John Jay vs. Union College

Should I go to CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice or Union College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if John Jay or Union 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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CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice vs. Union College comparison
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Union College College 3 College 4
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Union College
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Overview

John Jay Union College
Location New York, NY Schenectady, NY
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 13,510 2,082
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #556 #87
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu union.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

John Jay Union College
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $66,105
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $66,105
Room & Board $21,788 $16,389
Avg Net Price $4,141 $42,884
Avg Grant Aid $9,284 $38,751
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 94%

Admission

John Jay Union College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,921 9,295
Admitted 10,255 4,070
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 43.8%
Enrolled % 19.8% 13.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.24 3.5
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Average Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 30/33
SAT Range 1000/1250 1310/1480
Submit Test Scores 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

Academics

John Jay Union College
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (54%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Legal Professions (5%)
  • Human Services (3%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

John Jay Union College
Graduation Rate 39% 86%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,900 $74,200
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $10,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $103 $279

Diversity

John Jay Union College
% Men 4% 0%
% Women 9% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 18% 73%
% Black 17% 4%
% Hispanic 48% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

John Jay Union College
% In-State 90% 28%
% Out-of-State 0% 63%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice is larger than than Union College based on total student enrollment (13,510 students vs. 2,082 students)

John Jay vs. Union College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, John Jay or Union College?

  • Union College is 853.9% more expensive to attend than John Jay for in-state tuition ($66,105.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 344.3% higher at Union College than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($66,105.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice than Union College ($4,141 vs. $42,884)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Union College are 32.9% lower than costs at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($16,389 vs. $21,788)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Union College than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (94% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Union College students is 317.4% larger than aid received CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice ($38,751 vs. $9,284)

John Jay vs. Union College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Union College students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at John Jay (3.24)
  • John Jay has a higher acceptance rate (57.2%) than Union College (43.8%)

John Jay vs. Union College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, John Jay or Union 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 Union College and John Jay.

  • The graduation rate at Union College is higher than CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice (86% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from Union College earn on average $26,300 more per year than John Jay graduates after ten years. ($74,200 vs. $47,900)
  • CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice students graduate with a $17,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Union College graduates. ($10,000 vs. $27,000)
  • John Jay graduates are paying $176 less per month on federal student loans than Union College graduates. ($103 vs. $279)
  • More Union College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former John Jay students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 52%)

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