I am not here to tell you whether this university is right for your family. An article cannot decide that. What I can do, using the official data that the United States government collects from each institution, is show you clearly what kind of school Union University is, what it costs a family, whom it admits and whom it does not, and what happens to students who have already enrolled. With that information in hand, you can decide how it fits—or does not fit—into your child's plan.
Who Union University Is
Union University is a private, nonprofit institution offering four-year or higher programs. The federal system that classifies United States colleges and universities, called Carnegie, places it among doctoral and professional universities, and an earlier profile described it as a small, highly residential school: at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing, and eight out of ten attended full time. In another, more recent classification, Carnegie places it among institutions with high transfer-in enrollment, and its graduate profile identifies it as granting research doctorates. That last detail comes from degrees awarded several years ago; it is not a guarantee of what the university offers today.
What does "highly residential" mean for your family? It means that living on campus is a central part of how this school operates. That does not tell you whether moving there makes sense or how much room and board cost—those are charged separately, and you will see them later. And if your child would come here after attending another institution, there is one thing you should do: ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. Carnegie places Union among the schools in its category with more incoming transfer students, but that label does not say how many credits each student brings in or how many are lost along the way.
The school is in Jackson, within Madison County, in the city's metropolitan area. That tells you where it is, not how to get there. If your child were considering living at home, the only way to know whether the commute is feasible is to drive it yourself on a weekday at the exact time of your child's classes. The map almost never tells the whole truth.
Regarding academic level, the government records the doctorate as the highest level the university reports offering and classifies it as an institution that awards primarily bachelor's degrees or higher. That is a general institutional fact—it does not tell you whether the exact major your child is interested in exists or whether it leads into a graduate program. That must be checked program by program.
And one point worth making clear from the start: Union University is not recorded as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Those are three separate designations with different histories, and none of the three applies here. That does not say which students the school serves today or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist right now.
How Many Students There Are and Who They Are
Union University had 2,674 students enrolled in the official fall count, making it a medium-sized institution among similar selective private universities—neither one of the large ones nor one of the small ones. Of that total, 1,891 are undergraduates and 783 are graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor's degree program, the number that matters is 1,891, not the total: a substantial part of that larger figure consists of people who have already completed a degree and are continuing their education.
Here I want to pause on a number that deserves a direct look: out of every 100 undergraduate students, only 2 were reported as Hispanic or Latino. Compared with 941 similar selective private schools, Union University is among those reporting the lowest shares. Nine out of ten of those schools report a higher proportion.
I am not telling you that this makes the school bad or that it makes it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled there. But if your child will be one of the few, the question to ask during the visit is not rhetorical: which student groups exist, whether anyone in the office speaks Spanish, and what a Latino student who is already there says about campus life. That number is for the entire school; your child's experience in a specific major may look different.
As for the rest of the student profile, there are more women than men—63 out of every 100 undergraduates—and 18 out of every 100 are between the ages of 25 and 64, so there is a mix of ages. Just over half of newly entering students, 71 out of every 100, already lived in Tennessee when they applied.
How the Academic Year Works and What Credit Your Child May Bring
Union University's academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, with fixed dates for everyone.
There are two stated ways for what your child has already learned to count as college credit: the university accepts AP exams, and it also accepts what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, prior licenses or certifications, or military or professional opportunities. It also reports accepting credit for military training. And it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the part you should not skip: the fact that the school identifies these pathways does not mean it will award credit for any exam or any experience. We do not know what AP scores it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrollment. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have it in hand.
As for what students study there, in the latest year reported, Union University awarded 404 bachelor's degrees across 25 academic program families. The family with by far the most degrees was health professions: 123 of the 404, or 30 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, Union University has one of the broadest academic offerings in terms of the number of program families represented. But "25 families with a row in the report" does not mean 25 active majors—a family groups several programs together, and some may report no degrees that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in, not just the general field.
One fact that often catches parents' attention is the student-to-instructional-staff ratio of 8 to 1, one of the lowest among similar schools. That sounds good, and it probably is. But a low aggregate ratio does not measure class size or actual individual attention. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
Union University also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, a complete program that can be taken only in the evening or on weekends, and preparation and certification pathways for those who want to teach, including state approval of its initial teacher-certification program.
Getting Into Union University: What It Requires and How Difficult It Is
Union University does not have open admissions. It reviews several elements before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks four as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory program the university requires, and an English proficiency exam for applicants for whom it applies. Other elements are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and whether a family member previously attended.
On that last point, if no one in your family attended Union University, do not waste energy worrying about it. Spend that energy on what is within your child's control.
The application fee is $35.
Now for the hard admissions numbers. In the 2023 cycle, Union University received 3,012 first-time applications and offered admission to 1,421. That is 47 out of every 100—selective and on the more demanding side compared with similar private schools, seven out of ten of which accept a higher percentage of applicants. On the other side were 1,591 applicants who did not receive an offer. This number does not separate those who were rejected from those who were waitlisted or withdrew their applications. It is fine for Union to be on your child's list. It should not be the only school on it.
And here is a number most families never see, but it matters just as much: out of every 100 admitted students, only 23 ultimately enrolled. The other 77 had a place there and did not take it. Do not read this as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What I can tell you is this: what others decided does not predict what your child will be offered. Wait for the admission letter with the net price included. That number, not anyone else's, is what determines whether the school stays on the list.
