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Summary
Union College is a private institution that was founded in 1795. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,220, its setting is city, and the campus size is 100 acres. It utilizes a trimester-based academic calendar. Union College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 41. Its tuition and fees are $45,219 (2012-13).
School life is split into three 10 week terms, or trimesters, at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. On the trimester schedule, students take three classes per term and have an extended winter break. All freshmen are randomly assigned to one of seven Minerva Houses, student and faculty residence communities where students live, take classes, and participate in extracurricular activities. Each house has its own kitchen for students who want to cook their own meals. There are about 100 student clubs and organizations, including more than 15 fraternities and sororities. Most Union sports teams, called Dutchmen, compete in the NCAA Division III Liberty League. The Union men’s and women’s ice hockey teams compete in the Division I ECAC Conference Hockey League. The school mascot is a costumed man known as Dutch. Students can volunteer in the revitalizations efforts going on in downtown Schenectady. New York is about 150 miles away, and more than 60 percent of students travel abroad before graduation. Union College’s global offerings include year programs, trimester stays, and three-week trips known as mini-breaks. Each year, students celebrate the changing seasons at Springfest, a day of concerts by famous performers like Sean Kingston and Matt Nathanson.
In addition to its undergraduate majors, Union College offers accelerated professional degree programs in conjunction with other schools. Students can graduate with a law degree from Albany Law School in six years, or with a medical degree from Albany Medical College in eight years. There are additional master’s degree accelerated programs in the business and education fields. Among the notable graduates of Union college are several famous television and movie producers: Alan Horn, producer of Seinfeld and the Harry Potter movies; Rawson Marshall Thurber, who made Dodgeball and Magnum, P.I.; and Ilene Landress, executive producer of The Sopranos. Other distinguished alumni include Kate White, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine; Richard Templeton, CEO of Texas Instruments; and Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus.
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Union College, founded in 1795, is a scholarly community dedicated to shaping the future and to understanding the past. Faculty, staff, and administrators welcome diverse and talented students into our community, work closely with them to provide a broad and deep education, and guide them in finding and cultivating their passions. We do this with a wide range of disciplines and interdisciplinary programs in the liberal arts and engineering, as well as academic, athletic, cultural, and social activities, including opportunities to study abroad and to participate in undergraduate research and community service. We develop in our students the analytic and reflective abilities needed to become engaged, innovative, and ethical contributors to an increasingly diverse, global, and technologically complex society. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1795 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | trimester |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $327,800,000 |
Applying
When applying to Union College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 15. The application fee at Union College is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 42.6 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 42.7% |
| Application deadline | January 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | February 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Union College is 10:1, and the school has 68.0 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Union College include: Economics, General; Psychology, General; Mechanical Engineering; English Language and Literature, General; and Political Science and Government, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 92.8 percent.
Student Life
Union College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,220, with a gender distribution of 53.0 percent male students and 47.0 percent female students. At this school, 87.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 13.0 percent of students live off campus. Union College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Union College.
| Total enrollment | 2,220 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Union College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, and health service. Union College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Union College, 25 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Union College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 25% |
| Health insurance offered | No |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Union College, 54.9 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $31,184.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $45,219 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $11,070 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
