Union University
Jackson, TN, USA

Reviews

Union University

Megan from Springfield, VA

a current student here
19 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
The academics are wonderful. Not only do you have professors who are top notch in their field but you have professors who care about you as a person. I have learned so much because the professors are willing to sit down with you outside of class and give you the help you need.
Am enjoying being here
The people are nice and the environment is very welcoming. There are a lot of smart driven kids at Union so we study hard but we also play hard. There are always activities going on and a club or group to get involved in. The food is good and a fun thing about Union is you have a kitchen so you can invite your friends over for dinner at your suite.
Bang for the buck
The school is a little expensive but you get great housing and a wonderful education.
Tips for prospective students
Visit the schools you are looking at and ask to sit in on a class and meet a professor in your desired major. Just going on the campus tour will not tell you much about the school but meeting the professors and seeing classes will.
Great for these types of students
Smart driven students, kids from down south, students who desire a Christian school, and kids who are willing to go to a smaller school.

Kathryn from Bartlett, TN

a current student here
9 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
The academics at Union are impeccable. From the president to the part-time professor, you can see their goal to make each student better. I have learned so much already about how to make a difference in a specific field. Union prides itself on being a liberal arts college, therefore, its goal is to make each student well rounded in all areas of life and education. The classes are smaller therefore allowing a better relationship with professors and better understanding of the curriculum.
Am enjoying being here
Union's atmosphere is inviting and active. Although Jackson is small compared to places like Memphis and Nashville, students still find fun activities to do off-campus as well as doing a lot on-campus. On-campus activities can range from greek life to debate team to wellness activities like Zumba or intramurals. Off-campus you can find coffee shops, shopping centers, running/biking trails, and much more. One of the favorite things students enjoy are concerts at the on campus coffee lounge, Barefoot Joes. Artists such as the Civil Wars, Andy Davis, and Derek Webb have performed there.
Bang for the buck
While Union is on the expensive side, it is definitely worth it for the education. Union is a top accredited school in all areas of academics. The School of Nursing, School of Education, and School of Pharmacy have all been recognized for the education they provide. It is also in the top tier of schools in its category for the 13th straight year in the U.S.News & World Report college rankings.
Tips for prospective students
Make sure to visit on a preview day or when students are on campus. It is much more exciting because you get to see interaction between students or you even be able to sit in on a few classes. Make sure to talk to the financial aid office. They are always willing to help and would never want a student to be turned away due to financial status.
Great for these types of students
Students who love a smaller atmosphere with many opportunities to get involved in activities and leadership. Dorms allow for students to have their own room while sharing either one or two bathrooms, a living area and a kitchen.

Justin from Belmont, MS

a current student here
7 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Union University is the best school on the face of the earth. Teachers really care about the success of the student and encourage the students to do their very best. Almost all of the students there are friendly and genuinely care about their peers.
Tips for prospective students
Campus visits are a great first step. You will be given a campus tour and meet potential teachers and faculty memebers. You will also get to visit the student housing and get to experience what campus life is all about.
Academic Rigor
Academics are tough, but the faculty really care about you and want to see you suceed. Be disciplined and ready to study hard. There are many resources available to accomodate your study needs.
Dorm Life
The dorm life is awesome. I live in a quad, with three roommates. We get along great and hang out with our neighbors.
Food and Dining
There are two opitions on campus and many nearby off-campus restaurants. I ususally eat lunch on campus. I frequent the nearby Chic-fil-a for supper.
What to do for fun
There is always something going on at Union. Intramural sports are my favorite activities. I also enjoy movies on the great lawn.
Bang for the buck
Tuition a Union is very expensive. My parents continue to sacrafice material things for my education expenses. They consider it an investment in my future.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Two of my room mates are form Kenya. Their culture is very different from ours. They recently experienced bacon for the first time!
Great for these types of students
If you are a Christian and seek a purpose for your life, I would recommend Union University. The faculty and staff are readily available to assist you in any way they can. They continually pray for the student body and the chapel services are awesome.
Clubs and Activities
There are many clubs, depending on your major. There are always some kind of activities going on around campus. Absolutely, there is never a dull moment.
Greek Life
There are several fraternities on campus. After much consideration, I chose to bypass membership. The hours required to each group was more than I could afford.
Campus Safety
I feel very safe at Union. There is a guard at the gate who protects us. It is a Christian environment.