Regarding tests, the SAT and ACT are not required at Union University. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds the same way. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—only 11 out of every 100 did so—the middle half scored between 540 and 690 in reading and writing and between 490 and 650 in mathematics. That 540 is not a minimum your child must reach, and that 690 is not a guarantee of anything either. These are data from students who were already admitted, not from everyone who applied.
Regarding transfers, of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor's degree full time, only 7 out of every 100 are recorded as having transferred to another school without completing their degree at Union. That is a low proportion compared with similar schools. This number does not say what happened to the rest—they may have graduated, remained enrolled, or stopped attending college. And if your child would be transferring into Union from another school, 111 students entered that way in the fall of 2023. That count does not say how many courses received credit. Ask for that in writing, with the list of credits in hand, before your child transfers.
What It Costs and What You Will Actually Pay
At Union University, among 31 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $24,793. Among 18 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $25,531; among 52 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $29,835. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $5,042 between the average for the lowest-income band (31 students) and the average for the highest-income band (52 students). Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $27,191.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this measure with the same time coverage, Union falls within the most expensive quarter for lower-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the financial aid letter before deciding.
An average does not show how different individual cases were within that band; these data do not support claiming that some families were far below or above the published figure. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships.
Aid, Scholarships, and Loans: Where the Money Comes From
Most Union University students receive some form of aid that does not have to be repaid: 87 out of every 100. Among those who received it, the annual average was $26,172. That is a large figure, but it includes students who received much more and others who received much less. It is not a promise of what your child will receive.
The Pell Grant—federal aid for low-income families—went to 28 out of every 100 degree-seeking students.
Now, the debt. In the 2022-23 academic year, 47 out of every 100 Union University undergraduate students took out a federal student loan. Nearly half. Among those who borrowed, the average was $10,597 in that year alone. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would reach about $42,388, not counting interest—and that calculation needs to be made before the first signature, not at the end.
That loan percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow depends on your child's own financial aid letter. And that $10,597 average covers only federal loans in the student's name for one year—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that a father or mother sometimes signs for, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt students have when they graduate; that would require adding all four years, and that figure is not in this report.
Union University also offers an installment tuition payment plan if your family needs to spread the cost across the year instead of paying it all at once.
Campus Life: Housing, Sports, and Support
Union University has its own housing. It does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—but that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. Its reported maximum capacity is 1,286 students. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed; request the annual rate, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list in writing.
Regarding ROTC, Union University did not mark any box related to ROTC opportunities in its report, neither the general box nor any of the boxes for specific branches. Among the four-year institutions in this guide, 926 out of 1,786 marked at least one. Union was not among them. If your child's plan depends on that scholarship, do not cross the school off the list without asking admissions directly—this field says what was reported, not everything that exists.
In sports, Union University competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school; it is not a guarantee for your child. If your child is interested in playing, contact the coach directly: ask whether there is a roster spot, which division that sport competes in, and whether it offers athletic scholarships. Ask for written confirmation.
The university also offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 7 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes that way; the rest take at least one class in person. The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan services. Reported services also include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, a transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, participation in Yellow Ribbon for veterans, and a dedicated point of contact for military families.
What Happens to Students Who Have Already Enrolled
For many parents, this is the most revealing section because it describes what comes afterward.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022 as first-time, full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 87 out of every 100 were still enrolled at Union University or had already graduated one year later. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools—among those near the top. But this number combines two different groups: those still studying and those who had already completed their degrees. We do not know how much each group contributes to the figure or what happened to the rest.
Of the cohort that began a bachelor's degree in 2017, with 336 full-time students, 238 had earned their degree six years later. That is 71 out of every 100—more than seven out of ten. At four years, the figure had already reached 65 out of every 100, only six points below the final six-year result, which suggests that students who make good progress at Union University tend to graduate close to the expected time. Compared with similar schools, Union University is in the top quarter: three out of four similar schools report an equal or lower proportion of graduates.
It is a high number. But a high number is not an individual promise. It is what happened to that cohort of 2017. What is within your control, and your child's, is making sure that your child starts the first semester with credits in order, knows who the academic advisor is, and knows from the beginning when enrollment opens for the courses required by the major.
There is an even longer-term view: of a cohort that entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including full-time and part-time students—64 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Union University eight years later. Among Pell Grant recipients, that figure falls to 56 out of every 100, eleven points below the figure for those who did not receive it. If your family would qualify for Pell today, this does not determine your child's outcome, but it is a question worth bringing to the visit: what specific supports exist for those students—an assigned advisor, emergency aid, and whether the institutional scholarship is renewed each year. And ask for the answer in writing.
What Comes Next
You now know Union University in greater depth than very few families achieve before deciding: you know how it admits students, what it really costs based on income, how most students pay, and what happened to students who have already attended.
But this piece alone is not the complete plan. It is one of three pieces. You still need to consider what your child wants to study and what your child has accomplished so far. And you need to consider what your family can and is willing to pay, something you will know for certain only when the financial aid letter bearing your child's name arrives on paper.
Your child's job is to research the exact program of interest, contact the coach if your child wants to play, and speak with a student who is already there. Your job is to handle the money, the deadlines, the FAFSA, and the uncomfortable questions before anything has to be signed. Neither of you does the other's work.
When you bring the three pieces together—the university, the student, and the family—you will have something better than a magical answer: a plan you understand and can defend.
Note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by Union University to the United States Department of Education's IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, with comparisons against a census of selective private four-year universities. Best College Aid does not represent Union University or the United States government, and this piece is not a substitute for the information the university itself can provide about your particular circumstances.