Founded in 1887, Clark University. is a Private college. Located in Massachusetts, which is a city setting in Massachusetts, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 2,289 full time undergraduate students, and 1,009 full time graduate students.
The Clark University Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 9:1. There are 206 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Clark University include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.
Quick Facts
Acceptance Rate
54%
Application Deadline
Application Fee
60
SAT Range
ACT Range
Admissions at are considered Selective, with ,43% of all applicants being admitted.
In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 7 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.
94% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 73% were in the top quarter, and 36% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.
STUDENT LIFE Reviews
We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Clark University.
0%
“We”re apathetic”
4%
“We know about current events and vote”
46%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
50%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
4%
“We save it for the classroom”
0%
“Sometimes, but not often”
42%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
54%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
8%
“I only go out in groups”
62%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
31%
“I feel extremely safe”
13%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
75%
“We bought the gear”
13%
“We live for the big game”
0%
“It”s not really our thing”
12%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
54%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
35%
“We”re a very artistic group”
0%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
50%
“They keep regular office hours”
50%
“They”re always available”
92%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
8%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
8%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
23%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
65%
“We only party on weekends”
4%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
8%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
42%
“There might be people who do”
50%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
0%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
0%
“We”re apathetic”
4%
“We know about current events and vote”
46%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
50%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
4%
“We save it for the classroom”
0%
“Sometimes, but not often”
42%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
54%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
8%
“I only go out in groups”
62%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
31%
“I feel extremely safe”
13%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
75%
“We bought the gear”
13%
“We live for the big game”
0%
“It”s not really our thing”
12%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
54%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
35%
“We”re a very artistic group”
0%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
50%
“They keep regular office hours”
50%
“They”re always available”
92%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
8%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
82 Students rated on-campus housing 3.9 stars. 18 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate off-campus housing?
49 Students rated off-campus housing 4 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate campus food?
83 Students rated campus food 3 stars. 7 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate campus facilities?
83 Students rated campus facilities 4.1 stars. 29 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate class size?
83 Students rated class size 4.5 stars. 59 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate school activities?
83 Students rated school activities 4.3 stars. 52 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate local services?
83 Students rated local services 3.9 stars. 33 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate academics?
83 Students rated academics 4.1 stars. 42 % gave the school a 5.0.
Clark University REVIEWS
What's your overall opinion of Clark University?
28 Students rated Clark University
Angela
You will find no college with students as kind and passionate as those at Clark University. It was truly inspiring to see how often the student body came together to protest injustices. Students independently organized services to help others, including a food pantry for students struggling with food insecurity and a rapid response task force to aid students having medical emergencies. While I can only speak for mainly the psychology and English/creative writing departments, the majority of students are smart and want to see each other succeed. I've had similar experiences in the few courses I took in the education, ASL, chemistry, sociology, art, and history departments. The professors are similarly supportive. While there is more variety -- especially since I had some professors for classes with over 80 students -- most professors are very accessible and supportive. The year class size is relatively small, so most classes have about 20 students or less. This probably varies by major, but I know that Clark is known for its psychology program (meaning it probably had the largest classes), and the biggest classes I had in that department were a couple of intro courses with 75 students. You can tell that professors deeply care about both your academic success and personal well-being. They also value student input and adapt if students say that they need more support or that something in class is limiting them. In my entire 4 years at Clark, I have only had 2 professors that I did not love. When I started college, I was afraid of having that stereotypical "this is my classroom, these are my rules, and I am the knowledgeable authority here" professor. I can confidently say that type of professor is not at Clark.
The only issue I had with this school was that the administration sometimes worked slowly and students sometimes felt unheard (especially disabled students). I had to relentlessly persist and advocate for my disability to be accommodated in my living situation in my senior year. However, I was able to lean on other supports to get through the process.
My one piece of advice is to apply for fellowships! Clark has many that fund you in pursuing real-world projects/research over the summer, and my project was probably the most motivating and rewarding thing I've done in my educational career.
Precious
I have rated it with three stars because there are some aspects of Clark that I really appreciate, but there is kind of a toxic sense of community, where people say they want to build a sense of belonging for everyone, but don't do it. They are all talk, nobody puts in the effort to make people feel safe and accepted, they just complain about it without making it happen. The school itself couldn't care less about its students, each year that I have been here (I am currently a junior) they have raised tuition but have not bettered the campus experience. It seems the school cares more about the money than anything else. The resources it actually does have available for students are always so hidden, hardly anyone knows about them unless they have done some extensive digging or were told about it by knowing the right people. The professors are great, I have had a good experience academically, but they also come with problems. There are professors and faculty members on this campus who have been reported multiple times for racist, bigoted, unprofessional behavior and are still working here, with students. Not to mention that it is a PWI, and so everything caters to white people unless it explicitly is made not to (especially party life and activities). The white students are also not that open to exploring cultures and understanding identities outside of their own (a majority, but not all!) although they claim to be so progressive. After saying all of that, you would think this university would deserve one star, but I still appreciate my experience here because it has taught me well. I have had good experiences with most of my professors, have met some wonderful people here, have made lots of connections, and learned so much about what higher education has to offer. There are teachers who truly care, and I have been able to be a part of some clubs that have completely altered the course of my life and allowed me to grow, not only in confidence but in knowledge and maturity. The experience at Clark is a unique one. Not one you should avoid, just one you should be adequately prepared for.
Jason
I am currently a Junior at Clark University, I lived on campus for two years and am now in an apartment off campus. The on-campus housing options were definitely nothing to brag about, but they got the job done with minimal complaints. There are also plenty of off-campus options once you are allowed when you complete two years of on-campus living. The class sizes are small and teachers know your name.
