Clarkson University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 77%, Clarkson University is an accessible private college in New York. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Clarkson University weighs, where it ranks among New York schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1330, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Clarkson University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Clarkson University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Clarkson University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Clarkson University?
Clarkson University admits most qualified applicants (around 77%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Clarkson University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Clarkson University hard to get into?
Clarkson University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 77% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Clarkson University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Clarkson University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Clarkson University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Clarkson University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Clarkson University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Clarkson University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1300 SAT?
About 95% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT, the middle of Clarkson University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1390 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/clarkson-university.
How to get into Clarkson University
Built from Clarkson University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Clarkson University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Clarkson University carries about a 3.15 core GPA and a 1340 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1200 to 1390 SAT (25 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1295 or higher; below 1200, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Clarkson University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Clarkson University's exact dates at www.clarkson.edu.
How many students apply to Clarkson University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Clarkson University received 7,347 applications and admitted 5,669, an acceptance rate of 77.2%. 565 enrolled. Only about 10% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Clarkson University enrolls about 2,196 undergraduates in total, 31% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Clarkson University?
Admitted students at Clarkson University post SAT scores of 1200 to 1390 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1304. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 25 to 32. A score above 1390 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1200 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Clarkson University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Clarkson University looks for
What Clarkson University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Clarkson University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Clarkson University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Clarkson University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Clarkson University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Clarkson University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $79,022 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $59,398. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $30,305 a year, and it ranges from $21,335 for families earning under $30,000 to $35,757 for families earning over $110,000. 22% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Clarkson University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Clarkson University students ten years after entry are $89,696 ($76,970 at the six-year mark). 75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $26,000; 62% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Clarkson University compares in New York
Clarkson University ranks #44 most selective of 59 schools in New York in our database.
Among the 59 New York schools we track, Clarkson University ranks #44 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Columbia University (4%) and Cornell University (9%) sit nearby, which makes New York a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Clarkson University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Clarkson University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Bradley University, Gardner-Webb University, and Seattle University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Clarkson University's acceptance rate?
Clarkson University admitted 5,669 of 7,347 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 77.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 10% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Clarkson University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1200 to 1390 on the SAT and 25 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1390 is in the top quarter of admits. Clarkson University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Clarkson University test-optional?
Yes. Clarkson University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Clarkson University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Clarkson University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $30,305 a year against a sticker price of about $79,022. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $21,335 on average.
What do Clarkson University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Clarkson University are $89,696 a year among students who received federal aid, and 75% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Clarkson University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Clarkson University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Clarkson University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Clarkson University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Clarkson University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Clarkson University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Clarkson University?
Clarkson University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.