Clarkson is a private, national research university and proven leader in technological education and sustainable economic development. Through more than 95 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and health professions, we educate 4,300+ students and pursue interdisciplinary research, scholarship and innovation. We ignite connections across disciplines, industries and social cultures to create the entrepreneurial mindset, knowledge and intellectual curiosity needed to innovate world-relevant solutions and prepare the leaders of tomorrow. Alumni earn salaries among the top three percent in the nation and realize accelerated career growth. Founded in 1896, Clarkson's main campus is located in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate programs, online networks and research facilities are based near industry partners in Saranac Lake, Schenectady, Beacon and New York City.
About
From the School
Contact & Visit
Campus Visits Contact
Assistant Vice President of Admission
Potsdam, NY 13699
Experience College Life
Wooded Recreational Trails
Cheel Campus Center & Arena
Adirondack Lodge
Residence Hall Rooms
Cheel Rock Climbing Wall
Lake Placid - The Olympic Village
Ottawa, Canada's Capital
Montreal
Downtown Restaurants and Coffee Shops
Azure Mountain and Whiteface Mountain
Campus Tours
Dates: Year-round
Times: Varies
Average Length: 1 hour
On Campus Interview
Faculty and Coach Visits
Class Visits
Overnight Dorm Stays
Transportation
Admissions
Admissions
Overall
From The School
Clarkson undergraduate admissions has an acceptance rate of 66%. Students that are accepted to Clarkson have an average SAT score between 1160-1350 or an average ACT score of 24-30. The regular undergraduate admissions application deadline is January 15 and the early decision deadline is December 1.
Application Requirements include: an official high school transcript; SAT/ACT scores optional; letters of recommendation; and a personal essay. More info on how to apply can be found at https://www.clarkson.edu/apply-now
We pride ourselves on the personalized attention we give to students applying to Clarkson. If you have any questions, please contact us at 315-268-6480 or admissions@clarkson.edu so that we can put you in touch with a dedicated staff member
Overview
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Early Decision — December 1
Other Admission Factors
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Academic GPA
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Learn MoreAcademics
Academics
Overall
From The School
Academic Programs
People who want to lead with purpose and find solutions choose Clarkson to get what no other university is delivering in the same way, at the same scale — a transformative learning ethos that stretches the boundaries of business, engineering, science and technology for every student from every major.
Clarkson's undergraduate degree programs are offered through the Coulter School of Engineering, the Reh School of Business, the School of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for a Sustainable Environment. Students are encouraged to have an interdisciplinary and exploratory experience, with offerings such as University Studies (undecided), Science Studies (undecided sciences), Business Studies (undecided business) and Engineering Studies (undecided engineering) to give students the opportunity to experience different programs at the beginning of their studies and then decide on a future path.
Clarkson is a top-tier national research university offering students opportunities to perform research in state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technology, instrumentation and faculty experts leading their fields. Unlike at other universities, any undergraduate can perform research as early as their first year on campus and work on cutting edge projects that lead to presenting at conferences, publishing research and real breakthroughs that impact the world.
Our faculty expertise span across all our disciplines, with an elevated focus in healthy world solutions, data and complex systems analytics, advanced materials development and next generation healthcare technologies.
Our students find the academic environment to be highly supportive, with a student to faculty ratio of 13:1 and over half of our classes containing fewer than 20 students. Each undergraduate student has at least one professional advisor, a first-year staff mentor and the staff members of both our Counseling Center and Student Success Center.
Entrepreneurship and innovation have been a part of Clarkson since our founding in 1896. Now more than ever, we know that today's innovation occurs at the intersection of business, engineering, science and technology. Clarkson Ignite is our catalyst for exploring, creating and achieving what's next and our approach to producing graduates that can connect across disciplines to create extraordinary economic and society value through innovation.
Majors and Degrees Offered
Clarkson offers over 50 rigorous undergraduate programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and health professions. Degrees offered include Bachelor's, Master's, Post Bachelor's, Doctoral degree (research/scholarship) and Doctoral degree (professional experience).
Undergraduate Majors: Aeronautical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Biology, Biomolecular Science, Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Communication, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Digital Arts and Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Engineering and Management, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health Science, Environmental Science and Policy, Financial Information and Analysis, Global Supply Chain Management, History, Humanities, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Mathematical Economics, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Science Studies, Social Documentation, Software Engineering and University Studies.
Minors: Anthropology; Biology; Biology, Behavior and Society; Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Science and Technology; Business; Chemistry; Cognitive Neuroscience; Communication; Computational Science; Computer Science; Corporate Innovation; Economics; Electrical Engineering; Engineering Science; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Health Science; Environmental Policy; Environmental Science; Gender and Sexuality Studies; Human Resource Management; Humanities; Information Technology; Law Studies; Literature and the Arts; Mathematics; Medicine and Healthcare; Physics; Pre-Teaching; Product Development and Marketing; Psychology; Quality-Based Project Management; Software Engineering; Statistics; Sustainable Energy Systems Engineering; Sustainable Solutions for the Developing World; and War Studies.
