Union College
Schenectady, New York
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
15% gap between the two groups
16% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $11,776 |
| $30k–$48k | $16,415 |
| $48k–$75k | $23,941 |
| $75k–$110k | $34,100 |
| $110k+ | $45,017 |
How Union College compares
This college against the New York and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Union College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Union College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | Associate's | $113,427 | $27,000 | +767% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering | Associate's | $97,575 | $27,000 | +566% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $83,411 | $25,389 | +390% | Strong return |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Associate's | $75,195 | — | +337% | Strong return |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Associate's | $67,210 | $24,500 | +185% | Strong return |
| English Language and Literature, General | Associate's | $57,259 | — | +77% | Strong return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's | $49,183 | $24,500 | -46% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Union College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Should this college make your shortlist?
Get our college-ROI brief — new federal data, best-value colleges and highest-ROI majors, straight to your inbox.