Briar Cliff University vs Union College

Briar Cliff University and Union College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. Briar Cliff, a private Catholic university in Sioux City, Iowa, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a student body of over 1,500 undergraduates. Union College, a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, has a more selective admissions process with a 35% acceptance rate and a smaller undergraduate population of around 2,200 students. While both institutions offer a diverse range of academic programs, Briar Cliff is known for its strong nursing and education programs, while Union College excels in engineering and business. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about the differences in tuition, graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors between these two esteemed institutions.
Briar Cliff University logo

Briar Cliff University

Union College logo

Union College

Overview

Location Sioux City, Iowa Lincoln, Nebraska
Campus setting City: Small City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 63.0% 73.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Catholic Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate Open Admission 98.5%
Application fees
SAT range N/A 980 - 1130
ACT range N/A 18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score 8.0%
Students submitting ACT score 70.0%
Total number of applicants 722
Total number of admissions given out 711
Admitted students who chose to enroll 116
Yield rate 16.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) Not required N/A
High school GPA N/A Required
Recommendation letters N/A Not required
High school transcript N/A Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) N/A Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,190 $42,460
Average net price $21,734 $24,725
Tuition $32,526 $24,960
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,713

Meal plan: $5,440
Room/dormitory: $4,160

Meal plan: $3,050
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $25,701
100.0%
Average amount $13,368
Students receiving federal student loan 70.0%
Average amount $5,210
88.0%
Average amount $4,457
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $12,375
10.0%
Average amount $4,255

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 766
Men 47.4% Women 52.6%
685
Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Graduate students 234
Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
89
Men 16.9% Women 83.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 62.6% N/A
International students 4.8% 3.9%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 571 896
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Iowa Nebraska Texas Virgin Islands Illinois N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Theology
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 55.7% 59.9%
Dropout rate 44.3% 39.0%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,675
  • Year 2: $70,009
  • Year 3: $75,805
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,009
  • Year 2: $57,657
  • Year 3: $59,664
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,817
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $58,240
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,709
  • Year 2: $47,397
  • Year 3: $56,596
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: $40,775
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,691
  • Year 2: $35,416
  • Year 3: N/A
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,406
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: N/A
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,863
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,464
  • Year 2: $98,847
  • Year 3: $103,631
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,364
  • Year 2: $64,865
  • Year 3: $62,901
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,587
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $47,589
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,431
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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