PA · Dorm dimensions
Bucknell University Dorm Room Dimensions
Living off campus? See the Bucknell University off-campus housing guide
Bucknell University has room-dimension data for 1 residence hall. Published room sizes range around 160 sq ft, with a median of 160 sq ft. Find exact width × length and square footage for each hall below, then preview your layout in the visualizer.
First-year Housing
| Room type | Dimensions | Size |
|---|---|---|
| double | — | 160 sq ft |
Design this room before move-in
Lay out your furniture before you arrive.
Open the room visualizer →What on-campus housing costs at Bucknell
Heads up — this school breaks the usual rules
- Blenders are banned outright. That is not a normal college-checklist ban, and it kills the standard dorm smoothie and protein-shake purchase.
- Only two-prong extension cords are banned — an unusually precise rule. Buy three-prong grounded cords or surge protectors, not the cheap flat two-prong ones.
- Air conditioners are a prohibited item, and room rates differ based on whether the room has AC — meaning a meaningful share of Bucknell rooms have none and no legal way to add one. Fans only.
- The microwave cap is 750 watts, which is low. Many popular dorm microwaves are 900 to 1,100 watts and would not comply.
- Bucknell’s Eepy mattress topper rental widens the bed to “full XL.” Anyone taking that option should not blind-buy Twin XL fitted sheets for the topper.
- Rates are per semester and priced by room type, not by hall — easy to misread as an annual figure and under-budget by half.
Buying the standard college checklist here will waste money — check your building first.
| Hall | Style | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Triple Room / Quad Room Cheapest on campus — found in the first-year halls Vedder, Swartz, Smith and McDonnell. | Traditional | $4,560/sem |
| Double Room The standard double and the default first-year and sophomore price. | Traditional | $5,700/sem |
| Single Room Trax and Kress are described as mostly single rooms in co-ed traditional halls. | Traditional | $5,990/sem |
| Double Room — West Apartment Apartment living at a traditional-single price. | Apartment | $5,990/sem |
| Single Room — Gateway Four-person apartments with private bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and full bath. | Apartment | $6,280/sem |
| Single Room — South Campus / West Apartment Most expensive — a single bedroom with shared kitchen and bath. Greek rooms run $6,100 double / $6,390 single. | Apartment | $6,570/sem |
Rates are per semester, not per year — double them. They are room only, with the meal plan billed separately. Bucknell prices by room type rather than by hall, with tiers reflecting amenities like air conditioning. One billing quirk: a placeholder housing charge is applied to student accounts at the end of May and stays until a room is assigned, so families may see a figure that is not the final rate. Rates compiled from the university’s published housing rates, August 2026. Always confirm on the official rates page.
Who has to live on campus
Bucknell has a four-year residency requirement — students are “expected to live in Bucknell campus housing for the four years of your college experience.” Only rising seniors and students beginning the fourth year of a five-year program may apply to live off campus, through a random selection process for a limited number of spots that is explicitly not guaranteed. No approval is needed for graduate students, non-traditional students, new students aged 23 or older, students commuting from family, married students or those with children, and returning students turning 25 during senior year.
What the room already includes
Rate levels “vary based on amenities like air conditioning and apartment-style features,” which means not all rooms have air conditioning — the AC rooms simply cost more. Bucknell explicitly does not provide microwaves or mini-fridges for single and double rooms assigned to first-years and sophomores. Apartment-style options with kitchens are separate: Gateway Residence Center (four apartments of four students each, most with four private bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and full bath), West Apartments (four single bedrooms with shared kitchen, bathroom and living areas) and South Campus Apartments (suites with single bedrooms and shared kitchen and bath). The in-room furniture inventory, laundry cost and internet provision are not published.
Fridge & microwave rules
Bring your own or rent through Campus Specialties — Bucknell does not provide them for first-year and sophomore singles and doubles, and students must coordinate with roommates. Caps: mini-fridge 4.5 cubic feet or less, microwave 750 watts or less. Note that 750 watts is low by dorm-microwave standards. The apartment halls (Gateway, West and South Campus) have kitchens, making a mini-fridge unnecessary there.
What you cannot bring
Air conditioners; candles, even if used only for decoration; incense; halogen lamps; space heaters; microwaves over 750 watts; blenders; two-prong extension cords; and other personal cooking appliances including toasters and toaster ovens, George Foreman grills, hot plates, hot pots, oil popcorn poppers, panini presses and rice cookers. Tobacco and nicotine products, and weapons of any kind, are banned. Pets: non-carnivorous fish in a tank of less than 30 gallons are permitted. First-year students are not eligible to apply for parking permits. Air fryers and Instant Pots are not named individually, but the banned category plainly covers them — treat them as prohibited. String lights, tapestries, curtains and bed risers are not addressed on Bucknell’s published list.