Clarkson College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Omaha, Nebraska. It enrolls 622 students (a small, tight-knit 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.
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.
Good
65/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes26
Value71
Affordability62
Selectivity46
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Clarkson College admits 78.2% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
78.2%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants 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 Clarkson College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
17.9 pts
since 2019
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 $19,241 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$16,104
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,050
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,200
Books & Supplies
$2,840
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$8,120
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,120
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,670
Application fee: $25 (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.
$30,001 – $48,000
$19,222
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,312
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,003
Over $110,000
$20,262
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.
$4,75010%percentile
$10,51625%percentile
$23,716Medianpercentile
$32,40075%percentile
$42,16190%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 $23,000
↓ $716
No Pell $18,750
↓ $4,966
Dependent students $18,046
↓ $5,670
Independent students $24,915
↑ $1,199
Female students $19,826
↓ $3,890
Male students $15,934
↓ $7,782
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,375, less than completers ($23,716), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
70% of students who start here finish within six years, and 69% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
70%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
69%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $64,876 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$64,876
Earning > $25K
90%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$48,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$50,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$57,800
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 ↑
13.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 622 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 33% are the first in their family to go to college, and 69% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
622
Part-Time
69%
First-Generation
33%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 47.0%292
Other 12.1%75
Black 4.0%25
Hispanic 3.7%23
Asian 3.1%19
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Clarkson College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Clarkson College offers
a varied set of programs:
18 distinct programs across
3 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.
There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$26M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$59,352
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
60 instructional faculty across 4 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
5
8%
$76,892
Associate Professors
17
28%
$70,879
Assistant Professors
15
25%
$56,218
Instructors
23
38%
$49,063
Pros & Cons of Clarkson College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Clarkson College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Clarkson College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clarkson College
The questions families ask most about Clarkson College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Clarkson College hard to get into?
Not especially. Clarkson College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 78.2%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Clarkson College?
78.2% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Clarkson College cost?
Budget around $19,241 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 Clarkson College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $64,876 a year against a net price of $19,241, about 3.4 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 Clarkson College known for?
Mostly Nursing, Nursing, Allied Health Diagnostic. 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 Clarkson College graduates earn?
About $64,876 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 Clarkson College accredited?
Yes. Clarkson College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Clarkson College?
622 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Clarkson College?
70% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Clarkson College 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 Clarkson College located?
Clarkson College is located in Omaha, Nebraska.
What programs does Clarkson College offer?
18 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Nursing, Allied Health Diagnostic. 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 Clarkson College?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Nebraska
Other colleges in Nebraska share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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