Union College

Schenectady, NY · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Union College admitted 43.9% of applicants university-wide (3,606 of 8,210).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide43.9%3,6068,210
In-state56.2%9981,777
Out-of-state64.5%2,0843,229
International applicants16.4%5243,204
Early Decision (binding)42.2%164389
Men38.9%1,7184,418
Women49.8%1,8873,789

Early Decision applicants were admitted at 42.2%, vs 43.9% overall — ED is a binding commitment.

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 3,606 admitted students, 500 enrolled (13.9% yield).

Union College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1310–1480
ACT (mid-50%)
29–33
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.25–3.99

Testing policy: Required for some programs

Union College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $92,416/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$71,226
Fees, housing, food, books & other$21,190
Sticker cost of attendance$92,416/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$11,776
$30k–48k$16,415
$48k–75k$23,941
$75k–110k$34,100
Over $110k$45,017

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Union College Scholarship — $15,000-$25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Union College Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Union College Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Union Scholars Program — Full cost of attendance (Full Ride)

International applicants

Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.

  • Union College Scholarship — $15,000-$25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Davis United World College Scholars Program — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Union College Grant — Varies (Need Based)
  • Union College Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Union Scholars Program — Full cost of attendance (Full Ride)

Union College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application or Coalition Application
  • Personal essay (Common App or Coalition App prompts)
  • Official high school transcript
  • First quarter or first trimester senior grades
  • Counselor letter of recommendation
  • Teacher letter of recommendation
  • Financial aid forms (if applying for need-based aid)
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)

International applicants

  • Common Application or Coalition Application
  • Personal essay (Common App or Coalition App prompts)
  • Official high school transcript
  • First quarter or first trimester senior grades
  • Counselor letter of recommendation
  • Teacher letter of recommendation
  • Financial aid forms (if applying for need-based aid)
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Union College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. What motivated you to apply to Union College and why do you think it would be a good fit for you?250 words · Required

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$88,604
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
80.4%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
90.2%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$25,337
At graduation

Union College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News Liberal Arts: #44
  • WSJ: #212
  • Forbes: #164
  • Niche: #232

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
  • 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
  • 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Union College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Social sciences (25%), Engineering (16%), Biological & life sciences (13%).

Student–faculty ratio: 9:1 · 69% of class sections have under 20 students.

Union College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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