Clarkson University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Clarkson University is a private nonprofit college in Potsdam, NY. Students pay about $30,305 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $89,696 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.4 years and adds $282,740 over a decade, ranking it #47 of 918 (top 6%) by value added.
What is Clarkson University's acceptance rate?
Clarkson University has an acceptance rate of 77.4%, which makes it moderately selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Potsdam, NY enrolling about 2,196 students, with a 74.3% graduation rate.
How much does Clarkson University cost?
Clarkson University costs about $30,305 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $147,220. Published sticker cost of attendance is $79,022 per year.
How much do Clarkson University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Clarkson University student earns $89,696 per year. That is $42,996 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Clarkson University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Clarkson University pays back its roughly $147,220 cost in about 3.4 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $282,740 net of cost, a 2.92x return on the money invested. That ranks it #47 of 918 (top 6%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Clarkson University graduation rate and student debt
74.3% of Clarkson University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $26,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 29% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Clarkson University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Clarkson University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $30,305 | $20,299 | cheaper than 16% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $89,696 | $54,768 | 95th |
| Graduation rate | 74.3% | 57.0% | 83th |
| Acceptance rate | 77.4% | 75.7% | more selective than 46% |
| 10-yr value added | $282,740 | -$28,192 | 95th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 2.92x | 0.73x | 90th |
| Payback period | 3.4 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 88% |
How Clarkson University compares with its nearest rivals
Clarkson University ranks #47 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 3 of them cost less per year and 2 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Clarkson University is a private nonprofit college in Potsdam, NY with 2,196 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $79,022 a year, but the average aided family pays $30,305, a 62% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $26,000, equal to 29% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Admission is broadly accessible at Clarkson University, which admits 77.4% of applicants, so cost and completion decide its value more than selectivity does.
- Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME; #46 of 918; 95.4% graduate) costs $15,907 less per year ($14,398 net), and its graduates earn $6,961 less ten years out ($82,735). Bowdoin College adds $1,518 more ten-year value than Clarkson University. Bowdoin College pays back its cost in 2.1 years.
- University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD; #48 of 918; 88.6% graduate) costs $14,627 less per year ($15,678 net), and its graduates earn $6,836 less ten years out ($82,860). Clarkson University adds $2,852 more ten-year value than University of Maryland-College Park. University of Maryland-College Park pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- Jewish Theological Seminary of America (New York, NY; #45 of 918; 88.4% graduate) costs $12,890 more per year ($43,195 net), and its graduates earn $3,055 more ten years out ($92,751). Jewish Theological Seminary of America adds $4,990 more ten-year value than Clarkson University. Jewish Theological Seminary of America pays back its cost in 3.8 years.
- Trinity College (Hartford, CT; #49 of 918; 83.3% graduate) costs $4,527 more per year ($34,832 net), and its graduates earn $1,083 more ten years out ($90,779). Clarkson University adds $4,278 more ten-year value than Trinity College. Trinity College pays back its cost in 3.7 years.
- New Jersey Institute of Technology (Newark, NJ; #44 of 918; 72.9% graduate) costs $13,801 less per year ($16,504 net), and its graduates earn $5,420 less ten years out ($84,276). New Jersey Institute of Technology adds $6,004 more ten-year value than Clarkson University. New Jersey Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | #44 | $16,504 | $84,276 | 72.9% | $288,744 |
| Jewish Theological Seminary of America | #45 | $43,195 | $92,751 | 88.4% | $287,730 |
| Bowdoin College | #46 | $14,398 | $82,735 | 95.4% | $284,258 |
| Clarkson University | #47 | $30,305 | $89,696 | 74.3% | $282,740 |
| University of Maryland-College Park | #48 | $15,678 | $82,860 | 88.6% | $279,888 |
| Trinity College | #49 | $34,832 | $90,779 | 83.3% | $278,462 |
Paying for Clarkson University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Clarkson University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Clarkson University ranks #47 of 918 (top 6%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 2.92x the money invested over a decade.
Is Clarkson University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $30,305 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 16% of them.
Do Clarkson University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $89,696 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 95% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Clarkson University compared to other colleges?
Its 77.4% acceptance rate is above the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 46% of the colleges in the snapshot.
Join the college data list
We have not started sending yet; we will only email when we do. No spam.
Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.