Though it's a liberal arts college, Bucknell University also boasts strong engineering, science and business programs. Perhaps due to those typically high-earning fields, Bucknell scores well in Money’s outcomes bucket, with median early career salaries topping $96,000.
The university's roughly 3,900 students can choose from nearly 70 majors, among them animal behavior, computer engineering and neuroscience. All courses are taught by faculty (not graduate students) and they tend to be small, with an average class size of 20 people and a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1.
The tree-filled, 450-acre campus sits on a branch of the Susquehanna River. Greek life and student government tend to dominate the campus scene, but sports are also popular. Athletes on the school's Division I teams excel academically, as well, with a graduation rate among the nation's highest. The university also places a strong emphasis on global perspectives and about 45% of students study abroad.
Every January, Bucknell freshmen celebrate the end of their first semester with First Night, an event where they present their newly designed class crest and serenade the university president at his home. First-year students also take part in Candlelighting, a post-convocation tradition where the school's president lights a candle, symbolizing knowledge, and proceeds to "spread" the light to all incoming students.
