Union College vs Bard College

Union College and Bard College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Union, located in Schenectady, New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate (33%) compared to Bard's selective admissions (28%). Union's student body is more diverse, with 40% students of color, while Bard's student body is predominantly white (63%). Both colleges excel in the sciences, with popular majors including Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science. However, Bard also offers a strong focus on the arts, with popular majors in Studio Art, Music, and Film. While Union's graduation rate stands at 86%, Bard's is slightly lower at 82%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two colleges. Explore the table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bard College	Union College
Overview
Location	Annandale-On-Hudson, New York	Barbourville, Kentucky
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
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	87.0%	60.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	59.9%	56.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	955 - 1148
ACT range	N/A	16 - 22
Students submitting SAT score		6.0%
Students submitting ACT score		84.0%
Total number of applicants	5,167	723
Total number of admissions given out	3,096	408
Admitted students who chose to enroll	473	140
Yield rate	15.3%	34.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$72,868	$41,789
Average net price	$24,318	$15,690
Tuition	$57,498	$27,119
Room & board	$16,760	Room/dormitory: $2,800 Meal plan: $3,900
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $50,598	98.0% Average amount $22,966
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $5,101	71.0% Average amount $5,976
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $16,225	10.0% Average amount $5,676

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,171 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%	789 Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students	420 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%	235 Men 45.1% Women 54.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	14.7%	11.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,400	437
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Business Education Natural Resources and Conservation	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.6%	37.1%
Dropout rate	9.9%	27.2%
Transferred out	18.3%	35.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,261 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,624 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,818 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,172 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,518 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,944 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $27,353 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,051 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,564 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,490 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,154 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,226 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,123 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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