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Clarkson University: cost, admission and results

Clarkson University is a private nonprofit college in Potsdam, New York. It has about 2,196 undergraduate students. It admits 77% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $32,137 a year.

At a glance

  • 77%Admission rate
  • $32,137Net price a year
  • 72%Graduation rate
  • $92,494Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Potsdam, New York 13699
Type
Private nonprofit
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Remote town
Undergraduate students
2,196
Graduate students
1,052
Students per teacher
13 to 1
Accredited by
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Website
clarkson.edu

Getting in

Clarkson University admits 77% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1304 out of 1600 (midpoints: 630 in reading and writing, 650 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 29 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees for a year$61,148
Room and meals on campus$18,802
Books and supplies$1,560
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$81,706
Average net price after grants and scholarships$32,137

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off. It is 110% above the median net price of colleges in New York on this site ($15,275). International students normally pay the published tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$18,064
$30,001 to $48,000$19,353
$48,001 to $75,000$24,424
$75,001 to $110,000$30,286
Above $110,000$37,156

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeNY medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year85%79%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)72%50%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$92,494$60,260$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$26,000$19,500$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in New York and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

23% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 60% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 31% women and 69% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 98 of the 254 colleges in New York on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,272.

Other colleges in New York of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Clarkson University?

Clarkson University admits 77% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Clarkson University?

Published tuition and fees are $61,148 a year. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Clarkson University?

72% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

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