Union College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Cortland, New York · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
Union College is a public institution located in Cortland, New York with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Union College admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 51%. Admitted students typically post an ACT composite around 25. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,951 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Union College is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Union College?
Union College admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Union College typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | — |
| 50th percentile | 25 |
| 75th percentile | — |
- • Test-blind: Union College does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not Considered
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 10% |
| Top 25% of class | 10% |
| Top 50% of class | 10% |
How much does Union College actually cost?
Published tuition is $8,815 for in-state students and $18,725 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $15,210 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $19,951 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 27% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $4,970 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $12,870 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $19,951 |
| Application fee | $4 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Union College
| Regular deadline | page 4 |
| Notification date | and |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Other colleges in New York parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Union College
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Union College recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Union College
What GPA do I need for Union College?
Union College admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Union College typically admit?
Union College does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does Union College actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Union College after grants and scholarships is $19,951 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Union College realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Union College is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Union College, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.