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University or college · Private nonprofit

Union College

Schenectady, NY

Union College is a private nonprofit college in Schenectady, NY, with about 2,082 students on campus.

Visit www.union.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
2,082
2,082 undergrad
Admission rate
44%
lower than at 87% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$34,561
higher than at 91% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
80%
higher than at 89% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$88,604
higher than at 98% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Union College

Union College’s graduates are among the best paid in the country

Former students earn a median $88,604 ten years after starting, more than at 98% of U.S. colleges. Outcomes ↓

What you pay depends heavily on your income

Families earning under $30,000 pay about $11,776 a year after grants. Families over $110,000 pay $45,017, 4 times as much. What it costs ↓

Rent in Schenectady is below the state median

Median rent in Schenectady is $1,145 a month, 29% below the state median. Living in Schenectady ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
80%
within 6 years · Pell students 81%
Come back for year two
90%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$88,604
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$25,337
about $269 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

5.1%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$269 a month against about $5,268 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

86%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 98% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$81k
Middle income$30–75k
$76k
Higher incomeover $75k
$97k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Union College?

44%

of applicants admitted

About 9 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
660–720
SAT math
650–760
ACT
29–33

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1395.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $84,561 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $69,039Room & board $17,010Books & supplies $1,500

After grants, the average family on aid pays $34,561.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$23,941

About $95,764 over 4 years · 72% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Social sciences 21%Engineering 17%Biology 16%Liberal arts 8%Psychology 7%Computer science 6%Everything else 25%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Economics66 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$100k4 yrs out
Research and Experimental Psychology45 graduates a year · typical debt $25,062
—not reported
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities42 graduates a year · typical debt $24,500
$75k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering34 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$85k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government32 graduates a year · typical debt $25,389
$75k4 yrs out
Biomedical/Medical Engineering30 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$86k4 yrs out
Biology, General30 graduates a year · typical debt $21,500
$87k4 yrs out
Neurobiology and Neurosciences24 graduates a year · typical debt $24,500
$69k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

2,046 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 63%Hispanic 11%Black 4%Asian 7%Two or more 4%International 11%

Women and men

Women 47%Men 53%
9 : 1
students per teacher
14%
get Pell grants (lower income)
44%
take federal loans
2%
undergrads 25 or older
1%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Schenectady

10% of Schenectady’s 69,471 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Schenectady pages.

Schenectady →
SchenectadySchenectady, NY
$1,145/momedian rent · 29% below the state$332Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade14° / 83°January low / July high · 56" of snowCHealth GradeAll colleges in and near SchenectadyCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Union College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Schenectady County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Schenectady
1.1 mi3,438 students
Belanger School of NursingCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Schenectady
1.2 mi132 students
Bryant & Stratton College-AlbanyCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Colonie
10.2 mi224 students
University at AlbanyUniversity or college · Public · Albany
10.6 mi15,251 students
Siena CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Colonie
11.3 mi3,611 students
St. Peter's Hospital College of NursingCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Albany
12.6 mi125 students
Maria College of AlbanyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Albany
12.7 mi701 students
The College of Saint RoseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Albany
12.8 mi2,329 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.