Bucknell University

Bucknell University Ranking

Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. With only 3,700 undergraduates and 50 graduate students, Bucknell University can be considered small but mighty. The Bucknell University ranking on national lists is consistently near the top, which serves as a testament to its prestige. According to U.S. News college rankings, Bucknell ranking in U.S. News is #37 among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

The Bucknell ranking in U.S. News is so high primarily because of its strong academic programming and experiences, first-year experiences, commitment to innovation, and overall value. Bucknell University ratings are also high in a number of specific categories. For example, if you’re interested in engineering, the Bucknell University ranking is #6 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. 

Another Bucknell University ranking that’s quite high is #9 in U.S. News’ list of Best Learning Experiences. Furthermore, the Bucknell University ranking in First-Year Experiences is #19– that’s pretty high! If you’re looking for a unique experience, know that the Bucknell University ranking is #29 in Most Innovative Schools according to U.S. News. And finally, the Bucknell University ranking we’ll highlight last is #91 in their list of Best Value Schools. Beyond these, U.S. News college rankings has even more Bucknell University ratings to explore.

In addition to receiving high rankings with U.S. News, the Bucknell University ranking is also top tier in other major college rankings publications such as Forbes and Wall Street Journal. The

Bucknell ranking in Forbes is #89 overall. And, the Bucknell ranking in Wall Street Journal is #81 overall. Again, being in the top 100 on overall college lists is very impressive. 

While the Bucknell ranking in Forbes and the Bucknell ranking in Wall Street Journal are both lower than Bucknell ranking in U.S. News, it’s important to note that Bucknell ranking in U.S. News is based on liberal arts colleges, not all colleges and universities. All in all, Bucknell University ranking is extremely competitive.

Is Bucknell a good school?

Based on the Bucknell ranking, Bucknell University is considered a good school. Each year, Bucknell University admissions receives thousands of applications from students nationwide. Bucknell University admissions accepts 35% of all applicants, making the university highly selective. 

The Bucknell University admissions office credits its popularity to its phenomenal academic programming. The school boasts a 9:1 undergraduate student-faculty ratio with 350 full-time, tenure-line faculty members. In addition, Bucknell University offers a plethora of majors and minors. In total, the university has 60 majors and 70 minors. The highest-ranked program is the Bucknell University engineering program. As we mentioned above, the Bucknell University engineering program is ranked #6 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs according to U.S. News. 

Learn more about selecting a major by checking out CollegeAdvisor’s guide to choosing a major.

Is Bucknell an Ivy League School?

Bucknell University is not considered an Ivy League School. The eight Ivy League institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University. However, despite not being an Ivy League school, students can get an Ivy League quality education at Bucknell University. In fact, Bucknell University is considered to be one of the “Little Ivies” by a 2016 Bloomberg Businessweek report. 

The Little Ivies are an unofficial group of smaller, private liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern region of the United States. Despite the small size, these schools are known for their standards of academic excellence, historic social prestige, and selective admissions requirements. These schools’ prestigious reputations and academic standards certainly rival their larger counterparts.

In addition to Bucknell University, other Little Ivies institutions include Amherst College, Colgate University, Hamilton College, Swarthmore College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College. 

Most Reliable Bucknell Rankings

While a Bucknell University ranking can be found on many sites on the internet, ensuring you are using the most reliable sources for a Bucknell ranking is important. Three of the most reliable sources to search for a school’s college ranking are the U.S. News college rankings, the Forbes college rankings, and the Wall Street Journal college rankings. 

These three are the most trusted sources because they use a variety of data points and primary sources to determine a college ranking. These organizations base college rankings on some of the following criteria: Student Debt, Financial Aid Accessibility, Alumni Salary, Graduation and Student Retention Rates,  Graduate Performance, Academic Reputation, Faculty Resources, and Incoming Class Student Selectivity. 

Most of the information sought after by these college ranking agencies can be found using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. The College Scorecard is an online tool introduced in 2013 to increase transparency in higher education. Check it out if you’re more curious about how these rankings get determined. 

Bucknell University Ranking vs. Best Colleges in PA

According to the Wall Street Journal college rankings, the Bucknell University ranking is behind some of Pennsylvania’s top-tier colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Swarthmore College. However, the Bucknell University Ranking is still quite on par with some of these top institutions.

While Bucknell University ranks behind some other Pennsylvania colleges, the Bucknell University ranking is ahead of other numerous well-known institutions as well. So, although Bucknell may not be the #1 ranked college in Pennsylvania, Bucknell has quite a good showing on ranking lists. 

College Rankings & Your College List

As you continue to build your college list, you should understand the value of the college ranking. National college rankings list the overall college rankings and publish rankings based on specific criteria, including college type, region, and academic program. Therefore, it’s critical to do your research beyond the general ranking of each school. Instead, you should look for the rankings for your intended program of study, regional preference, and college size.

Learn more about the importance of college rankings by checking out our College Ranking Experts Guide.