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School data & stats
Outcomes
Cost
Community
Overview
Clark Atlanta University is a historically Black university formed in 1988 by the merger of Atlanta University, the nation's first graduate institution for African Americans, and Clark College, an undergraduate HBCU. It is part of the Atlanta University Center, the world's largest consortium of HBCUs, alongside neighboring Morehouse and Spelman, and sits in a city central to Black cultural and economic life.
Academics
Business, mass media arts and communication, and social work are Clark Atlanta's most recognized programs, with the business school carrying a strong regional reputation. Graduate programs retain some of the research legacy of Atlanta University, the historically stronger graduate half of the 1988 merger.
Campus & student life
The Atlanta University Center consortium means Clark Atlanta students have access to shared resources, cross-registration, and social life across the neighboring HBCU campuses, giving the experience a broader community feel than the university's own enrollment would suggest. Homecoming and Greek life carry deep HBCU traditions.
Getting in
Admission is holistic, with attention to fit within the HBCU tradition and the Atlanta University Center community specifically, alongside academic record.
After graduation
Graduates are well represented in media, business, and social-service fields, with an alumni network that draws strength from the broader Atlanta University Center and HBCU alumni community, not just Clark Atlanta's own graduates.
Admissions
Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)
Applying
cau.edu ↗High school coursework
RequiredFour years of a college preparatory program in high school · Graduation from an accredited secondary school, or GED · 4 units English · 3 units Mathematics · 3 units Natural Science · 2 units Foreign Language · 3 units Social Studies · 2 units Electives
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