How to apply to Bucknell University for engineering: choose an engineering major or “Undecided Engineering” on the same application as the other colleges, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At Bucknell University (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania), undergraduate engineering is offered by the College of Engineering. Below is what Bucknell’s website says, for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. It is based on pages read in October 2026; dates are for fall 2027 entry.

1. Engineering majors

• B.S. majors: biomedical, chemical, civil, environmental, computer, computer science and engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering. The college’s departments are biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering. Computer science has its own guide on this site and is not covered in detail here; the computer science and engineering major sits in the College of Engineering while the B.S. in computer science is in the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Also offered: a five-year dual degree, the B.S. in Engineering and the Bachelor of Management for Engineers. Students admitted to it cannot drop engineering and transfer into management.
• ABET: the eight B.S. programs (biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, computer science and engineering, electrical, environmental and mechanical) are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission; computer science and engineering and the Arts and Sciences computer science degree are also accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission.
• Size: the ABET page lists 713 engineering students (by first major) across four class years on census day of fall 2026, with mechanical engineering the largest at 198.

2. Admission route: choose a major, or “Undecided Engineering”

• Applying to the college: the college says to select an engineering major on your application to Bucknell, or “Undecided Engineering” if you know you want engineering but not which major. All three colleges (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Management) use the same application, and you apply directly to the one you want.
• Entering a specific major: the pages we read do not say when or on what basis “Undecided Engineering” students are placed in a major (GPA thresholds, required course grades, capacity limits or guarantees); this is not published, so ask the college at engineering@bucknell.edu or 570-577-3711.
• Moving into engineering from another college: the website repeatedly says that, because of curricular requirements, opportunities for Arts and Sciences or Management students to transfer into the College of Engineering are limited; Management admits only students admitted directly to it. The specific GPA or course conditions are not published, so apply to the right college at the start.
• First-year supports: the signature programs page lists Engineering EXCELerator (a summer head start in calculus and physics for new engineering students), the invitation-only Engineering Success Alliance for students from under-resourced high schools, and the Garman Guides first-year mentoring program.

3. Prerequisites

• All applicants: 4 years of English, 3 years of college-preparatory math, 3 years of science, 3 years of history or social studies, and 2 years of one foreign language (sign language counts).
• College of Engineering applicants: one year of precalculus (preferably calculus) and one year of chemistry or physics are required; at least three years of science, including chemistry and physics, are strongly recommended. Engineering applicants are expected to have at least three years of college-preparatory math, and as much math as possible.
• Inconsistent wording: the international requirements page says all applicants need at least two and a half years of math, while the undergraduate requirements page says three years; the international page adds that engineering and science applicants should have three. We give both.
• AP/IB credit: the requirements page links an AP score chart (we did not read the chart). The transfer-credit page says IB Diploma recipients with at least a 5 on each of the six exams receive six course credits; those below that receive credit only for higher-level courses passed with 5 or higher; no credit is given for standard-level courses except as noted for the full diploma. AP scores go to the registrar (code 2050). Which engineering requirements the credit replaces is not published in the pages we read; see the AP chart and the departments.

4. Rounds, fee, essays and testing

• How: the Common App or the Coalition App (powered by Scoir); both open 1 August.
• Dates (2026-27, for fall 2027): Early Decision I, 1 November (application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due; decision in early December; deposit mid-December; binding); Early Decision II and Regular Decision, 10 January (ED II decision in mid-February, deposit late February; Regular Decision decision mid-March, deposit 1 May).
• Fee: $50, non-refundable, with waivers available through the application platforms or by visiting campus or attending programs such as the engineering camp. The enrollment deposit is $500, credited to the first-semester bill.
• Essays and recommendations: the personal essay is submitted through the application; the site gives writing tips but does not describe an engineering-specific supplement (not published). The international page lists one counselor recommendation and one teacher evaluation, in English. Bucknell does not interview.
• Testing: SAT/ACT scores are optional. Scores not submitted are not used in the decision, but enrolling students who have taken the SAT or ACT must submit official scores before starting, for assessment of the policy; students who never took either do not. All students are considered for all merit scholarships. There is no separate engineering testing requirement. Codes: SAT 2050, ACT 3528.
• Inconsistent wording: the undergraduate requirements page says the test-optional pilot is extended through the 2027-28 application cycle, but another passage says through 2026-27; the international page says optional for fall 2026 and fall 2027 and, elsewhere on the same page, for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 cycles. Follow the website for your application year.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• In-state versus out-of-state: Bucknell is private; the cost page lists a single tuition figure with no resident distinction, and the website does not describe priority or guaranteed admission for residents of any state.
• 2026-27 costs: tuition $72,600, housing $11,400, meals about $6,980 and student fee $900, for a total of $91,880. The cost-of-attendance budget, including books and personal expenses, is $95,648 (the table shows $95,580 for students living on campus). The cost page lists no engineering surcharge, and an engineering differential is not published.
• Need-based aid: more than half of students receive aid; the average need-based package for students with need in the previous class was $58,500. Need-based applicants submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA by the application deadline.
• Engineering Merit Scholars: $40,000 a year plus up to $2,000 a year for scholarly projects; no separate scholarship application is needed (it is considered with the Common App or Coalition App); to renew, stay in the College of Engineering with at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA overall and in the college, and enroll full time.
• Other merit awards: Dean’s Scholarships, $20,000 a year, need no separate application. Some awards need a scholarship application due on the same date as your application round, such as Community Engagement Scholars ($20,000 a year) and arts awards. The site says Presidential Fellowships conclude with the Class of 2028 and are replaced by new merit scholarships in each college. Awards are made at admission, renewable for up to eight semesters, and a student cannot receive multiple academic scholarships.
• Co-op: the signature programs page does not describe a co-op program. It lists senior design with external partners, KEEN entrepreneurship programs, a three-week Engineering 290 study-abroad course and others; co-op is not published.

