Union at a Glance

Union is who we are and how we get our strength. We’re a union of students from different backgrounds with different perspectives. A union of the liberal arts, sciences, and engineering.

Founded in 1795 as the first planned campus in the United States, Union College is a highly selective, private, residential, liberal arts college with engineering that is consistently ranked among the nation's top colleges. Set on 100 acres in downtown Schenectady, N.Y., including eight acres of formal gardens and woodland known as Jackson's Garden, Union is within easy reach of Albany, New York City, Boston, Montreal, rural areas and outdoor recreation.

• 2,000 full-time undergraduates from 40 states and territories and 55 countries
• 30% domestic students of color
• 10% international
• 9:1 student-faculty ratio
• 219 faculty members; 97% have earned a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field
• Class of 2030 Profile (Incoming Class)

• Three 10-week terms with extended winter break
• Average introductory class size: 24; upper level class size: 14
• 65+ majors and minors including a wealth of interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs
• 80% of students do faculty-mentored research; 85% of students complete at least one internship; 60% of students study abroad
• Accelerated programs (students earn two or more degrees) include Leadership in Medicine, Business Master's Pathways and 3+3 Accelerated Law

• All students belong to a Minerva House–seven lively hubs for academic, social, residential and leadership activities.
• Students live on campus for their entire time at Union.
• Student-run theme living
• More than 130 campus clubs
• 10 residential and 3 non-residential fraternities and sororities; recruitment begins sophomore year
• Community service opportunities in Schenectady and beyond through the Kenney Center

• NCAA Division I ECAC Men's and Women's Ice Hockey competes against Brown, Colgate, Clarkson, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, RPI, St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac, and Yale.
• NCAA Division III Liberty League in 25 sports competes against Bard, Clarkson, Hobart and William Smith, RIT, RPI, University of Rochester, St. Lawrence, Skidmore and Vassar.
• A third of students participate in intercollegiate sports.
• Extensive intramural, recreation and wellness programs are offered.

• $80 million in Union College scholarships and grants are awarded each year.
• About 60% of Union students receive need-based financial scholarship assistance to attend Union and over 25% receive merit scholarships.
• Merit scholarships range from $5,000 to $40,000 and are automatically renewed annually for up to four years.
• Making U Possible Grants are available to some students who apply for financial aid, but who otherwise do not qualify for need-based aid or only qualify for a minimal amount.

• Top career fields of recent graduates: business/finance, engineering, healthcare, communications, law, education, technology, arts/entertainment, human services, government
• Accomplished alumni include: Nobel Prize and Academy Award winners, a National Book Award winner and a MacArthur 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 (to note just a few)

• Garnet

We host on-campus and virtual events throughout the year. Admissions deans also travel throughout the country and may be in your area.