Liberal arts college
#18 Best colleges in New YorkUnion College
Schenectady, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $34,561 a year
Median debt at graduation: $25,337 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for business in America#83 of 1,563
- Best colleges in America#136 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#114 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#122 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#116 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#116 of 1,283
Show 16 more
- Best colleges for history in America#119 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#115 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#120 of 1,215
- Best mid-size colleges in America#66 of 667
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#119 of 1,162
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#193 of 1,829
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#73 of 690
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#119 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#114 of 1,063
- Best colleges for engineering in America#88 of 749
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#57 of 430
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#96 of 704
- Best colleges for economics in America#117 of 788
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#146 of 683
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#128 of 598
In New York
- Best colleges for business in New York#9 of 109
- Best test-optional colleges in New York#15 of 125
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in New York#8 of 60
- Best colleges in New York#18 of 135
- Best colleges for psychology in New York#13 of 96
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in New York#11 of 79
Show 17 more
- Best colleges for art and design in New York#12 of 85
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in New York#13 of 88
- Best colleges for English in New York#12 of 81
- Best colleges for history in New York#13 of 82
- Best colleges for mathematics in New York#13 of 81
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in New York#13 of 80
- Best mid-size colleges in New York#10 of 61
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in New York#13 of 77
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in New York#23 of 135
- Best colleges for chemistry in New York#13 of 76
- Best colleges for economics in New York#13 of 73
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in New York#15 of 80
- Best colleges for music in New York#13 of 59
- Most selective colleges in New York#18 of 79
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in New York#19 of 80
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in New York#17 of 67
- Best colleges for engineering in New York#11 of 41
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.80%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.90%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,395 · ACT 31
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$26,013
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $84,561 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 2,082 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 53% · Women 47% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 13% |
| Total students | 2,082 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $34,561 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $84,561 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,337 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 80% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 87% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 85% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 86% |
| First-year retention | 90% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $88,604 |
| Admission rate | 44% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $60 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 14% |
| Average SAT | 1395 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 660–720 |
| SAT math | 650–760 |
| ACT composite | 29–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Managerial economics | |
| Economics | |
| Biology | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Political science | |
| Neuroscience |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Chemistry, Classics, Computer engineering, Computing and information science, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Electrical engineering, English, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, History, Information science, Linguistics, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Social sciences, Sociology, Systems Science and Theory, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Engineering | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Liberal arts and general studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $17,010 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 90%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $251,991IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 98% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Albany International Airport (ALB)About 8 miles away |
| Nearest major airport | Bradley International Airport (BDL)About 88 miles away |
| Town population | 68,847Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | NewarkAbout 145 miles away |
| Typical weather | 24°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Albany Airport, NY, about 8 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.97 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.48 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 1.45 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1.94 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Union College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 8% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Union College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $34,561 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Union College?
- Union College admitted 44% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Union College’s graduates do?
- 80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $88,604; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,337.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 196866
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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