Jonathan from Jackson, TN

a current student here
7 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Academically, Union is a very challenging school. Classes require you to think hard and build on what you have learned throughout the year. I have learned SO much this year and know that all this knowledge will be extremely helpful in my post-college years!
Am enjoying being here
Union is very fun and tries its hardest to help students have fun! Freshmen are invited to countless events during the first semester at Union and are constantly given the opportunity to participate in fun and exciting activities.
Bang for the buck
Union is a little pricey but its definitely worth it. Housing is amazing, even for freshmen! The quality of teaching is amazing and the teachers are definitely qualified to teach their classes. The campus is beautiful and classrooms are comfortable and technologically equipped. Union offers the highest quality of private education.
Tips for prospective students
Union is a small college with a little over 3000 students enrolled. It provides an amazing opportunity to get close to many students and professors. My main piece of advice is to pay close attention during orientation week because you will learn so much important information that will help your transition be so much smoother.
Great for these types of students
ANY and ALL types!

a current student here
5 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Union has excellent professors that are not only extremely educated but also very helpful to students.
Am enjoying being here
The extracurricular activities that are available at the school are endless! I love having so many choices. The environment of the school and the whole student body is incredible.
Bang for the buck
Union is very expensive... However, after attending a year there, I have no regrets and will have no regrets on the money that is spent on my tuition. Every penny is worth it because of the great experience students have at Union.
Tips for prospective students
Always go to your professor. They will and are eager to help you if you will ask. Get involved with a variety of activities on campus as well as off campus. Find a church and get plugged in.
Great for these types of students
Students who want a legit Christian environment as well as a legit education.

Kenan from Glen Carbon, IL

a current student here
5 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
To be honest, I came to college a bit cocky. Union showed me that I still had a whole lot to learn.
Am enjoying being here
Honestly, I couldn't imagine myself at any other college. The dorms are absolutely fantastic: Even in the Heritage dorms in the every student gets his own room, and shares a bathroom, kitchen, and living room with three other students. Four words: Friday night NERF Wars.
Bang for the buck
At ~$30,000 a year, Union is definitely not light on the pocketbook. However, the professors are great, the campus is amazing, the students are friendly, and it's The oldest Christian university (founded in 1823) that is still connected to a State Convention (Tennessee Southern Baptist).
Tips for prospective students
Visit every college that you want to go to and even some colleges that you don't (I only visited Union because I had friends there, I was planning to attend another college). Always ask about free Applications - almost all colleges have a time when they offer them.
Great for these types of students
I'd imagine that any student would find an area to fit in, here at Union.

Kat

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Union University is a fantastic school that, for the most part, lives up to its portrayal of itself. Union claims to be excellence driven, Christ-centered, people-focused, and future-directed. It truly does meet those claims.
Tips for prospective students
Try to get as full of a perspective of Union as possible. Spend the night on campus, try to meet students from as many different circles as possible. Do try to have a picture of the stereotypical Union student--in other words, know that Union is generally conservative and Christian, but don't make the assumption that all Union students or faculty fall into those categories. Read through the student handbook, but also spend time on campus talking to students about what life at Union is truly like.
Academic Rigor
Union is quite academically rigorous. Unfortunately, most (but not all) classes use a 95-100 grading scale, which makes it even more difficult to maintain a great grade. However, the academic difficulty is very beneficial. It forces students to work and to truly learn. Although difficult, Union's academic rigor is made perfectly tolerable by professors who truly want their students to succeed and are willing to put in the time and effort needed to ensure the best academic experience possible for those students.
Dorm Life
Union has apartment-style dorms--so no cramming two beds, two closets, and two strangers in a bathroom-size room! The apartments truly are the best I have seen on college visits. This does mean that the dorm community is a bit different than at most colleges and that friendships have to be more intentional. Some buildings have community, some do not, but if people desire to have a good dorm life, they can certainly have one. One downside is that during weekdays there are no open dorm hours when the opposite gender can visit, but there are common areas that are available to use most of the time.
Food and Dining
Union has two dining services: Coburn (the cafeteria) and the Lex (a fast-food, diner-style restaurant). Neither are particularly spectacular, but Coburn does offer a certain amount of variety and you can always opt for chicken strips or a sandwich in the Lex.
What to do for fun
At Union there are endless opportunities to make your own fun. Attend hipster concerts at our truly hipster coffee-shop, join Nerf Wars on Friday nights and play games of zombies and slayer with foam darts, watch movies in the Bowld Commons, throw a goofy dance party in your dorm on the weekends, attend a fraternity party, explore all of Jackson's unique places, go tunneling, join one of Union's endless clubs...
Bang for the buck
Union is very, very expensive. It is also a great university with much to offer. Thus it's a bit hard to measure the bang for the buck and that probably depends greatly on one's individual experience.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Explore Jackson's underground tunnels as a freshmen with your life group, a group of freshmen led by two upperclassmen. Enjoy coffee and bizarre costumes at Halloween's Costume Coffee-house. Swim in the Jennings fountain after dark. Mock the sidewalk couples standing awkwardly outside the dorms. Play hide-and-seek in the labyrinth of the PAC.
Great for these types of students
Christian, creative, hard-working... Remember that even if you don't fit the stereotypical Union image, there are plenty of others who don't.
Clubs and Activities
Union has a myriad of activities and clubs of every different sort. It's hard to choose just a few to be involved with! It truly does have something for everyone.
Greek Life
Union has a very unique type of Greek Life. There are three fraternities and three sororities. Greeks are not allowed to live in their houses, but live in campus dorms with the rest of the student body. About 10% of Union students participate in Greek Life. Union urges its Greeks to approach Greek Life from a Christian perspective, which means that it takes on a very different form than Greek Life at a secular university.
Campus Safety
Safety and Security is all over the place. While crimes certainly do happen on campus, there nonetheless is a very present and active Safety and Security.

