Clarkson University

Private · Moderately Selective · NY

Photo: Royalbroil (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationNY · Northeast

SettingRural

Undergrads2,196

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate62.4%

6-yr grad rate74.9%

Drop-out rate15.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$59k

Out-of-state tuition$59k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity26.1%

Gender diversity30.5%

International4.4%

Identity—

Overview

Clarkson University is a tight-knit technological university in Potsdam, New York, in the state's remote North Country near the Adirondacks, where engineering dominates the academic identity and career outcomes are treated as the central selling point of the education.

Academics

Engineering programs are the core of Clarkson's academic reputation, supported by co-op placements, project teams, and a curriculum built with employability squarely in mind; the university markets itself on strong starting salaries and placement as much as on academic prestige. Class sizes stay small and hands-on project work is common across majors, not limited to capstone years.

Campus & student life

The remote, small-town North Country setting means Clarkson students share a college-town social scene with nearby SUNY Potsdam rather than a city of their own, and Golden Knights hockey is the clear marquee tradition, drawing intense, close-knit fan support given the size of the community.

Getting in

Admission rewards strong math and science preparation and genuine interest in engineering or applied technical fields; Clarkson's process is holistic but the academic profile it looks for skews clearly STEM.

After graduation

Engineering graduates have a strong, well-documented track record of employment directly out of undergraduate study, reinforced by co-op and project-team experience that functions as informal recruiting for area employers and beyond.

Worth knowing

The remote location is a real trade-off applicants should weigh; it supports an unusually close campus community and strong outcomes culture, but it's a distinctly rural, cold-winter setting far from a major city.

clarkson.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1200–1390 · ACT 25–32

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying