Private nonprofit · University
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee · Small city
- 60.4%
- Admit rate
- $27,171
- Avg net price
- 66%
- Graduation rate
- $53,990
- Median earnings
Union University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Jackson, Tennessee (small city setting), enrolling 1,607 undergraduates. It has a Southern Baptist religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Union University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 60.4%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1160–1390
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.58
Enter a test score to see where you land against Union University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Union University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. European-American settlement of Jackson began along the Forked Deer River before 1820, primarily by migrants from eastern areas of the Upper South, such as Virginia and Kentucky. Jackson was the site of the now permanently closed International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame Museum, which recognized the contributions of Tennessee musicians to this genre. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 76 miles to Memphis, TN
- To the ocean
- 345 miles
- Nearest airport
- 6 miles to McKellar-Sipes (MKL)
How Union University compares
More selective than 76% · #10 most selective of 37 in Tennessee
Higher than 72%
Higher than 70% · #9 of 43 in Tennessee
Higher than 85%
Higher than 50% · #13 of 43 in Tennessee
Cheaper than 23% · #37 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee
Lower than 70%
Lower than 83%
Larger than 52%
Percentiles compare Union University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Tennessee.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,60767%
- Graduate77933%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,14571%
- Men46229%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White65%
- Black13%
- Hispanic3.0%
- Asian1.9%
- Other or multiracial16%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,607
- Graduate enrollment
- 779
- Student–faculty ratio
- 9 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 25%
- First-generation students
- 33%
- Students over 25
- 18%
- Median family income
- $39,416
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $73,629
- Endowment
- $60,157,304
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 329 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Tennessee71%
- Other U.S. states28%
- International0.6%
Most first-years stay in state — Union University draws overwhelmingly from Tennessee.
1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 60.4%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1160–1390
- SAT average
- 1256
- SAT reading
- 600–710
- SAT math
- 560–680
- ACT composite
- 22–30
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.58
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $40,025
- Room & board
- $12,780
- Books & supplies
- $750
- Total cost of attendance
- $58,363
- Average net price
- $27,171
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 66%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 60%
- First-year retention
- 89%
- Transferred to another college
- 23%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $45,505
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $53,990
- Median debt at graduation
- $20,714
- Students with federal loans
- 42%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 62%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 1,286
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 80%
- Housing charge (year)
- $8,826
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,340
- Application fee
- $35
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II without football
- Varsity athletes
- 207 (105 men · 102 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (7)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.7 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 20
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (2,713 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$23,891/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Union University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $24,006. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 327 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $53,990
- Typical debt at graduation
- $20,714
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 38%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 67%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $6,710 (13%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 28°F
- Annual rain
- 55.2″
- Annual snow
- 4.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jackson 4 NE, TN US station (3.1 mi from campus).
What Union University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Union University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Union University side by side →
Florida Southern College
Lakeland, Florida · Midsize city · 32 mi to Tampa
- Students
- 2,656
- Admission
- 64%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1252
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $55k
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, Georgia · Large suburb · 5 mi to Atlanta
- Students
- 836
- Admission
- 62%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1260
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $56k
Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts · Fringe rural · 20 mi to Boston
- Students
- 1,278
- Admission
- 69%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1265
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $52k
Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa · Remote town · 43 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 1,597
- Admission
- 68%
- Net price
- $26k
- SAT
- 1221
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $53k
Berry College
Mount Berry, Georgia · Small suburb · 53 mi to Chattanooga
- Students
- 2,245
- Admission
- 64%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1220
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $54k
Caldwell University
Caldwell, New Jersey · Large suburb · 16 mi to New York
- Students
- 1,575
- Admission
- 71%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1260
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $54k
Colleges near Union University
Empire Beauty School-Jackson
Jackson, TN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 73 students
Lane College
Jackson, TN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 736 students
Jackson State Community College
Jackson, TN · Public · Associate · 2,511 students
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson
Jackson, TN · Public · Certificate · 563 students
Arnolds Beauty School
Milan, TN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 63 students
Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, TN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,212 students
Elite College of Cosmetology
Lexington, TN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 53 students
Bethel University
McKenzie, TN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,547 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












