About
Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia College. In the 19th century, it became known as the "Mother of Fraternities", because three of the earliest Greek-letter fraternities were established there. Union began enrolling women in 1970, after 175 years as an all-male institution. The college offers a liberal arts curriculum across 21 academic departments, including ABET-accredited engineering degree programs.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 40 Title IV programs, 8 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 32 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing8 · 20.0%
- No Data32 · 80.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Action history · 3
- Apr 2021Approved for Distance EducationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Mar 2021Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Jan 2021Approved for Distance EducationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 407 students received $2.4M in Pell grants, alongside $8.7M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 370 borrowers who entered repayment, 5 (1.3%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Union College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 15
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus13
- Public property3
Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- National origin2
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- 321 Seward Place1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Union College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Union College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUnion College | 80% | — | 2,065 | $34,561 | Baccalaureate |
| 94% | 9.0% | 1,914 | $23,367 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 13.3% | 1,760 | $29,351 | Baccalaureate | |
| 95% | 7.1% | 1,881 | $14,398 | Baccalaureate | |
| 86% | 28.9% | 3,969 | $40,766 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $25,407 | Baccalaureate | |
| 89% | 7.1% | 2,412 | $17,180 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.9% | 3,211 | $28,786 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 37.0% | 1,990 | $36,175 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $17,379 | Baccalaureate | |
| 80% | 42.1% | 2,314 | $37,607 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 28.2% | 1,808 | $36,425 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 14.5% | 1,788 | $17,648 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.6% | 2,031 | $28,985 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 12.4% | 1,431 | $25,314 | Baccalaureate | |
| 77% | 64.0% | 1,841 | $31,563 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 31.4% | 2,775 | $34,433 | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 28.5% | 2,138 | $32,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $31,483 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 36.0% | 2,275 | $26,441 | Baccalaureate | |
| 81% | 34.2% | 2,909 | $38,645 | Baccalaureate | |
| 81% | 44.2% | 1,881 | $38,263 | Baccalaureate | |
| 83% | 21.1% | 2,704 | $32,297 | Baccalaureate | |
| 89% | 21.0% | 2,857 | $27,579 | Baccalaureate | |
| 79% | 54.3% | 1,991 | $28,651 | Baccalaureate | |
| 92% | 7.5% | 1,623 | $23,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 29.2% | 2,238 | $34,832 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 18.6% | 2,462 | $39,343 | Baccalaureate | |
| 92% | 14.0% | 2,407 | $25,496 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 16.5% | 4,011 | $30,177 | Baccalaureate | |
| 94% | 8.3% | 2,164 | $17,716 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 89% | 20.4% | 2,151 | $29,764 |
Institutions like Union College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Union College's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Amherst College
Grad rate94%Admit rate9.0%Enrollment1,914Net price$23,367View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Bates College
Grad rate90%Admit rate13.3%Enrollment1,760Net price$29,351View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Bowdoin College
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,881Net price$14,398View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Bucknell University
Grad rate86%Admit rate28.9%Enrollment3,969Net price$40,766View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Carleton College
Grad rate90%Admit rate20.4%Enrollment2,128Net price$25,407View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Colby College
Grad rate89%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment2,412Net price$17,180View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Colgate University
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.9%Enrollment3,211Net price$28,786View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Connecticut College
Grad rate82%Admit rate37.0%Enrollment1,990Net price$36,175View data - BaccalaureateNorth Carolina
Davidson College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.4%Enrollment1,869Net price$17,379View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Dickinson College
Grad rate80%Admit rate42.1%Enrollment2,314Net price$37,607View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Franklin and Marshall College
Grad rate84%Admit rate28.2%Enrollment1,808Net price$36,425View data - BaccalaureateIowa
Grinnell College
Grad rate88%Admit rate14.5%Enrollment1,788Net price$17,648View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Hamilton College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.6%Enrollment2,031Net price$28,985View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Haverford College
Grad rate90%Admit rate12.4%Enrollment1,431Net price$25,314View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Hobart William Smith Colleges
Grad rate77%Admit rate64.0%Enrollment1,841Net price$31,563View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Lafayette College
Grad rate88%Admit rate31.4%Enrollment2,775Net price$34,433View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Macalester College
Grad rate87%Admit rate28.5%Enrollment2,138Net price$32,149View data - BaccalaureateVermont
Middlebury College
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.7%Enrollment2,803Net price$31,483View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Mount Holyoke College
Grad rate84%Admit rate36.0%Enrollment2,275Net price$26,441View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Oberlin College
Grad rate81%Admit rate34.2%Enrollment2,909Net price$38,645View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Occidental College
Grad rate81%Admit rate44.2%Enrollment1,881Net price$38,263View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Skidmore College
Grad rate83%Admit rate21.1%Enrollment2,704Net price$32,297View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Smith College
Grad rate89%Admit rate21.0%Enrollment2,857Net price$27,579View data - BaccalaureateNew York
St Lawrence University
Grad rate79%Admit rate54.3%Enrollment1,991Net price$28,651View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Grad rate92%Admit rate7.5%Enrollment1,623Net price$23,149View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Trinity College
Grad rate84%Admit rate29.2%Enrollment2,238Net price$34,832View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Vassar College
Grad rate91%Admit rate18.6%Enrollment2,462Net price$39,343View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Wellesley College
Grad rate92%Admit rate14.0%Enrollment2,407Net price$25,496View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Wesleyan University
Grad rate93%Admit rate16.5%Enrollment4,011Net price$30,177View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Williams College
Grad rate94%Admit rate8.3%Enrollment2,164Net price$17,716View data
Union College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research collects and reports data and information about the college. The office responds to questionnaires and other requests from both the internal campus community and from external sources, and provides data to fulfill federal, state, and other compliance reporting requirements and in support of planning and assessment.
Visit IR office page- Len SchlegelDirector of Institutional Research
- Jill DaveyAssistant Director of Institutional Research
Common Data Set
Union College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionCommon Data Set (CDS)The Common Data Set (CDS) at Union College consists of standardized information shared among educational institutions and significant educational publishers to enhance the accuracy and comparability of data reporting. This page provides access to the current and past data sets, detailed policy information, enrollment data, graduation rates, and various additional research and policy resources.union.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planPlanning for Multiple Tomorrows 'PMT21'2026The Strategic Plan for Union College, titled 'Planning for Multiple Tomorrows PMT21', is led by a working group chaired by Blair Raymond. This group involves key stakeholders from various departments within the college, including administrators, faculty, and students, demonstrating a collaborative approach. The document available does not provide specific strategic pillars, priorities, or measurable targets at this stage.union.edu
Notable alumni of Union College (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Chester A. ArthurPolitics
- William H. SewardPolitics
- Baruch S. BlumbergMedicine
- George StibitzComputer Science
- Gordon GouldPhysics
- Armand V. FeigenbaumBusiness
- Neil AbercrombiePolitics
- Andrea BarrettLiterature
- Rich TempletonBusiness
- Victor H. FazioPolitics
- Franklin B. HoughForestry
- Francis WaylandEducation
Frequently asked questions about Union College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Union College.
What is the graduation rate at Union College?
How many students attend Union College?
What is the average net price at Union College?
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Where is Union College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Union College?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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