Private Nonprofit Graduate Fair 49/100

Clark Atlanta University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Atlanta, Georgia

About Clark Atlanta University

Thinking about Clark Atlanta University, a college in Georgia where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Clark Atlanta University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Atlanta, Georgia. It enrolls 3,603 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
64.2%
Graduation
42.2%
Net Price
$37,702
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,712
Enrollment
3,603
Student : Faculty
16:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Fair
49/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 29
Value 2
Affordability 52
Selectivity 38

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Clark Atlanta University admits 64.2% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
64.2%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Clark Atlanta University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 9.8 pts since 2019
54.8%201959%202058.2%202156.3%202264.6%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $37,702 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$37,702
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
70%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
80%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$28,310
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,748
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,748
Books & Supplies
$1,900
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,312
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,312
Total Cost of Attendance
$43,676

Application fee: $35 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $37,356
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $39,270
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $39,009
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $39,514
  • Over $110,000
    $38,680

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$4,750
10% percentile
$6,500
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$31,000
75% percentile
$43,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $20,000 ↓ $7,000
No Pell $15,000 ↓ $12,000
Dependent students $19,500 ↓ $7,500
Independent students $20,000 ↓ $7,000
Female students $19,500 ↓ $7,500
Male students $18,500 ↓ $8,500
Pell recipients: 17.8% (4,800 students)No Pell: 13.3% (3,600 students)Dependent students: 17.3% (4,680 students)Independent students: 17.8% (4,800 students)Female students: 17.3% (4,680 students)Male students: 16.4% (4,440 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

42% of students who start here finish within six years, and 70% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
42%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $42,712 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$42,712
Earning > $25K
67%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$26,000$31,000$35,000$40,000$45,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$38,100

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$38,400

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$35,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$37,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$42,800

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 14.8 pts across 6 years
36.2%1yr45.1%3yr51.1%5yr50.9%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 51% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,603 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
3,603
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
32%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Black 53.9% 1,943
Other 5.7% 205
Hispanic 1.2% 44
White 0.3% 11
International 0.3% 11
Asian 0.1% 2
Black: 53.9% (1,943 students)Other: 5.7% (205 students)Hispanic: 1.2% (44 students)White: 0.3% (11 students)International: 0.3% (11 students)Asian: 0.1% (2 students)Total3,603

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Clark Atlanta University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Atlanta, Georgia
Housing
Strongly residential 2,650 beds for 3,603 students
Adult Learners
2% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Historically Black College / University (HBCU)
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Communication graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Clark Atlanta University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 48 distinct programs across 19 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
1 Program
4 Programs
4 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$326M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$74,728
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

207 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 44 21% $93,001
Associate Professors 68 33% $76,489
Assistant Professors 54 26% $68,263
Instructors 32 15% $61,458
Lecturers 9 4% $58,063

Pros & Cons of Clark Atlanta University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Clark Atlanta University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • High net price compared to most US colleges
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Most students take on federal loans

Frequently Asked Questions about Clark Atlanta University

The questions families ask most about Clark Atlanta University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Clark Atlanta University hard to get into?
Admissions at Clark Atlanta University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 64.2%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Clark Atlanta University?
64.2% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Clark Atlanta University cost?
Budget around $37,702 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Clark Atlanta University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,712 a year against a net price of $37,702, about 1.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Clark Atlanta University known for?
Mostly Radio, Television & Digital Media, Business Administration, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Clark Atlanta University graduates earn?
About $42,712 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Clark Atlanta University accredited?
Yes. Clark Atlanta University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Clark Atlanta University?
3,603 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Clark Atlanta University?
42% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Clark Atlanta University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Clark Atlanta University located?
Clark Atlanta University is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
What programs does Clark Atlanta University offer?
48 different programs, most commonly Radio, Television & Digital Media, Business Administration, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Clark Atlanta University?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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