Clarkson University
Potsdam, NY · Private · Town (remote) · Carnegie R1/R2
Private institution in Potsdam, NY · 2,449 undergraduates · 77% acceptance rate · $89,696 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 4%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 4%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 14%Median ACT
- Top 16%Graduation rate (4-year)
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $31,9551,791st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $57,9501,923rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $57,9501,921st cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $76,4511,876th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $26,0001,445th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $89,69674th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $76,97076th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 73.6%327th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 84.7%446th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 77.2%822nd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1307186th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 29132nd highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,449818th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 12.0:1794th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 20.5%1,698th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 255 mi (BOS)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EDDec 1
- RDJan 15
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 31 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $69,338 | $76,460 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $68,316 | $67,802 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $68,305 | $70,009 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $67,492 | $67,748 |
| Engineering-Related FieldsEngineering Technology | bachelors | $64,581 | $63,749 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,493 | $68,858 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $64,493 | $78,074 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $61,888 | $55,061 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $61,197 | $60,325 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $57,318 | $56,157 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $53,775 | $51,273 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $42,682 | $42,682 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1896source
- Athletic nickname: "Golden Knights"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
- Formerly known as "Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial School of Technology" (1896–1913)source
- Formerly known as "Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial College of Technology" (1913–1984)source
- Notable alum: M. Emmet Walshsource
Athletics — 12 sports
NCAA Division III without football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $1,965,959 (M $995,248 · W $970,711)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Ice Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Other Sports
- Skiing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Volleyball
- Ice Hockey: 2018, 2017, 2014
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.
Key links
- Official websiteclarkson.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 190044)
- Compare colleges in NYRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in New YorkEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Clarkson University vs Le Moyne CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 12 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.