Washington and Lee vs Union College

Washington and Lee University and Union College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Washington and Lee, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a lower acceptance rate, smaller student body, and higher graduation rate compared to Union College, situated in the vibrant city of Schenectady, New York. While Washington and Lee excels in pre-law and business programs, Union College shines in engineering and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths, student demographics, and academic offerings, and make an informed decision that aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	Union College	Washington and Lee University
Overview
Location	Schenectady, New York	Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
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%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	47.0%	18.8%
Application fees	$60	$60
SAT range	1270 - 1450	1410 - 1530
ACT range	28 - 32	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	37.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	32.0%
Total number of applicants	7,470	6,621
Total number of admissions given out	3,513	1,248
Admitted students who chose to enroll	565	484
Yield rate	16.1%	38.8%
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	$80,300
Average net price	$39,101	$26,063
Tuition	$61,308	$58,260
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,370 Meal plan: $6,828	Room/dormitory: $8,600 Meal plan: $7,670
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $36,604	56.0% Average amount $51,537
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,087	13.0% Average amount $4,878
Students taking out private loans	14.0% Average amount $20,017	6.0% Average amount $25,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,096 Men 54.9% Women 45.1%	1,857 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	N/A	381 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	81.2%
International students	9.8%	5.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	2,049	1,520
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia North Carolina Texas New York Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Liberal Arts	Legal Profession Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	84.5%	93.6%
Dropout rate	14.6%	6.2%
Transferred out	0.2%	N/A
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,231 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $85,103 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $63,586 Year 2: $72,642 Year 3: $83,304 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,449 Year 3: $79,551 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $69,951 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,643 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $68,713 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $54,059 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,231 Year 2: $41,007 Year 3: $45,285 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,593 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: N/A

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