Union College vs. Lafayette College vs. Bucknell

Should I go to Union College or Lafayette College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Union College or Lafayette College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Union College vs. Lafayette College vs. Bucknell University comparison
Union College Lafayette College Bucknell University College 4
Union College Lafayette College Bucknell University
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Overview

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
Location Schenectady, NY Easton, PA Lewisburg, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 2,082 2,764 3,892
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #87 #66 #73
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website union.edu lafayette.edu bucknell.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
Tuition (In State) $66,105 $61,482 $64,418
Tuition (Out of State) $66,105 $61,482 $64,418
Room & Board $16,389 $18,640 $16,118
Avg Net Price $42,884 $34,728 $38,486
Avg Grant Aid $38,751 $44,126 $41,211
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 52% 56%

Admission

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
Applied 9,295 9,874 11,010
Admitted 4,070 3,107 3,524
Acceptance Rate 43.8% 31.5% 32%
Enrolled % 13.5% 22.4% 29.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.53 3.62
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High High
ACT Range 30/33 30/33 31/33
SAT Range 1310/1480 1340/1490 1300/1450
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
Graduation Rate 86% 88% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,200 $81,000 $76,300
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 91% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $268 $279

Diversity

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
% Men 0% 0% 0%
% Women 1% 0% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Medium Low
HBCU No No No
% White 73% 67% 77%
% Black 4% 5% 3%
% Hispanic 7% 6% 6%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2% 4%
% International 7% 9% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 7% 0%

Students

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
% In-State 28% 13% 21%
% Out-of-State 63% 79% 74%

Campus

 Union College Lafayette College Bucknell
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No
Daycare Facility No No No
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Lafayette College is larger than than Union College based on total student enrollment (2,764 students vs. 2,082 students)

Union College vs. Lafayette College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Union College or Lafayette College?

  • Union College is 7.5% more expensive to attend than Lafayette College for in-state tuition ($66,105.00 vs. $61,482.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.5% higher at Union College than Lafayette College ($66,105.00 vs. $61,482.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Lafayette College than Union College ($34,728 vs. $42,884)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Union College are 13.7% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($16,389 vs. $18,640)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Union College than Lafayette College (94% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lafayette College students is 13.9% larger than aid received Union College ($44,126 vs. $38,751)

Union College vs. Lafayette College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Union College or Lafayette College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Lafayette College or Union College .

  • Accepted freshman Lafayette College students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.53) than students at Union College (3.5)
  • Union College has a higher acceptance rate (43.8%) than Lafayette College (31.5%)

Union College vs. Lafayette College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Union College or Lafayette College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Lafayette College and Union College.

  • The graduation rate at Lafayette College is higher than Union College (88% vs. 86%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $6,800 more per year than Union College graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $74,200)
  • Lafayette College students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Union College graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Lafayette College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Union College graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Union College students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 86%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/