Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Bucknell graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early career progression. Median earnings increase from $78,852 six years after enrollment to $88,483 at eight years and reach $93,807 at ten years, representing 19.0% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement point.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $27,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Bucknell graduates carry median debt of $27,000, ranking in the 4th percentile nationally and categorized as modestly below average. This debt level exceeds the peer median of $24,181 by $2,819, reflecting higher borrowing typical of private institutions despite substantial financial aid.
Bucknell delivers exceptional return on investment, ranking at the 96.6th percentile nationally with top-tier performance driven by outstanding long-term earnings outcomes. Graduates earn a median of $93,807 ten years after enrollment, placing the university in the 98th percentile nationally and among the highest earnings we track.
Approximately 20.7% of Bucknell graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with medium confidence. This mode...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Program-level earnings demonstrate Bucknell's strength across multiple high-return fields while maintaining solid outcomes even in traditionally lower-earning areas. Accounting Technology leads with median earnings of $93,021, ranking #7 nationally, while engineering programs cluster around $87,000—Computer Engineering at $87,604 and Mechanical Engineering at $87,329.
Business Administration graduates earn $79,711, and Applied Economics graduates earn $79,134, both representing strong outcomes in their respective fields. Even traditionally lower-earning programs perform well—English Language and Literature graduates earn $60,450, ranking #9 nationally in the major, and Catalan Language and Literature ranks #2 nationally with earnings of $69,653.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings outcomes show meaningful variation reflecting diverse career paths while maintaining consistently strong performance. The distribution spans from $62,778 at the 25th percentile to $133,223 at the 75th percentile, a 2.1:1 ratio indicating solid outcomes even for lower-earning career tracks.
