Union College vs Hamilton College

Union College and Hamilton College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in New York State, offer distinct educational experiences. Union, with an acceptance rate of 29%, boasts a diverse student body, with 48% male and 52% female students. Hamilton, with a lower acceptance rate of 15%, has a slightly larger male population, with 53% male and 47% female students. While Union's popular majors include Economics, Engineering, and Psychology, Hamilton's strengths lie in Government, Economics, and English. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Union at 88% and Hamilton at 93%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two exceptional institutions.
Hamilton College logo

Hamilton College

Union College logo

Union College

Overview

Location Clinton, New York Schenectady, New York
Campus setting Suburb: Midsize City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Trimester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 94.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 14.1% 47.0%
Application fees $60 $60
SAT range 1410 - 1540 1270 - 1450
ACT range 33 - 35 28 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 32.0% 37.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0% 16.0%
Total number of applicants 9,380 7,470
Total number of admissions given out 1,320 3,513
Admitted students who chose to enroll 533 565
Yield rate 40.4% 16.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,700 $77,385
Average net price $26,803 $39,101
Tuition $59,380 $61,308
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,320

Meal plan: $6,910
Room/dormitory: $8,370

Meal plan: $6,828
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

55.0%
Average amount $47,867
87.0%
Average amount $36,604
Students receiving federal student loan 35.0%
Average amount $4,331
48.0%
Average amount $5,087
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $25,195
14.0%
Average amount $20,017

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,055
Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
2,096
Men 54.9% Women 45.1%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 6.8% 9.8%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 2,057 2,049
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Physical Science
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.5% 84.5%
Dropout rate 0.8% 14.6%
Transferred out 6.8% 0.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,571
  • Year 2: $63,501
  • Year 3: $84,359
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,593
  • Year 2: $59,045
  • Year 3: $74,628
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,577
  • Year 2: $53,894
  • Year 3: $56,960
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $51,273
  • Year 3: N/A
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $24,772
  • Year 3: N/A
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: N/A
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: N/A
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,978
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: N/A
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,637
  • Year 2: $67,812
  • Year 3: $76,098
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,348
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $74,456
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,171
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: $54,902
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,157
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $47,142
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,375
  • Year 2: $34,081
  • Year 3: $44,570
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,903
  • Year 2: $39,585
  • Year 3: $41,845
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: N/A
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: N/A
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $63,392
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $20,824
  • Year 3: N/A

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