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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Bucknell University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/bucknell-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/bucknell-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/bucknell-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bucknell-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bucknell-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Bucknell University cost after financial aid?

Bucknell University carries a high published price, and its average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) remains above that of comparable institutions after aid. The published cost of attendance is $83,756, an average across living arrangements.

On-campus tuition and fees are $67,812, and room and board is $16,924. For aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $40,766, with average aid savings of $42,990 against the sticker price.

That net price is $13,395 above the $27,371 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #1,382 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published price and above-peer net price point to a costly result even after aid.

Bucknell University publishes a cost of attendance of $83,756 (an average across living arrangements). After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $40,766, which is $13,395 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the affordability pillar is in the 2nd percentile by Azimuth's measure. Aid recipients in the lowest income band pay $20,980 on average, while those in the highest band pay $55,724.

Borrowers who complete hold a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, $2,801 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

[Net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s vary substantially by family income, with the lowest figure appearing in the next-lowest band rather than the lowest one. The average net price is $20,980 for the lowest income band, $12,276 for the next band, $23,679 for the middle band, $28,165 for the next-highest band, and $55,724 for the highest band.

Pell Grants go to 12.4% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $34,744.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$20,980

**$30–48K**
$12,276

**$48–75K**
$23,679

**$75–110K**
$28,165

**$110K+**
$55,724

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$40,766**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The published cost of attendance is $83,756 (an average across living arrangements), and aid covers about 51% of that for the average recipient. The sticker-to-net gap is $42,990, but the size of the discount depends heavily on family income.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s range from $20,980 in the lowest income band to $55,724 in the highest, a spread of $34,744. The middle bands sit at $12,276, $23,679, and $28,165.

The pattern is progressive: lower-income families pay less on average, but the spread is wide enough that the highest band still faces a substantial bill.

At Bucknell University, the published cost of attendance is $83,756 (an average across living arrangements), so the aid offer matters greatly to the amount a family pays. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,980 for the lowest family-income band, $12,276 for the lower-middle band, $23,679 for the middle band, $28,165 for the upper-middle band, and $55,724 for the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $34,744, a difference between band averages. Azimuth ranks the university #1,382 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 51% of the published cost, or average savings of $42,990 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $40,766.

That figure is $13,395 above the peer median net price of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $67,812, with room and board at $16,924.

The higher peer comparison and the range across income bands point to a price that depends heavily on the aid package. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $27,000, and 95.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

The median is $2,801 above the peer median of $24,199 at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $62,750.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread, with 95.2% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $27,000.

The peer median—the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size)—is $24,199, leaving the university $2,801 above it. Parent borrowers are separate from student borrowers, with median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $62,750.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 44% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $43,060 in cumulative debt per borrower. Federal loans were held by 44% of graduates, averaging $21,371.

Private loans, including graduates who may also hold federal loans, were held by 13% of graduates and averaged $74,776.

The return pillar is the strongest of the four at Bucknell University, and the investment picture rests on it. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $96,035.

Azimuth places the median in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,208 more than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the gap at the 81st percentile. Estimated earnings scenarios from the program mix run from $56,044 on the downside to $127,222 on the upside, with $96,035 as the typical outcome.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $27,000 in federal loans, $2,801 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month.

The earnings and payment figures point the same way, but affordability is the weakest pillar and the overall picture is mixed.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $62,750. For student borrowers with median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$62,750

**Estimated parent payment**
$797/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | High pressure |
| $200,000 | Caution |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$27,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$62,750

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$307/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$797/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$1,104/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $96,035, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.0%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=bucknell-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.