Union College vs Whitman College

Union College and Whitman College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Union, located in Schenectady, New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate (34%) compared to Whitman's selective admissions (28%). Union's student body is more diverse, with 40% students of color, while Whitman's student body is predominantly White (78%). Both colleges excel in academics, with popular majors in the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. However, Union has a slightly higher graduation rate (86%) than Whitman (83%). To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two excellent colleges. Explore the table to find the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Union College	Whitman College
Overview
Location	Schenectady, New York	Walla Walla, Washington
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	47.0%	59.0%
Application fees	$60	$50
SAT range	1270 - 1450	1295 - 1455
ACT range	28 - 32	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	37.0%	21.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	7,470	5,155
Total number of admissions given out	3,513	3,039
Admitted students who chose to enroll	565	477
Yield rate	16.1%	15.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,385	$71,982
Average net price	$39,101	$35,627
Tuition	$61,308	$55,560
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,370 Meal plan: $6,828	Room/dormitory: $6,080 Meal plan: $7,720
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $36,604	91.0% Average amount $30,781
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,087	42.0% Average amount $4,853
Students taking out private loans	14.0% Average amount $20,017	2.0% Average amount $14,105

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,096 Men 54.9% Women 45.1%	1,559 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	65.0%
International students	9.8%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,049	886
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Washington California Oregon Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Liberal Arts	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	84.5%	88.7%
Dropout rate	14.6%	1.6%
Transferred out	0.2%	8.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,596 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $64,407 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $43,330 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,051 Year 2: $22,999 Year 3: $41,844 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,549 Year 2: $27,584 Year 3: $39,355 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,868 Year 3: N/A Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,472 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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