It's All About U: Union at a Glance

Profile

Founded in 1795 as the first planned campus in the United States, Union is a highly selective, private liberal arts college with engineering that is consistently ranked among the nation’s top colleges.

Location
  • Set on 120 acres in downtown Schenectady, N.Y., including eight acres of formal gardens and woodland known as Jackson’s Garden
  • Located in the heart of Upstate New York’s burgeoning Tech Valley
  • Within easy reach of New York City, Boston and Montreal, rural areas, wilderness and major East Coast ski slopes.
President
  • Stephen Charles Ainlay, the 18th president of Union College, took office on July 1, 2006.
Students
  • 2,128 full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates from 35 states, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 26 other countries 
  • 48% women and 52% men (overall); 51% women and 49% men (incoming Class of 2011)
  • 14% students of color (overall); 17% students of color (incoming Class of 2011)
Faculty
  • 11:1 student-faculty ratio
  • 196 faculty members
  • 97% have earned Ph.D. or higher
Alumni
  • Union has produced leaders in all fields, including arts, medicine, science, engineering, media, entertainment, the law and politics
  • Union counts among its alumni Nobel Prize and Academy Award winners, a National Book Award winner and a McArthur Fellow, an Olympic Gold medalist, seven Cabinet secretaries, a secretary of state, 13 governors, 200 judges, 90 college presidents and the 21st president of the United States.
  • 35 % of alumni pursue graduate study
  • Some of our Distinguished Alumni
Academics
  • Trimester system (three 10-week terms) offers academic depth and flexibility with an extended winter break
  • Average class size: 20
  • 30 degree programs offered in 37 academic departments
  • A wealth of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs and majors
  • Two-thirds of all students have an international experience.
  • Union sponsors international programs in Australia, China, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain
  • Specialized mini-terms in Marine Studies, National Health Systems and community service
  • Formal exchange programs in 11 countries and Partnership for Global Education Programs on four continents
  • Accelerated programs (students may earn two or more degrees) include Leadership in Medicine, Law & Public Policy, and Business.
Campus Facilities
  • Nearly 100 buildings, including: the 16-sided Nott Memorial, a National Historic Landmark and center for lectures and exhibits; Schaffer Library, with 550,000 volumes, 1,500 journals and two online databases that provide access to a quarter million printed books, documents and musical scores; F.W. Olin Center, offering collaborative computer classrooms and labs; the Science & Engineering Center, with specialized research tools for student use; the new Taylor Music Center with Emerson Hall, an all-Steinway facility; Grant Hall, home of Admissions; Yulman Theatre; Reamer Campus Center; Becker Career Center; Memorial Chapel, home to nationally acclaimed Chamber Concert Series; Alumni Gym, with a 25-meter swimming pool and new 12,000-square-foot fitness center; state-of-the-art Viniar Athletic Center; newly renovated Messa Rink at Achilles Center; College Park Hall, a residence and meeting facility; Abbe Hall, a center for alumni activities; and Kenney Community Center.
Campus Community & Extracurriculars
  • All students belong to a Minerva House, seven lively hubs for academic, social and residential activities, and leadership and governance opportunities
  • 12 student-run theme houses cover such interests as arts, ecology, community service, language, cooking, music and culture, and sustainability.
  • More than 100 campus clubs and activities encompass a range of interests, including performance and arts clubs; cultural, religious and ethnic interest groups; the student newspaper, Concordiensis, and literary magazine, The Idol; the student radio station, WRUC; sports clubs; 17 fraternities and sororities; academic and honor societies; a cappella singing; political interest and advocacy groups. New groups are formed regularly.
  • Community service opportunities abound in the city of Schenectady and beyond.       
Athletics
  • Union is a member of the ECAC Conference Hockey League, Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey.
  • Union athletes compete primarily in the NCAA Division III Liberty League, a 10-member league with Clarkson, Hamilton, Hobart and William Smith, RPI, University of Rochester, St. Lawrence, Skidmore and Vassar.
  • A third of all students participate in intercollegiate sports.
  • 25 varsity programs and intramural and recreational athletics.
School Colors
  • Garnet and gray
Class of 2011 Profile
  • 561 students from 24 states and 12 other countries
  • 17% students of color
  • 51% women, 49% men enrolled
  • 35% early decision students
  • 69% attended public high schools
  • 68% received financial aid
  • Average SAT for admitted students (90% submitted), 1310 (640/670)
  • Avg. SAT for enrolled students (79% submitted), 1260 (620/640)
  • Average GPA, 90.3%
  • 4,837 applications received; 2,093 students admitted (43%)
Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Union College tuition, fees, and room and board for the 2007-08 academic year are $46,245.
  • In 2006-07, Union administered $24.8 million in need-based financial assistance to 1,208 students.
  • More than half of all Union students received financial assistance from the College.
  • The average Union scholarship was $19,000, and the average financial aid package (scholarship, loan and job) was $25,000 (includes all scholarship, need-based loans and work-study).
CONTACT US
  • Main mailing address: Union College is 807 Union St., Schenectady, NY 12308
  • Main switchboard number: 388-6000
  • Admissions phone: (518) 388-6112 or (888) 843-6688
  • Contact Admissions