Union College vs Williams College

Union College and Williams College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Union, located in Schenectady, New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate (32%) compared to Williams' highly selective admissions (13%). Union's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population and a higher percentage of students receiving financial aid. Williams, situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts, excels in its strong alumni network and higher graduation rate (96%). While both colleges offer a range of academic programs, Union is known for its engineering and pre-professional programs, while Williams emphasizes the humanities and social sciences. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more key differences and determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Union College	Williams College
Overview
Location	Schenectady, New York	Williamstown, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	47.0%	8.8%
Application fees	$60	$65
SAT range	1270 - 1450	N/A
ACT range	28 - 32	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%
Total number of applicants	7,470	12,452
Total number of admissions given out	3,513	1,099
Admitted students who chose to enroll	565	574
Yield rate	16.1%	52.2%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,385	$78,060
Average net price	$39,101	$14,487
Tuition	$61,308	$59,350
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,370 Meal plan: $6,828	Room/dormitory: $7,625 Meal plan: $7,375
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $36,604	52.0% Average amount $52,053
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,087	13.0% Average amount $3,992
Students taking out private loans	14.0% Average amount $20,017	2.0% Average amount $3,884

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,096 Men 54.9% Women 45.1%	2,174 Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students	N/A	50 Men 44.0% Women 56.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	9.8%	9.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	2,049	2,045
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Liberal Arts	Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	84.5%	93.8%
Dropout rate	14.6%	3.1%
Transferred out	0.2%	1.6%
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	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $109,470 Year 2: $96,183 Year 3: $99,047 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,280 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $91,723 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,217 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $63,034 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,948 Year 2: $44,384 Year 3: $48,967 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,036 Year 2: $49,464 Year 3: $44,771 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,993 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,402 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,135 Year 2: $40,461 Year 3: $41,065 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,760 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $37,587 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,029 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $26,432 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,668 Year 2: $25,525 Year 3: $14,771

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