Union (NY) SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)

Union (NY) SAT scores break down into a Reading and Writing middle 50 of 660 to 720 and a Math middle 50 of 650 to 760. Put those together and the full SAT middle 50 runs from 1310 to 1480, with an average score of 1395 for admitted students. So the typical accepted applicant lands a little above the midpoint of the 1600 scale, and the top quarter clears 1480.

Union College sits in Schenectady, NY, and it is a private nonprofit university, so the numbers reflect a smaller applicant pool than you find at a big state school. Enrollment is about 2,046 students, which keeps the campus tight. The acceptance rate is 43.9%, so a bit fewer than half of applicants get in. That is selective without being a lottery. Scores are one piece of the read here, but they carry weight. A 1480 or higher plants you in the top 25% of admitted students, while anything under 1310 falls below the range most accepted students posted. The ACT middle 50 covers 29 to 33 if you would rather submit that test. Both sections matter, and the Math band reaching up to 760 gives you room to make up ground on the verbal side.

Here is how to read your score against Union College. The SAT middle 50 is 1310 to 1480. Score below 1310 and you sit under the range most admitted students posted, so the rest of your file has to carry more of the load. Land inside 1310 to 1480 and you are right where the middle half of accepted students scored, which is solid footing at a school admitting 43.9% of applicants. Clear 1480 and you are in the top 25% by score, a real edge.

The section splits tell you where the bar is highest. Math runs 650 to 760, while Reading and Writing runs 660 to 720. The Math band reaches 40 points higher at the 75th percentile, so Math sets the tougher target for the top quarter. If you want to stand out, that is the section to push. A balanced 660 in Reading and Writing plus a 720 in Math already puts you at 1380, comfortably inside the range.

Admitted students at Union College typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.6 to 3.9 band. That range fits a school taking a bit under half of its applicants, and it means most students who get in earned mostly A grades with a few B grades mixed in across four years.

The number on its own does not tell the whole story. Grades earned in rigorous courses count as much as the GPA itself, so a 3.7 built on honors and demanding classes reads stronger than a higher average from lighter coursework. If your GPA sits at the lower edge of that band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A score at or above the Union middle 50, meaning 1310 or higher and ideally near the 1480 mark, gives the admissions read a clear reason to look past a transcript that trails the average. Push both the number and the course load and you give yourself the best case.

Set your targets against the Union numbers directly. Hitting the 25th percentile of 1310 keeps you inside the range admitted students posted. Reaching the 75th percentile of 1480 puts you in the top quarter and gives your file a clear lift. By section, aim for at least 660 in Reading and Writing and at least 650 in Math to stay in the band, then push Math toward 760 since that is where the higher bar sits.

The testing policy is optional in the most recent federal data, so you only submit when your score helps your case. That makes a strong number pure upside. To map the gap between where you are and 1480, start with a diagnostic to see your current section splits, then build the study around them with our score plans. Your next concrete step: take a full timed practice SAT this week, compare each section to the Union bands above, and target the weaker one first.