Concentrations: Accounting, Architectural Engineering, Biomolecular Engineering, Construction Engineering Management, Environment and Security, Environmental Engineering, Ergonomics, Industrial Hygiene, Materials Engineering, Power Engineering and Structural Engineering.
Advising tracks: Pre-Dental, Pre-Medical, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant and Pre-Veterinary.
Faculty and Class Information
Graduation Rates
Majors
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BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES.
Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
Molecular Biochemistry.
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BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES.
Accounting and Finance.
Accounting.
Business Administration and Management, General.
Business/Commerce, General.
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies.
Finance, General.
Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management.
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COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
Computer Science.
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ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES AND ENGINEERING-RELATED FIELDS.
Engineering/Industrial Management.
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ENGINEERING.
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering.
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering.
Chemical Engineering.
Civil Engineering, General.
Computer Engineering, General.
Computer Software Engineering.
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Engineering, General.
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering.
Mechanical Engineering.
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HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
Health and Wellness, General.
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LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES.
General Studies.
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MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS.
Applied Mathematics, General.
Mathematics, General.
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MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES.
Biological and Physical Sciences.
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.
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NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION.
Environmental Science.
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PHYSICAL SCIENCES.
Chemistry, General.
Physics, General.
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PSYCHOLOGY.
Psychology, General.
Students Say
Degrees
Doctoral/Professional
Doctoral/Research
Master's
Post-Bachelor's certificate
Career Services
Alumni Network
Alumni Services
Classes
Interest Inventory
Internships
Regional Alumni
Coop
Experiential
Internship
Notable Faculty
Prominent Alumni
Academic Rating
Careers
Graduation Rates
Career Services
Alumni Network
Alumni Services
Classes
Interest Inventory
Internships
Regional Alumni
Coop
Experiential
Internship
ROI & Outcomes
Students Say
Tuition & Aid
Tuition & Aid
Overview
From The School
Tuition, Room, Board and Fees
In-State/Out-of-State students pay the same amount for tuition: $49,858
Room & Board (first-year students): $15,340
Room & Board (undergraduates): $15,580
Room only (first-year): $8,240
Room only (undergraduates): $8,480
Board only: $7,100
Tuition + Fees (Clarkson.edu / as of 2019-2020): $51,128
Financial Aid
90% of our first-year students receive scholarships or grants. We also provide unique financing programs such as the Lewis Income Share Agreement Program, which offers students the opportunity for interest-free financing, as well as the Young Innovators and Entrepreneurs Program, which provides free tuition for student entrepreneurs and innovators in exchange for Clarkson's acquisition of a 10 percent ownership interest in their business ventures. Many students are also eligible for merit and special awards, such as FIRST Robotics, Project Lead the Way, Conrad Challenge and SAE Engineering.
Dates
Required Forms
FAFSA
State Aid
Financial Aid Statistics
Expenses per Academic Year
Available Aid
HEOP
Need-Based College/University Scholarship or Grant Aid from Institutional Funds
Need-Based Federal Pell
Need-Based Other
Need-Based Private Scholarships
Need-Based SEOG
Need-Based State Scholarships
Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
Financial Aid Rating
Student Body
Student Body
Overall
From The School
Clarkson is the destination of choice for tomorrow's scientists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, business people, health professionals and imaginative leaders.
It's a highly-collaborative community that ignites connections across fields, industries and cultures. We are all Golden Knights, and students instantly join a robust and active team that values the personal contributions of each member whether in the classroom, in academic clubs and organizations, on SPEED teams, in business plan competitions or athletics.
Our total student body is ~4300 students hailing from over 40 states and over 60 countries worldwide. About 35% of our undergraduates were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class.
At Clarkson, there's something for everyone. The University holds an activity fair near the beginning of the first semester each year to get first-year students and other students involved with clubs, organizations and activities. Students have over 250 clubs, organizations, and teams to choose from and also have the ability to start their own clubs with potential funding from the University.
Students interested in hands-on activities can join one of our 12 SPEED teams from Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge, to FIRST Robotics and Clean Snowmobile. These teams represent Clarkson well at regional, national and international levels against other universities. For example, in 2018 our Design, Build, Fly team brought home a first place trophy in the AIAA International Competition.
We offer 18 Division III sports teams alpine and nordic skiing, baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and volleyball and two Division I teams men's and women's hockey. We also have over a dozen intramural sports and over 30 club sports teams, like equestrian, bass fishing, mountain biking and skiing.
For those interested in Greek life, Clarkson offers eight national and two local fraternities as well as four national sororities.
