Bucknell University

Bucknell University was originally established as the University at Lewisburg in 1846, and while it offered education for both men and women it was not until 1883 that women were able to study degree courses at the institution.

When the university faced closure after struggling financially in the late nineteenth century, it was William Bucknell, a real-estate dealer, who came to the rescue, donating $50,000 to allow the university to continuing operating. In 1886, the university trustees unanimously agreed to rename the university after Mr Bucknell in recognition of his generosity.

Today the 450-acre Bucknell University campus holds more than one hundred buildings for the 3,700 students and 350 full-time faculty members at the university. Located close to the town of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, on a site that is widely recognised as one of the country’s most scenic college campuses, students are able to take advantage of facilities including a theatre, cafeterias and shops, some excellent sports amenities and a number of halls of residence, while it is within walking distance of the cultural downtown.

There are three colleges the university – the College of Arts and Sciences, the Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering – which offer a combined total of more than 50 majors and 65 minors. Almost half of Bucknell University student choose to study abroad for a semester too, and the university offers a range of programs at institutions across the world in a range of languages.

Among notable former students are award-winning novelist Philip Roth, Peter Balakian, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva.org.