Clark University

Private · Selective · MA

Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,214

Student:faculty8:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate69.5%

6-yr grad rate76.9%

Drop-out rate13.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$59k

Out-of-state tuition$59k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity38%

Gender diversity56.5%

International5.7%

Identity—

Overview

Clark University is a small research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, with an outsized academic history relative to its size. It was founded in 1887 as the country's first all-graduate research university before later adding an undergraduate college, and Sigmund Freud delivered his only American lectures there in 1909. It pairs the intimacy of a small liberal arts college with genuine research-university resources and identity, and its psychology and geography programs remain widely respected, with Clark's geography doctoral program among the oldest in the country. Clark was also one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities in 1900.

Academics

The LEEP model (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) structures the curriculum around pairing academic study with funded internships, research, or civic projects, so students graduate with real applied experience rather than just coursework. Many students continue directly into an accelerated fifth-year master's degree at no additional tuition, a notable value proposition available across a wide range of majors. Psychology and geography carry particular academic weight and name recognition among Clark's programs, and the International Development, Community, and Environment department extends that geography strength into a distinctive, hands-on development-studies track. Class sizes stay small even in popular majors, keeping the research-university resources genuinely accessible to undergraduates.

Campus & student life

The campus anchors a Worcester neighborhood that has been actively revitalizing alongside the university's own investment in the area, including student-facing businesses and housing near Main South. The student body is small, and campus culture leans intellectual and socially engaged, with strong study-abroad participation and an unusually international mix of students for a school its size. The Higgins University Center serves as the social hub, and athletics operate at the Division III level rather than as a campus focal point.

Getting in

Clark reads applications holistically and tends to value intellectual curiosity and community engagement in essays, consistent with the LEEP philosophy that runs through the whole institution. It has a reputation for being generous with merit aid relative to its sticker price, and applicants who can speak concretely to a project, internship, or research interest tend to stand out in a genuinely holistic process.

After graduation

The accelerated master's pipeline gives many graduates an unusually fast, low-cost route to an advanced degree, and psychology and geography graduates in particular go on to strong placement in graduate programs and research-adjacent fields. Clark's small alumni network is closely knit given the university's size, with particular strength in psychology, public health, and international development careers.

Worth knowing

The guaranteed fifth-year master's-at-no-extra-tuition program is a genuine structural distinctive worth understanding for students weighing total cost of a bachelor's-plus-master's path, and it's available across a broad enough range of departments that it shapes many students' four-year plan from the start.

clarku.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate39.5%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1288–1460 · ACT 30–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 15

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Coalition (Scoir).

Early decision IIJan 15

Early Decision I and II are binding commitments to enroll if admitted, while Early Action and Regular Decision are non-binding and let you compare offers.

Interviews: Interviews are strongly encouraged for all applicants, with spring-semester juniors and seniors especially welcome to schedule one.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