Union College vs Occidental College

Union College and Occidental College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Union College, nestled in Schenectady, New York, boasts a lower acceptance rate of 32%, while Occidental College, located in Los Angeles, California, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 35%. Both colleges offer a diverse range of academic programs, with Union College excelling in engineering and pre-professional studies, and Occidental College known for its strengths in the humanities and social sciences. Union College's student body is predominantly white, while Occidental College's student body is more diverse, reflecting the vibrant multiculturalism of Los Angeles. With Union College's higher graduation rate of 86% compared to Occidental College's 80%, both institutions provide students with the necessary support and resources to achieve academic success. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the unique characteristics of each college and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Occidental College	Union College
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Schenectady, New York
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	47.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	$60
SAT range	1340 - 1490	1270 - 1450
ACT range	30 - 33	28 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	16.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495	7,470
Total number of admissions given out	2,484	3,513
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535	565
Yield rate	21.5%	16.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,878	$77,385
Average net price	$43,047	$39,101
Tuition	$57,830	$61,308
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090	Room/dormitory: $8,370 Meal plan: $6,828
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,715	87.0% Average amount $36,604
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603	48.0% Average amount $5,087
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554	14.0% Average amount $20,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	2,096 Men 54.9% Women 45.1%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	62.5%	N/A
International students	6.3%	9.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,650	2,049
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.9%	84.5%
Dropout rate	4.1%	14.6%
Transferred out	12.6%	0.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,544 Year 2: $55,078 Year 3: $63,231 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,360 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $49,843 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,329 Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $45,083 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,948 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,488 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $33,877 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,152 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,035 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,095 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,916 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $30,729 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,793 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A	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

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Union College vs Occidental College

Occidental College

Union College

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Financial Aid

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Academics

Outcome

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