Clarkson University
Clarkson University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Clarkson University Featured Rankings
- #8 Best Online Computer Sciences PhDs
- #11 Best Small Colleges in New York 2026
- #11 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students
- #14 Most Affordable No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #14 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhD Programs
- #21 Most Influential Colleges in Hockey Today
- #22 Best Research Universities in New York 2026
- #25 Best Private Colleges in New York 2026
- #35 The 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #37 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
About Clarkson University
According to Wikipedia, Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York. Clarkson has additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital District and Beacon, New York. It was founded in 1896 and has an enrollment of about 4,600 students studying toward bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degreess in each of its schools or institutes: the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, the School of Arts & Sciences, the David D. Reh School of Business, the Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering, and the Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences. The university is classified as an R2 research institution.
Clarkson University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,347 | 77% | 85% | 72% | 1295 | 28 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Clarkson University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $61,148 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $18,064 |
| 30K - 48K | $19,353 |
| 48K - 75K | $24,424 |
| 75K - 110K | $30,286 |
| 110K+ | $37,156 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Clarkson University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Clarkson University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $92,494 a year, and 96% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Clarkson University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 4,041 | 2,619 | 1,422 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Clarkson University?
Clarkson University is located at 8 Clarkson Ave, Potsdam, NY 13699.
How Safe is Clarkson University?
Relative to its enrollment, Clarkson University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Potsdam has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 1.02%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Clarkson University Known For?
Clarkson University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Biology
- Business
- Medical
- Communications
- History
- Education
- Economics
- Literature
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Sociology
Clarkson University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Clarkson University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Clarkson University ranks #113 in the U.S. and #517 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesClarkson University ranks #126 in the U.S. and #546 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesClarkson University ranks #155 in the U.S. and #582 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesClarkson University ranks #174 in the U.S. and #697 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesClarkson University ranks #253 in the U.S. and #1105 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesClarkson University ranks #272 in the U.S. and #1059 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesClarkson University ranks #284 in the U.S. and #978 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesClarkson University ranks #341 in the U.S. and #1228 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesClarkson University ranks #459 in the U.S. and #1683 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesClarkson University ranks #519 in the U.S. and #1509 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesClarkson University ranks #535 in the U.S. and #2369 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesClarkson University ranks #535 in the U.S. and #3216 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesClarkson University ranks #604 in the U.S. and #1828 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesClarkson University ranks #675 in the U.S. and #1757 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesClarkson University ranks #688 in the U.S. and #2950 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesClarkson University ranks #731 in the U.S. and #2487 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are Clarkson University's Most Influential Alumni?
Clarkson University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Chemistry, Engineering, and Computer Science. Here are some of Clarkson University's most famous alumni:
- Kevin Granata
- A Professor and researcher .
- Thomas Zacharia
- An Indian-American computer scientist.
- Sanjeev Kulkarni
- An Indian-born American academic .
- Bernard F. Schutz
- An American physicist.
- Rajkumar Chellaraj
- An American government official.
- Paul Horn
- An American computer scientist.
- Brenda Romero
- An American video game designer and developer.
- Jarmo Kekäläinen
- An Ice hockey player and manager.
- Gregory C. Farrington
- An American academic.
- Randy Sexton
- A Canadian ice hockey manager.
- Annie Selden
- An American mathematics educator.
- M. Emmet Walsh
- An American actor.