6. International students

• Community: Bucknell says more than 200 international students from more than 50 countries study there.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition App and the $50 fee; official secondary transcripts and certificates with certified English translations, covering the three most recent years plus courses in the final year (four years if already graduated); a mid-year report; one school counselor recommendation (or the principal if there is no counselor); one teacher evaluation; a passport photo page (or national ID); and a bank statement or Financial Certification Document.
• English: required if your native language or the language of instruction in secondary school was not English. Minimums: TOEFL 5 (new scale; 100 if taken before 21 January 2026), IELTS 7, PTE 68, Duolingo 130. A school official can request a waiver in writing at admissions@bucknell.edu. The website does not give a list of exempt countries.
• Interviews: Bucknell does not interview but accepts optional interview reports from Initialview and Vericant.
• Costs: the international aid page budget for 2026-27 totals $97,716 (tuition $72,600, housing $11,400, food $6,980, health insurance about $2,136, student fee $900, books $900, personal $2,000, travel $800). The top of the same page cites an international comprehensive fee of $96,822 for fall 2025 and spring 2026, which is the previous year. An international orientation fee of $750 is charged once.
• Aid: the site calls international aid limited and competitive. Apply with the free International Student Application for Financial Assistance (ISAFA); the CSS Profile is accepted but fee waivers are not available. Financial documents and the bank statement are due by the same deadline as the application. The website says international students who do not receive aid in the first year will not be offered aid in later years, and suggests families plan for roughly 3.5% increases each year. The merit scholarships described above also apply to international students.
• Engineering majors: same as for U.S. students; choose an engineering major or “Undecided Engineering”, and see section 3 for math and science.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international requirements page does not say whether or how the Gaokao is used and has no China country page; this is not published, so contact admissions at admissions@bucknell.edu or 570-577-3000.
• Transcripts: official transcripts must come directly from your school or testing agency with certified English translations; the page does not describe exam-certificate or credential-evaluation requirements; not published.
• English: there is no country-based exemption list; submit TOEFL 5 (new scale), IELTS 7, PTE 68 or Duolingo 130, or ask your school to request a waiver.
• Interview: no Bucknell interview; optional Initialview or Vericant interview.
• Proof of funds: a bank statement showing liquid assets for at least the first year, or the Financial Certification Document.

8. Transfer students

• How: through the Coalition App (Scoir) only, $50 fee (waivers possible). Fall entry deadline 15 March (decision in mid-May); spring entry deadline 1 November (decision early December). The deposit is $500, credited to tuition.
• Materials: official transcripts from every college attended, the high school transcript, the Coalition Transfer Report, one professor recommendation, course descriptions or syllabi (a syllabus is required for all chemistry, economics, English and mathematics courses), the coursework-in-progress form; SAT/ACT are optional. International transfers also need English scores (same minimums) and there is a separate international transfer page.
• GPA and numbers: there is no minimum number of courses or credits; a GPA of at least 3.0 is typically expected, and the average GPA of accepted transfer students is 3.4. The site lists 148 applicants, 61 admitted and 34 enrolled for fall 2026 (these are university-wide, not engineering).
• Transferring into engineering: the pages do not list required calculus, physics or chemistry sequences for engineering transfers (not published). Because of curricular requirements, moves into engineering from other colleges are limited, so transfer applicants should state their college and major on the application.
• Credit: up to 20 course credits (80 semester hours); at semester-hour schools 4 hours equal 1 Bucknell credit (3 hours = 0.75); a grade of D or better is needed; professional or vocational courses and math below introductory calculus are not accepted. Transfers must spend at least three semesters in residence and earn at least 12 Bucknell course credits. Only regionally accredited institutions and select foreign schools are accepted.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Choose an engineering major or “Undecided Engineering”; one year of precalculus and one year of chemistry or physics (three years of science recommended)
• ED I 1 November, ED II and Regular Decision 10 January; SAT/ACT optional; Engineering Merit Scholars needs no separate application

International students (including applicants from China):

• Official transcripts with English translation, counselor and teacher recommendations, TOEFL 5 (new) / IELTS 7 / PTE 68 / Duolingo 130, bank statement or FCD
• Gaokao use is not published; ask the admissions office

Transfer students:

• Coalition App, fall deadline 15 March; syllabi for chemistry, math, English and economics courses; moves into engineering from other colleges are limited

Sources: Bucknell University, College of Engineering; Majors and departments; About the college and applying; ABET accreditation; Signature engineering programs; Apply to Bucknell; Undergraduate admission requirements; International student requirements; Dates and deadlines 2026-27; Transfer applicants; Transfer credit; Tuition, fees and financial aid (2026-27); Scholarship programs; Engineering Merit Scholars; International student financial aid. The dates page is labelled 2026-27 (for fall 2027 entry); one fee figure on the international aid page refers to 2025-26. Check Bucknell’s website for the latest.