On Aug. 21, a record number of first year students started classes here at Bucknell.
The Class of 2027 includes 1,033 new students, an enrollment only topped by last year’s record: 1,039 students. The school’s student body adds up to 3,925 students, with 3,867 undergraduates, 44 graduate students and 14 non degree students.
Bucknell has its largest student body in 178 years, not only because of the latest class, but because of the University’s high sophomore retention rate. 96.3% of Bucknell’s class of 2026 remain enrolled, one of the highest rates in Bucknell’s history.
“Demand for a Bucknell education remains higher than ever,” stated President John Bravman in his annual address to employees. “Very few schools in this country can say that. We have seen more than 11,000 applications in each of the past three years, with more students than ever accepting our offer of admission. Simply put, our yield is up. That’s phenomenal, and I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve all done to reach this level of interest from such talented students.”
The new first year class is extremely diverse in many different areas. They hail from 40 states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as 24 countries and administrative regions. 22 percent of the first-year student body are students of color, 4.5 percent are international students and 13.5 percent are first-generation students. The class boasts an average high school GPA of 3.65, a slight increase from the class of 2026’s 3.63. There are also 27 transfer students this year, 12 of whom are Bucknell Community College Scholars.
And while the current first-years are academically diverse, the ventures of the class beyond the classroom are also extremely well-rounded. There are quite a few entrepreneurs, including the founders of organizations and programs such as: “Let’s Talk Business,” a program that teaches teens financial literacy and economic education; “Beads2benefit,” an organization which creates and sells jewelry and donates the profits to local food banks to fight food insecurity caused by the pandemic; and “JusticeworX,” an organization that assists a Navajo Tribe in Arizona.
One first-year already served as a congressional intern in the House of Representatives, and another has a patent for designing a device used in physics experiments.
In terms of athletics, the Class of 2027 has a national champion water polo goalkeeper, a water polo player who made 4 national teams in South Africa, and a student who represented Team USA and Bucknell in javelin at the PanAm Championships in Puerto Rico.
From athletes to academics, activists to entrepreneurs, there’s no doubt that Bucknell’s record class of 2027 possesses varied talents and interests, and according to Assistant Vice President & Dean of Admissions Kevin Mathes ’07, he knows “they will make a positive impact on the Bucknell community.”
