Wells College vs Union College

Wells College and Union College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning in New York State, offer distinct educational experiences. Wells, a private liberal arts college, boasts a tight-knit community with a 98% acceptance rate, while Union, a private research university, offers a more diverse student body and a 28% acceptance rate. Wells excels in the humanities and social sciences, while Union is renowned for its engineering, business, and nursing programs. Both colleges provide ample opportunities for extracurricular involvement, but Wells' smaller size fosters closer student-faculty relationships and a more personalized learning environment. With Wells' 68% graduation rate and Union's 86% graduation rate, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Union College	Wells College
Overview
Location	Schenectady, New York	Aurora, New York
Campus setting	City: Small	Rural: Distant
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%	46.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	47.0%	68.3%
Application fees	$60
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	2,167
Total number of admissions given out	3,513	1,480
Admitted students who chose to enroll	565	140
Yield rate	16.1%	9.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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	$77,385	$49,100
Average net price	$39,101	$19,963
Tuition	$61,308	$30,950
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,370 Meal plan: $6,828	Room/dormitory: $11,800 Meal plan: $3,000
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $36,604	100.0% Average amount $27,321
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,087	83.0% Average amount $5,847
Students taking out private loans	14.0% Average amount $20,017	19.0% Average amount $13,131

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,096 Men 54.9% Women 45.1%	342 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	9.8%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	2,049	442
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	Social Sciences Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Liberal Arts	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Education History
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	84.5%	55.0%
Dropout rate	14.6%	45.0%
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	Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,774 Year 2: $17,560 Year 3: $31,573 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: N/A Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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