Clarkson University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Potsdam, New York. It enrolls 2,196 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.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
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.
Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes80
Value60
Affordability18
Selectivity65
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Clarkson University admits 77.4% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
77.4%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1200 – 1390
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
25 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Clarkson University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
2.6 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 $30,305 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. 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
$59,398
Room & Board (on-campus)
$18,252
Room & Board (off-campus)
$18,252
Books & Supplies
$1,560
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,496
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,496
Total Cost of Attendance
$79,022
Application fee: $50 (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
$21,335
$30,001 – $48,000
$19,934
$48,001 – $75,000
$23,321
$75,001 – $110,000
$30,990
Over $110,000
$35,757
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.
$5,50010%percentile
$13,46425%percentile
$26,000Medianpercentile
$28,50075%percentile
$35,50090%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 $22,856
↓ $3,144
No Pell $21,500
↓ $4,500
Dependent students $21,500
↓ $4,500
Independent students $25,000
↓ $1,000
Female students $21,500
↓ $4,500
Male students $22,250
↓ $3,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($26,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
81% of students who start here finish within six years, and 85% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. 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
81%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $89,696 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$89,696
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 Gender
Female graduates
$63,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$77,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$72,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$71,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$75,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $13,600, about 18% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
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 ↑
6.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 96% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,196 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,196
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
15%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 73.9%1,623
Hispanic 12.9%284
International 4.4%97
Other 3.7%82
Black 2.6%56
Asian 2.1%46
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Clarkson University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Clarkson University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
75 distinct programs across
17 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 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$352M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$96,936
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
241 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
67
28%
$123,210
Associate Professors
62
26%
$97,357
Assistant Professors
92
38%
$87,324
Instructors
10
4%
$43,389
No Rank
10
4%
$60,272
Pros & Cons of Clarkson University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Clarkson University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Clarkson University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clarkson University
The questions families ask most about Clarkson University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Clarkson University hard to get into?
Not especially. Clarkson University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 77.4%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Clarkson University?
77.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Clarkson University?
Aim for 1390 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1200 and 1390 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Clarkson University?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 25 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Clarkson University cost?
Budget around $30,305 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 University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $89,696 a year against a net price of $30,305, about 3.0 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 University known for?
Mostly Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Business Administration. 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 University graduates earn?
About $89,696 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 University accredited?
Yes. Clarkson University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Clarkson University?
2,196 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Clarkson University?
81% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Clarkson 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 Clarkson University located?
Clarkson University is located in Potsdam, New York.
What programs does Clarkson University offer?
75 different programs, most commonly Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Business Administration. 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 University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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