Quad

Head-to-head

Union
Franklin and Marshall

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Union grads earn $12.5K more ten years out than Franklin and Marshall's ($88,604 vs. $76,124)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Union costs about $8.4K less per year on average than Franklin and Marshall ($43,960 vs. $52,376, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Union's grants cover 48% of its full price on average, vs. 39% at Franklin and Marshall

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Franklin and Marshall has 6 pts more first-gen students than Union (19% vs. 13%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Franklin and Marshall's yield is 4 pts higher than Union's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Franklin and Marshall is more diverse (index 0.61 vs. 0.57)

    Diversity index

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Franklin and Marshall admits 36%, Union 44%; Franklin and Marshall's yield is higher, at 18%.

Acceptance rate
Union44%
Franklin and Marshall36%
Quad's selectivity
  • UnionVery selective
  • Franklin and MarshallVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
Union
1310–1480
Franklin and Marshall
1310–1463
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • UnionRigor, GPA, and rank very important
  • Franklin and MarshallRigor, GPA, and rank very important

Who's on each campus

Union is a bit larger than Franklin and Marshall (2,046 vs. 1,799 undergrads); Franklin and Marshall has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Union2K
Franklin and Marshall1.8K
Pell Grant share
Union14%
Franklin and Marshall16%

Majors and faculty

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics leads at Union, and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Franklin and Marshall; both have 9 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
Union9 to 1
Franklin and Marshall9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • UnionEconometrics and Quantitative Economics13%
  • Franklin and MarshallMulti-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other17%

What each costs

Union costs about $8.4K less a year than Franklin and Marshall on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Union$44K
Franklin and Marshall$52.4K
Aid generosity
Union48%
Franklin and Marshall39%

What each pays off

Union's former students earn more, a median $88.6K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Union$88.6K
Franklin and Marshall$76.1K
Graduation rate
Union85%
Franklin and Marshall84%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Franklin and Marshall got more selective while Union held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • UnionGrowing+52%
  • Franklin and MarshallGrowing+81%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Union College Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2026 applicants;Union College Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Franklin and Marshall College (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;Franklin and Marshall College Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why