Chemistry at Bucknell University

Bucknell carries the price tag of a selective private university (32% admission rate, average SAT of 1389), yet peer chemistry programs in Pennsylvania suggest first-year earnings around $43,600—squarely at the state median and barely above the $42,600 national benchmark. For families paying premium tuition, that's worth noting: the estimated $26,700 in debt is relatively manageable with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, but the earnings trajectory doesn't appear to justify Bucknell's positioning as an elite institution. Several less selective Pennsylvania schools—Millersville and Drexel among them—report chemistry graduates earning $49,000 to $50,500 in their first year, showing that prestige and price don't automatically translate to better outcomes in this field.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates based on similar Pennsylvania programs, since Bucknell's own graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish. Chemistry is an in-demand STEM field, which should support salary growth over time, but the initial payoff based on comparable programs appears modest given Bucknell's selective profile and likely higher net costs than public alternatives. With just 11% of students receiving Pell grants, most families here are paying close to full freight.

If your child is set on chemistry and already admitted to Bucknell, compare the actual financial aid package against what state flagships or technical universities would cost. The debt estimate is reasonable for a bachelor's degree, but the earnings picture from peer programs suggests you're not buying meaningfully higher starting salaries with a Bucknell credential in this specific major.