understanding about life and the world. Bucknell's faculty creates an environment of free-flowing ideas and stimulating discussions. Professors teach every class, getting to know students personally and challenging them to do their best. The faculty is made up of dedicated scholars who frequently receive awards and grants for their work. Often, they engage students in research and creative projects outside of class. By doing so, they provide students with mentorship and guidance for the future. Outside of class, students participate in myriad activities. Bucknell offers Division I athletics and competes in the Patriot League. Intramural and club sports are also available, along with active Greek life programs and more than 150 student-run clubs and organizations. These organizations focus on everything from social and environmental causes to cultural awareness, poetry slams, dance, pottery or politics. Students enrich their religious and spiritual lives through multiple University and student-led faith organizations. Bucknell requires nearly all of its undergraduates to live on campus. Living on campus does not mean students are isolated from the real world: Quite the opposite is true. Visiting scholars and speakers come to Bucknell frequently, and much of the curriculum focuses on cultures, societies and economies around the globe. Learning happens off campus, too. Students perform service work in places as close as the local nursing home and as far away as Uganda. They secure summer internships with nonprofit organizations and corporations. They study abroad through University-sponsored or approved programs in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. After they graduate, Bucknellians live and work all over the world. Alumni of Bucknell succeed in their careers because they offer the combination of skills, knowledge and flexibility of mind which employers seek. To prepare students, the University offers career services including advising, networking, mock interviews, internship and externship support, and employer fairs to students beginning in the first year. The placement rate is consistently high: 88 percent of the Class of 2010 was employed or in graduate school within nine months of graduation, and the mean starting salary was $50,172. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1846 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | rural |
| 2010 Endowment | $491,495,000 |
Applying
When applying to Bucknell University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 15. The application fee at Bucknell University is $60. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 31.4 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | most selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 31% |
| Application deadline | January 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Bucknell University is 10:1, and the school has 58.7 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Bucknell University include: Economics, General; Business Administration and Management, General; Political Science and Government, General; Psychology, General; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 94.2 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 89% - High | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Bucknell University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,508, with a gender distribution of 48.7 percent male students and 51.3 percent female students. 88.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 12.0 percent of students live off campus. Bucknell University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Bucknell University.
| Total enrollment | 3,615 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
Bucknell University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Bucknell University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Bucknell University, 65 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Bucknell University.
| Students who have cars on campus | 65% - Medium |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Bucknell University, 45.7 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $22,300.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $43,866 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $10,374 (2011-12) - High |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
