Biological and Physical Sciences at Union College

Union College attracts strong students—its 1410 average SAT and 44% acceptance rate suggest selective admissions—but the economics of its interdisciplinary science program remain uncertain. With both earnings and debt figures estimated from peer institutions, parents should understand they're making decisions based on what similar programs typically produce rather than this school's specific track record.

The estimates suggest reasonable parameters: $36,362 in first-year earnings aligns with New York's state median for these programs, while $26,120 in debt sits slightly above typical borrowing levels. That 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within manageable territory, theoretically allowing graduates to handle loan payments on an entry-level science salary. Yet these baseline figures tell only part of the story for interdisciplinary science degrees, which can lead to vastly different career paths—from laboratory technician roles to graduate school preparation—with correspondingly different earning trajectories.

The real question is whether Union's particular version of this program justifies its private college pricing when outcomes remain unmeasured. The college's low Pell enrollment (13%) suggests most families can afford this uncertainty, but if you're borrowing the full estimated amount, you're betting that Union's specific curriculum and network deliver value beyond what the state's public options provide. Without concrete data showing Union graduates outperform the $36,362 benchmark, that's an expensive assumption.