Though it's a liberal arts college, Bucknell also boasts strong engineering, science and business programs. Perhaps due to those typically high-earning fields, Bucknell alums report annual median salaries of nearly $94,000 in their first several years in the workforce.
The university's roughly 3,900 students can choose from more than 60 majors, among them East Asian studies, neuroscience and management. All courses are taught by faculty (not graduate students) and they tend to be small, with an average class size of 20 people.
On the historic, tree-filled campus, which sits on a branch of the Susquehanna River, Greek life and student government tend to dominate. Sports are also popular, and players on the school's Division I teams excel academically, as well: The graduation rate for athletes is among the nation's highest.
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.
