Understanding Bucknell University Tuition and Costs

Choosing a college is a major decision, and understanding the financial implications is a crucial part of the process. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Bucknell University's tuition, fees, financial aid options, and student loan debt, offering valuable insights for prospective students and their families.

The Sticker Price: Tuition and Fees

Bucknell University's tuition is $70,576, which is more expensive compared with the national average cost of tuition of $50,159. This figure represents the "sticker price," encompassing both tuition and fees. Fees can vary across institutions and often support essential services such as library access, gym facilities, student centers, technology resources, and campus health centers.

Total Cost of Attendance

When evaluating college costs, it's essential to consider the "total cost," which extends beyond tuition and fees. At Bucknell University, the total cost is $88,436. This figure includes the sticker price, along with expenses for food and housing, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the estimated total cost of attendance (which includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal expenses) is approximately $85,000. Breaking it down further, the tuition stands around $67,500 and the combined room and board cost is around $17,000.

Bucknell lists three costs of attendance. The first applies to students living in on-campus housing with a meal plan, the second applies to students living off campus in a building unaffiliated with the University, and the third applies to students living at home with their families and commuting to campus. For the 2025-26 academic year, the total cost of attendance is listed below.

Financial Aid: Making Bucknell Affordable

Recognizing that the sticker price can be daunting, Bucknell University offers various financial aid options to help students bridge the gap. More than half of Bucknell students receive financial assistance.

Need-Based Aid

Need-based financial aid is designed to assist students who demonstrate financial need. In fall 2023, 41% of first-year students at Bucknell received need-based financial aid. The average need-based scholarship or grant awarded to these students was $53,109.

Need-based aid can come in the form of scholarships/grants, student loans, and work-study programs. The average need-based self-help aid awarded to first-year students was $4,914. Bucknell University met 88% of its students’ financial aid need.

*Represents fees before financial aid and grants. Keep in mind that this comprehensive fee may not represent the true cost to your family. †Represents the average total need-based package for a student who demonstrates financial need (based on data from the previous incoming class). A total need-based aid award can include a combination of Bucknell need-based grant funding, federal grants, state grants, federal work-study and a federal subsidized student loan.

Bucknell provides need-based aid and merit scholarships which can greatly reduce your actual out-of-pocket expenses.

Read also: Affording ECU

Merit-Based Aid

Merit-based aid, also known as non-need-based aid, recognizes specific talents or academic achievements. The average non-need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students at Bucknell University - excluding any athletic scholarships, if applicable - was $19,010.

Types of Aid Available

Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships and work-study jobs. Financial aid packages vary depending on your financial need. Most colleges determine financial need based on your FAFSA.

Scholarships are a type of funding that you don’t need to pay back. Need-based scholarships take a student’s financial status into account. Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students for academic or athletic achievement. You might also qualify for a scholarship based on your community service involvement, unique hobbies or traits, your personal background, or a parent’s employer or military affiliation. Some students receive enough in scholarship money to cover their tuition and living expenses.

Working while in school can help lessen the burden of your student loans. Schools offer work-study programs to those who qualify and campus jobs to students looking to earn money in their free time. Some institutions match students with work-study positions, while others require them apply to the positions, like they would for any other job. Begin your job search by checking whether your college has in-person or online job boards.

Key Financial Aid Dates

Financial Aid Application Due: January 10

The last day to apply for financial aid or turn in related paperwork.

Read also: Withdrawals for College: A Guide

Notification Date: March 15

When students receive a letter with the amount and types of aid the college is offering.

Student Loan Debt: Planning for the Future

Understanding potential student loan debt is crucial for long-term financial well-being. Ideally, your total student loan debt should be less than your anticipated starting salary after graduation.

At Bucknell University, the median federal loan debt among borrowers who completed their undergraduate degree is $27,000. The median monthly federal loan payment (if it were repaid over 10 years at 5.05% interest) for student federal loan borrowers who graduated is $286.

Additionally, 13% of graduating students at Bucknell University took out private loans. Students with private loans had an average of $79,320 in private loan debt at graduation.

Average Total Indebtedness of 2024 Graduating Class: $45,610. Graduating students who have borrowed (any loan type, 2024): 42%.

Managing Loan Debt

How much student loan debt you accumulate can affect your financial life long after college ends.

Net Price: Your Actual Cost

The "Net Price" represents the actual cost you'll pay to Bucknell after factoring in grants and scholarships.

Average Net Price: $38,486 per year. Your net price is a college’s cost of attendance minus the grants and scholarships you receive. The net price you pay for a particular college is specific to you because it’s based on your personal circumstances and the college’s financial aid policies. Use the college’s Net Price calculator for the most accurate estimate of your net price.

Calculating Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

The US government has a standardized way to calculate how much a typical family can afford to pay without help. Colleges use this number as a guideline to decide how much aid to give you, but it's just a guideline.

Bucknell's Value and Return on Investment

News & World Report called Bucknell one of the top 20 "colleges with the best return on investment."

Additional Considerations

Tuition Increases

It is important to be aware that tuition costs at Bucknell, like many other private institutions, have generally increased over time. Two years after the campus froze academic cost increases as a result of the then-novel pandemic, and one year after the price rose by a mere 2.75 percent, the cost of tuition for the 2022-2023 academic year rose to $61,408. This most recent tuition increase is part of a dizzying trend for the University that, like many other private institutions, has secularly grown in price. Even if the pause on tuition increases in 2020 were to have endured through the present day, the University’s academic costs would still rank as one of the most expensive in the country.

Financial Concerns Among Students

According to the 2019 MyVoice Survey (the most recent and comprehensive method of gauging the opinions of the campus community), 29 percent of student respondents experienced concerns over financial resources. Financial aid was among the top ten responses for additional resources that the University could provide to support students.

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