Union College
Schenectady, New York · Private Nonprofit · 43.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 85/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Union College scores 85 (Strong Value) on the CampusROI scale. The institution is a highly selective liberal arts and engineering college in Schenectady, New York with 2,046 enrolled students. Despite a sticker tuition of $69,039, Union's aid program brings median net price to $34,561 - and drops to $11,776 for the lowest income bracket. The sub-score profile is consistently strong: completion rate 90 (80.4%), payback period 93 (5.2 years), repayment rate 93 (88.8% of borrowers reducing principal). The earnings premium sub-score of 80 (0.388 raw) reflects average 6-year earnings of $51,400 - respectable, though it understates the actual program-level outcomes. Ten-year earnings of $88,604 show strong long-run trajectory. Economics is the largest graded program: 66 graduates, $62,846 year-one, $99,783 four-year - an outstanding earnings trajectory for a liberal arts economics program. Mechanical Engineering (34 graduates), Biomedical Engineering (30 graduates), and Biology (30 graduates) all carry B or B+ grades. Research Psychology earns a D grade with $30,061 year-one and a 0.834 debt-to-earnings ratio - the main outlier in an otherwise strong program mix.
The median graduate earns $88,604 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Union College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $69,039/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $69,039/yr |
| Average net price | $34,561/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $138,244 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $88,604 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $51,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,337 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $269 |
| Estimated payback period | 5.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 80.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,046 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $69,039/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $34,561/year, or roughly $138,244 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $11,776/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $45,017/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,337, which works out to about $269 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($51,400) and comes to 0.49, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $11,776 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,415 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $23,941 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $34,100 |
| $110,001+ | $45,017 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students in the 0-30000 income bracket pay $11,776 net price per year at Union - approximately $47,104 over four years. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $16,415. These are competitive prices for a highly selective New York private with Union's outcome profile. At $11,776 per year for the lowest income bracket, Union delivers exceptional value for admitted students: a 5.2-year payback period at net cost of $47,104 is a strong financial outcome by any measure.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $23,941 per year; the 75001-110000 bracket pays $34,100. Aid drops sharply through the middle-income range - from $11,776 to $34,100 as income rises through four brackets. Middle-income families in the $75,000-$110,000 range pay roughly the same as the institutional average net price, which remains defensible given Union's outcome profile.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $45,017 per year - approximately $180,068 over four years. At this price, Union's 5.2-year payback period based on the institutional median earnings is still acceptable, but the actual payback for full-paying families depends heavily on program choice. Engineering, economics, and biomedical graduates achieve strong returns at this price; psychology and liberal arts generalists face a longer trajectory.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Union College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $99,783 | B |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $30,061 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $75,345 | C+ |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,427 | B |
| International Relations | $75,005 | C+ |
| Biology | $87,208 | B+ |
| Biomedical Engineering | $86,182 | B |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $68,666 | C |
| Business Information Systems | $114,064 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Economics
Economics is Union's largest graded program: 66 graduates, $62,846 year-one, $99,783 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.430 (ROI grade B). The four-year trajectory to $99,783 reflects the New York financial sector pathway accessible from Union's alumni network. Median debt of $27,000 is manageable against these earnings. Students pursuing finance, consulting, or graduate economics from a liberal arts base will find Union a strong platform.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering has 34 graduates with $68,407 year-one and $85,427 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.395 (ROI grade B). Year-one earnings of $68k are strong for a small liberal arts engineering program. Union's engineering programs benefit from the Capital Region's GE, GlobalFoundries, and Albany NanoTech industrial base. Median debt of $27,000 against year-one of $68k produces an immediately favorable payback situation.
Research and Experimental Psychology
Research and Experimental Psychology has 45 graduates - the second-largest graded cohort - with $30,061 year-one and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.834 (ROI grade D). Four-year earnings are not reported. Year-one earnings of $30k against median debt of $25,062 means borrowers are managing more debt than they earn initially. Psychology at Union is a pre-graduate-school pathway for most students; the D grade reflects that undergraduate outcomes alone do not justify the cost without a clear graduate plan.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 83.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 88.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 88.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 90.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Union College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 43.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 650-760 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 660-720 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 29-33 |
| Enrollment | 2,046 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 14.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $12,031 |
At 43.9%, Union is moderately selective in the context of strong national liberal arts colleges. SAT 25th percentile of 650 Math / 660 Reading indicates a high baseline preparation floor. ACT 29 at the 25th percentile places Union in the competitive national pool. The engineering programs likely attract applicants with stronger quantitative profiles.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union College (this school) | 85 | $34,561 | $88,604 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Wofford College | 81 | $18,732 | $68,964 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| Gettysburg College | 75 | $31,490 | $71,517 |
| Occidental College | 73 | $38,263 | $75,951 |
Who Thrives Here
Union College admits 43.9% of applicants and enrolls 2,046 students in Schenectady, New York. The Pell grant rate of 14.4% indicates a predominantly higher-income student body. Union is distinctive in offering both liberal arts and engineering degrees within a single college model, without separate schools. Students who want STEM rigor in a liberal arts environment, or who are choosing between a small LAC and an engineering school, will find Union's hybrid model a genuine differentiator.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Union College pays off. You'd pay about $34,561 a year after aid ($138,244 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $88,604 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 5.2 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, its 80.4% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $25,337 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $51,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Union College: Common Questions
Is Union College worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Union College pays off. It scores 85/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $34,561 a year after aid ($138,244 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $88,604 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 5.2 years to earn back.
How much does Union College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $34,561 a year, or roughly $138,244 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Union College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $88,604 ten years after enrolling, roughly $46,804 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Union College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 5.2 years for Union College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Union College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,337, against average earnings of $51,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Union College?
The six-year graduation rate is 80.4%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.