Early College Program: The Clarkson School

The Clarkson School (TCS) is a selective early college program for high academic achievers who have progressed beyond their high school curriculum and are ready for a fresh challenge. Students will live in a special living and learning community that provides additional support for personal growth, academic achievement and professional development. Clarkson School students take the same courses as Clarkson University first-year students and enjoy the same unlimited access to athletics and recreation, the Student Success, Diversity and Inclusion office and clubs and activities.

Attending The Clarkson School is similar to being a first-year student at Clarkson University. You will take a full course load and have the opportunity to join student clubs, academic and social organizations and sports teams. As opposed to the typical Clarkson University first-year experience, Clarkson School students live in their own residence hall with a dedicated staff of house advisors (HAs). This extra layer of support ensures that Clarkson School students make a smooth transition to college life.

STUDENT BODY: ~4,600 students from 40+ states and 60+ countries; ~3,100 undergraduate students

LOCATION (for undergraduate study): Potsdam, New York

HISTORY: 1896 — Founded as the Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial School of Technology, a memorial to Thomas S. Clarkson, a Potsdam businessman and humanitarian. 1913 — Renamed Thomas S. Clarkson Memorial College of Technology — where we
got our chant, “Let’s Go Tech!” 1984 — Renamed Clarkson University to reflect status as a university with master’s and PhD programs in more than two fields.

PRESIDENT: Marc P. Christensen (2022-Present)

MASCOT: Golden Knight

COLORS: Green and Gold, after Thomas S. Clarkson’s favorite flower, the goldenrod

ATHLETICS: 2 Division I sports teams (men’s and women’s hockey); 18 Division III sports teams; 180+ club sports teams and intramural leagues

MILITARY: Army and Air Force ROTC programs

STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 12:1

PLACEMENT RATE: 97% in chosen field

AVERAGE STARTING SALARY: $64,384

ALUMNI: 46,000+

APPLICATION DEADLINES: Early Decision - December 1; Regular Decision - January 15

TEST SCORES: Optional for 2022 Admission; Self-reported 

SCHOOLS: Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries; Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering; Institute for STEM Education; Institute for a Sustainable Environment; Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences; David D. Reh School of Business; School of Arts & Sciences; Graduate School

HONORS PROGRAM: Research-based option for students looking to pursue research even before the start of their first year in college; culminates in a senior thesis.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT: 200+ clubs, organizations and teams to join on campus, including musical/performance, religious, political, hobby/special interest, volunteer/community service, Greek (9 fraternities, 4 sororities), athletic, academic/preprofessional,
honor societies and Leadership development clubs.

CO-OPS & INTERNSHIPS: All Clarkson students have a professional experience before graduation. For the majority of students, this means a co-op or internship with a top company in their industry of interest. 

GLOBAL/OFF-CAMPUS EXPERIENCES: 50+ partner institutions in nearly 30 countries plus three U.S. experiences: Trudeau Biomedical Scholars Semester; Adirondack Semester; Washington D.C. Semester; several Clarkson-led short-term trips throughout the year.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH: Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with focus areas in Healthy Global Solutions, Computational and Data-Enabled Discovery, Advanced Materials Development and Next Generation Medicine and Healthcare. Any undergraduate student who wants to perform research with a faculty member has the ability to do so.