How to Apply to Bucknell University for a Mathematics Major: Mathematics & Statistics Sits in the College of Arts & Sciences, with BA/BS Mathematics, BS Applied Mathematics and BS Statistics, a $20,000-a-Year Scholars Award, and Notes for US, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

Bucknell University is in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The mathematics major is taught by the Department of Mathematics & Statistics in the College of Arts & Sciences. This guide follows the University’s own pages and is organised for US applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; cross-over majors such as Mathematical Economics get one line only.

1. Degrees and how you apply

• Degrees: the department page lists four undergraduate majors: Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Bachelor of Science in Statistics, plus Pennsylvania teaching licensure and a mathematics minor. It also says students can concentrate in theoretical or applied math or earn a secondary teaching certification.
• Related major: the site lists the BS in Mathematical Economics as a related major combining economics, mathematics and statistics; its requirements are not covered here.
• Which college: you must apply to one of three colleges (Arts & Sciences, Engineering, or the Freeman College of Management) using one common application. Mathematics is in Arts & Sciences: select your intended major there, or “Undecided Arts & Sciences” if you have not decided.
• Moving between colleges: the website says chances to transfer from Arts & Sciences into Engineering are quite limited and that Freeman enrolment is limited to students admitted directly into Freeman, and tells you to apply directly to your preferred college. The pages we read do not give the conditions for changing majors within Arts & Sciences.
• When you declare, GPA thresholds, capped places: the pages we read do not say this for the ordinary math major; this is not published. Major requirements are in the University’s course catalog, which we did not read; ask the department (math-stats@bucknell.edu, 570-577-1343). The only declaration rule on the pages read is in the Scholars award: recipients must formally declare mathematics, applied mathematics or statistics by the second semester of sophomore year (section 7).

2. Preparation and placement

• All applicants: 4 years of English, 3 years of college-preparatory mathematics, 3 years of science, 3 years of history/social studies and 2 years of one foreign language (work before ninth grade does not count). Another page says “a minimum of two-and-a-half years of college-preparatory mathematics” for all programs, so the two pages differ on the year count; both are given here.
• Extra math for math majors: the requirements page says students majoring in mathematics, science, engineering, accounting, business analytics or economics (and/or planning to take calculus at Bucknell) need 1 year of precalculus and, preferably, calculus. It also says science and math applicants are expected to have at least three years of college-preparatory math and should take as much math as possible.
• Online preparation: the department requires all MATH 192 and MATH 201 students to complete the online course Countdown to Calculus, ideally the summer before enrolling (myBucknell login needed).
• Calculus placement: the department says your high school calculus experience, AP calculus credit and calculus credit from other colleges form the basis of credit and placement. The placement site is on a separate host that we did not read, so the details are not published here; ask the department.
• AP and IB credit: AP scores go to the admissions office (CEEB code 2050); we did not read the AP score chart, so how AP maps onto math courses is not stated. IB Diploma recipients with at least 5 on each of the six exams receive six course credits; otherwise only Higher Level courses with 5 or more earn credit; IB Certificate students earn credit for each Higher Level course with 5 or more; no credit for Standard Level courses except as noted for Diploma recipients. First-year students may bring in at most 8 transfer credits in total (including AP, IB and college courses taken in high school).
• Honors math sequence: not mentioned in the pages read; not published.
• Competitions: the admissions pages read do not say how math competitions are viewed.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines (2026-27 dates page): Early Decision I 1 November 2026; Early Decision II and Regular Decision 10 January 2027. The application opens 1 August 2026. Early Decision is binding. ED I decisions come in early December (another page says mid-December), ED II in mid-February and Regular Decision in mid-March; the Regular Decision deposit is due 1 May 2027 and is $500.
• How and fee: apply with the Common App or the Coalition App (Scoir); the fee is $50, with several fee-waiver routes (Common App, Coalition App, College Board, or a campus visit). Bucknell does not interview but welcomes campus visits.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional. The requirements page says the pilot runs through the 2027–28 cycle and, elsewhere on the same page, through the 2026-27 cycle. The international page says optional for fall 2026 and fall 2027 in one place and, in another, for 2024-25 and 2025-26 with a re-evaluation at the end of 2025-26. The pages are inconsistent, so check the website. Bucknell superscores both tests, requires nothing in place of a score, and considers merit scholarships either way. Enrolling students who have taken the SAT or ACT must send scores before starting (used only to assess the policy, not for the decision).
• Recommendations and records: taken from the international page’s checklist: school transcript, mid-year report if applicable, one counselor recommendation and a teacher evaluation form, with extra teacher recommendations allowed but not required; the requirements page does not give a separate list for US applicants, so follow the checklist in your application portal. The pages do not say the teacher must teach mathematics; not published.
• Essay: submitted through the application platform; the admissions page says decisions are not only about grades and scores and invites you to tell your story.