Hope from Woodstock, GA

accepted here and planning to attend soon
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Will learn a lot
I attended a class and absolutely loved it! The students were so engaged in the class and the discussion
Will enjoy being here
The campus is BEAUTIFUL! The dorms are super nice and set up like an apartment so you have your own room
Bang for the buck
It's expensive and that's why I'm not sure if I can go there (but fingers crossed)
Tips for prospective students
Visit classes when you go and talk to students!

Christa from Mays Landing, NJ

accepted here and planning to attend soon
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Will learn a lot
The academics really appeal to me greatly, seeing that I love to study and am highly motivated to achieve great academic success. Their nursing program is incredibly state-of-the-art.
Will enjoy being here
Union has a great campus, which is clean, friendly, and quiet. The only thing that I felt I needed to say is for Creationist Christians. I contacted Union and asked them about their stand on evolution, and their response was very disappointing. They said that we have not yet formulated a positional statement on evolution and also said in response to the validity of evolution: whether it is true or not. Obviously, they seemed to be quite wishy-washy in their stance on evolution. So, I suggest you weigh this into your decision, for those of you who believe in God's literal six-day Creation. I know I am weighing this in my heart, and praying about it.
Bang for the buck
I believe it'll be well worth it. However, it is very expensive, and even though my parents could afford it, it is a great deterrant to me. I have viewed and visited other schools that are less expensive, but what it boils down to is Union seems worth the cost for what you're getting. A private bedroom for each student is by far one of the greatest deciding factors for me in my search for a college. I believe that kind of privacy is very important for young adults. We're not children growing up in a Walton-sized household! I have my own room and like to keep it that way! I'm not anti-social, mind you, it's just nice to have your own space and your own life, if you know what I mean. I slept over in the dorms and their awesome!!!
Tips for prospective students
Visit! I've visited colleges and the very ones I thought I was going to love and adore, I pretty much was disappointed with when I visited. So, really, spend the money to go visit the school! It's better to spend 1k to go and visit, then to enroll without a visit and be in a mess! Plus, with visiting, you will most likely know your answer after you're done!
Great for these types of students
If you desire academic excellence, I believe I can rightfully recommend Union to you.

Alma from Columbia, TN

a current student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Union has a great Biology program. It also has a great introductory course to the Union environment that helps understand who they are and what they stand for.
Am enjoying being here
The teachers are amazing and understanding. The environment of the school is amazing. The coffee shop, the library, and even the hallways of some of the buildings set up a perfect studying environment.
Bang for the buck
The tuition is a bit high, but the education is high quality and is worth every penny. If money is the problem, they will do everything they can to help you out. They have great scholarship opportunities as well.
Tips for prospective students
If there is any doubt about this school, a visit will help things out. The campus is amazing and just one visit will take your breath away.