Student Body Profile
Demographics
Students Say
Campus Life
Campus Life
Overview
From The School
Location
Clarkson's main campus is located on 640 wooded and waterfront acres in Potsdam, New York. Potsdam is the quintessential college town, with a quaint downtown area full of shops and restaurants and friendly, welcoming locals. Canadian cities Ottawa and Montreal are a short 90 minute drive north, while outdoor adventures await in the Adirondacks to the south, including Lake Placid, home to the Winter Olympics. Clarkson also has other New York State locations in Saranac Lake, Schenectady, Beacon and New York City.
We are the institution of choice for 4,300+ talented and ambitious scholars, including over 3,000 undergraduates who live and learn on campus.
Campus Facilities & Equipment
The Innovation Hub
The Innovation Hub is a space dedicated to helping students develop entrepreneurial mindsets and skill sets through the latest tech, collaborative workspaces and peer guidance. It includes a makerspace, complete with 3-D printers, 3-D scanners, a digitizing table, a soldering station, handheld CNC capabilities; the Cube, a space for Clarkson's top young innovators and entrepreneurs to hone their business ideas and inventions; digital content creation suites; active learning classrooms; group collaboration rooms; a presentation rehearsal room; group work spaces and more.
Cheel Campus Center
Currently undergoing a massive overhaul, Cheel Campus Center has been the home of the Golden Knights Division I hockey teams, who were both ECAC champions in 2019, since 1990. Over 30,000 sq.ft. of new additions include: a climbing wall and state-of-the-art fitness and training facility; a Student Professional Development Center, for students to acquire hands-on construction engineering management experience; new event space for student use; and new dining experiences.
Research Centers
Clarkson is home to several prominent research centers making a global impact and using state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment. Examples include: the Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP), the "go to place" for companies interested in understanding and exploiting state-of-the-art advanced, tailor-designed materials and processes to improve their products, solve manufacturing challenges, increase yield, lower costs, and/or establish new/novel products; and the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, an interdisciplinary hub bringing together diverse expertise from all disciplines to drive campus-wide environmental education, sustainability efforts and collaborative research initiatives.
Student Center
Completed in 2010, the Student Center connects the academic corridor at the heart of campus, providing students a place to call their own. Designed with students, it offers our Diversity and Inclusion Office; space for campus clubs and organizations like CUSA, our student government; the Servery, a made-to-order dining facility and accompanying dining area; the Forum, a theater-type space that hosts student entertainment and events, the mailroom, a coffee shop and more.
Clarkson Hall
Clarkson Hall is home to Clarkson's growing health profession programs, including physical therapy, occupational therapy and physician assistant studies. State-of-the-art learning facilities such as simulations labs, cadaver labs and hands-on learning classrooms create the type of atmosphere and provide the tools needed for our graduates to be successful in the working world. Undergraduate students can take advantage of these facilities as well, as they prepare for graduate school in one of the health professions.
Off-Campus Opportunities
Clarkson students take advantage of our established partnerships with some of the nation's biggest industry players through co-ops and internships. Clarkson's Career Fair is an amazing opportunity for students to meet with many different companies each fall and spring, with nearly 200 companies coming to campus to offer internship, co-op and full-time employment opportunities. To prepare students for the event, the Career Center hosts an array of workshops, one-on-one sessions and information sessions, helping with interview skills, resume writing and professional attire.
Many of our students choose to have international experiences during their time at Clarkson and students in the David D. Reh School of Business are required to do so. We offer students: traditional semester or full academic year study abroad program, available at 55 partner institutions in 28 countries; Global Business Program trips, which are three-weeks long trips with fellow Clarkson students and faculty to study business and cultures around the world; Canadian Studies courses. which involve traveling frequently throughout the semester across the border to cities like Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto; and Service Learning trips, which are hosted annually by student organizations and some academic courses, such as Engineers for International Sustainability and Doctors Without Borders.
Options within the U.S. include: the Washington D.C. Semester at American University; the Trudeau Biomedical Scholars Semester at the renowned Trudeau Institute; the Adirondack Semester in the Adirondack Park; and Devil's Thumb Ranch, an ecotourism resort high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Campus Life
Housing Options
Cooperative
Disabled Student
Dorms Coed
International Student
Other
Theme Housing
Students Say
Special Needs Admissions
Special Need Services Offered
Student Activities
Sports
Basketball
Cross Country
Diving
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Skiing Downhill Alpine
Skiing Nordic Cross Country
Soccer
Swimming
Cross Country
Diving
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Skiing Downhill Alpine
Skiing Nordic Cross Country
Soccer
Softball
Swimming
Volleyball
Student Services
LGBT Support Groups
Minority Support Groups
Army ROTC Offered on-campus
Air Force ROTC Offered on-campus
Sustainability
Campus Security Report
The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.
Please visit The Princeton Review’s page on campus safety for additional resources: http://www.princetonreview.com/safety
The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/