4. US applicants

• Costs (2026-27): tuition $72,600; housing $11,400; meal plan about $6,980; student fee $900; the page gives a total comprehensive cost of $91,880. The same page says the 2026-27 cost-of-attendance budget is $95,648, while the on-campus column of its table totals $95,580; both figures appear. The cost page lists one tuition figure and does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state.
• Aid: the website says more than half of students receive assistance and gives an average need-based package of $58,500 (previous incoming class). US citizens and permanent residents submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile, due with each round (1 November for ED I; 10 January for ED II and Regular Decision).
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read; not published.
• Testing: see section 3.

5. International applicants

• Materials: transcripts with certified English translations (the three most recent years plus final-year courses, or four years if you have already graduated), a counselor recommendation (a principal’s if there is no counselor), a teacher evaluation form, English results if required, a passport photo page (or national ID), and a bank statement or Financial Certification Document. The bank statement or FCD must arrive before the application is reviewed.
• English: required if your native language or the language of instruction in secondary school (at least three years) was not English. Minimums: TOEFL 5 (new scale; 100 if taken before 21 January 2026), IELTS 7, PTE 68, Duolingo 130. A waiver can be requested in writing by a counselor to admissions@bucknell.edu. The website does not list country-based exemptions.
• Interviews: not offered, but optional Initialview or Vericant interviews are accepted.
• Aid and scholarships: apply for aid with the International Student Application for Financial Assistance (free) or the CSS Profile (no CSS fee waivers). The site warns that, because of limited funding, students who do not receive aid in their first year are not offered aid later. Merit scholarships require a separate scholarship application (section 7); the international page lists no scholarship specific to international students.
• Deadlines: financial documents are due on the same dates as the application (1 November / 10 January).

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: neither the international page nor the requirements page says whether or how Gaokao results are used, and there is no China page; this is not published. Contact admissions (admissions@bucknell.edu, 570-577-3000).
• Transcripts and school-leaving records: only the general international requirements (section 5) are published; any China-specific format for transcripts or school-leaving exams is not stated.
• English and funds: see section 5.

7. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Mathematics and Statistics Scholars Program: $20,000 a year merit award for students majoring in mathematics, applied mathematics or statistics with superior academic performance; no financial need required; a limited number of awards; recipients are notified with their admission decision. Complete the scholarship application by your round deadline (1 November or 10 January). Renewal: major in mathematics, applied mathematics or statistics (formally declared by the second semester of sophomore year), take at least one math class each semester, keep an overall GPA of 3.5, remain in good social standing and meet the responsibilities agreed with the program coordinator. The award does not increase in later years.
• Other awards: see the University’s scholarship pages; not itemised here.
• Undergraduate research: the College of Arts & Sciences page says even first-year students can do hands-on, graduate-level research; a department-specific research program is not described on the pages read.
• Outcomes: the department page says recent graduates have become data analysts, software developers, financial analysts, actuaries, government cryptanalysts and mathematics teachers. No placement rate or salary figure is printed.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines: fall entry 15 March (decisions mid-May); spring entry 1 November (decisions in December). The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. Apply with the Coalition App; the fee is $50.
• Who and GPA: students who have finished high school and enrolled in a degree programme elsewhere apply as transfers; there is no minimum number of courses or credits. A GPA of at least 3.0 is typically expected; the average for accepted transfers is 3.4.
• Math-specific: course descriptions are required, and a syllabus is required for mathematics courses to be reviewed; one college faculty recommendation is needed, preferably from your area of interest. The pages read do not set calculus or linear algebra sequence requirements for the math major; not published.
• Credit: up to 20 course credits (80 semester hours); courses must be comparable to Bucknell courses with a grade of D or better; mathematics courses below introductory calculus are not accepted; each course is evaluated individually and an associate degree does not bring blanket credit. Transfer students must be in residence for at least three semesters and earn at least 12 Bucknell credits.
• International transfers: same English minimums as section 5; the site says aid for international transfer students is extremely limited.

Checklist

US applicants:

• Apply to Arts & Sciences and choose mathematics (or undecided); 3+ years of college-prep math, 1 year of precalculus, preferably calculus; 1 November / 10 January; $50; testing optional
• FAFSA and CSS Profile; the Scholars award application is due with the admission application

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 5 (new scale) / IELTS 7 / PTE 68 / Duolingo 130, or a waiver; bank statement or FCD; ISAFA or CSS Profile if you need aid
• Gaokao use is not published; ask admissions

After entry:

• Complete Countdown to Calculus (MATH 192, 201); calculus placement from high school and AP credit; confirm the declaration timeline with the department

Transfer students:

• Fall 15 March, spring 1 November; GPA typically 3.0+; syllabi for math courses; courses below calculus do not transfer

Sources: Bucknell University, Mathematics & Statistics; College of Arts & Sciences; Apply to Bucknell; Undergraduate admission requirements; International student requirements; 2026-27 dates and deadlines; Transfer applicants; Transfer credit; Tuition, fees and financial aid (2026-27); Mathematics and Statistics Scholars Program. The dates page is labelled 2026-27 (deadlines from November 2026 to January 2027, i.e. fall 2027 entry). Some policy pages give different years for the same policy; see the University’s website for the latest.