Kelsey
I absolutely love Clark University. For a long time, I didn't think I wanted to attend this school, but as soon as I moved in, I knew it was the place for me. Everyone on campus is extremely involved in clubs, politics, and everything in between; we're a passionate student body that fights for equity and equality wherever we can find it.
Gwynn
The community on and around the campus is very welcoming and enjoyable. The people are very helpful and kind when you need a hand or to meet new people. The opportunities for students to learn different things is a very large category to pick from. The professors and staff are very helpful and want the student to do their best as well as very encouraging to have discussions about topics or ideas that interest the students.
Tasha
Clark is awesome! It is a really good place to learn about the world since their are people from everywhere. The academics are amazing and they have a great focus of the arts, music, and dance. If you have the drive to change the world, Clark is for you.
De
Visited, had a blast at Moynihans on Main st on Friday night!
Emily
While I enjoyed my time at Clark University, there was little to make my experience stand out from any university. The library is the highlight of campus but there is little you can do off campus without a car or vehicular transportation. Clark is located in the middle of the most dangerous part of Worcester. You will hear gunshots, whether you live on campus or not. That said, no student has died to the local gang activity (of which I know).
Eleanor
Clark University is a vibrant community of motivated, creative individuals from all backgrounds. The noncompetitive, mutually supportive environment fosters excellent and engaging academics. There are plenty of extracurricular activities to get involved with which means there is dynamic social activity on campus with more to choose from than just partying. People at Clark are passionate about their work and about changing the world, it’s an awesome place to be!
Virginia
I think Clark is an amazing University! The students there are so kind and go above and beyond to make everyone feel included. The campus is lovely they opted for an open campus so not to shut the city out, but to work with it, which I think is admirable. The sense of community is one that is special and rarely felt anywhere else!
Sydney
The people here are unlike any you'll ever meet: outdoorsy, friendly, outgoing, studious, honest, humorous. They are old souls with the hearts of little kids and an eye for intrigue. Never boring, always changing. The campus is small, but cozy like family, not restraining in any way, it actually pushes your boundaries to be involved in the community. Everyone really cares and is considerate of on another.
margaret
I love Clark. Like any place, there are some things that I would want to change, but overall it is a wonderful place to go to school. My professors are engaging and are nearly always available to answer questions or have a conversation with. With small class sizes, our lectures are always engaging discussions rather than a lecturer talking at us for an hour.
Afriany
Overall I think that clark is a great academic center. A lot of our programs are known across the globe which is amazing and speaks to our academic endeavors. The professors can be really nice and also challenging. There are professors that I've had that have gone out of their way to get to know me and get me to participate in their classrooms which I appreciate since I can be a shy person sometimes. We challenge the notions of what is normal in society and constantly question what is taught and how things are taught in the U.S. and across the world, which leads to a greater understanding of the academia world in general. However, I think clark can do a better job at actually diversifying its campus.
Andrea
Clark University has lived up to my expectations since day 1! Coming from a small and fairly conservative area in Maine, being able to come to a place as diverse and open as Clark has been wonderful. It has been incredibly eye opening and I feel like I've learned more about people than I did through all 4 years of high school. A lot of classes are discussion based and crate this open environment where everyone can share their opinions and talk about them critically without fear of being ridiculed as well.
Katherine
I feel at home and couldn't have picked a better school. Classes are great and academically challenging, the people are unique and kind. The opportunities on campus are endless. While Worcester might not have much to offer, Boston is only a short train ride away.
The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Clark University is 54%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020, _____ students were offered admission.
What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
II will tell myself work very hard in my English and Math courses. Relationships with the teachers are very important take the time to build relationship that will last forever.
I think the overall campus diversity is one of the reasons that make Clark so special. There is a very diverse student body coming from countries all over the world. This allows the students to gain perspective on various topics from a different view. Clark prides itself on being a melting pot of sorts where no matter what your background you are excepted and viewed as a "Clarkie."
Some are nice - others are not, some are beautiful - others are not, some are atristic - others are not, some are rich - others are not. We actually are diverse.
What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?
The financial aid is amazing for the size - I never would have expected so much help. Also, the learning environment is one in a million - the students can easily be mistaken for facilitating discussion or leading a lecture. and both your professors and fellow students are extremely helpful in and outside of the classroom. The balance between social and academic life can't be beat either - we're driven scholars, but know when enough is enough and when to relax and hang out.
Anyone with an open mind and interest helping others should come to Clark. Students are very involved in the community and interested in bettering the lives of others. Many students have very liberal ideas and are highly environmentally-conscious, but are also open to the opinions and viewpoints of others who may disagree with their ideas. Clark is also very diverse and has a large percentage of international students. American students looking to broaden their cultural awareness should consider Clark, as well as international students looking for a place where they will naturally fit in.
What kind of person should not attend this school?
Arrogance, bigotry, self-entitlement, and close-mindedness are examples of unacceptable qualities here at Clark. This campus is very liberal and accepting to anyone who is well, liberal and accepting. That being said, someone who shouldn't come here is a kind of person who is judgemental, unwilling to challenge convention, and allows prejudicial stereotypes to flourish; this person will get torn apart.
Coming to Clark was the best decision I ever made! Oh gosh where do I even start describing Clark. I'm a freshmen (well, as of when I write this review in October 2012) and I've only been here for a full month and a half, but I've never had more fun in my life already. The people here are SO friendly and open and accepting, it's impossible not to fit in. If you felt like the odd one out at high school, this is the place for you. If you were pretty popular, this is still the place for you. It's a place where the old you doesn't matter, only who you are now. There's always something going on, and I know all colleges say this but it's literally true. Like, if you sign up for clubs, you will be BOMBARDED with emails of stuff going on, as well as emails from faculty regarding campus and neighborhood activities. The academics are fantastic, and even in classes I hate (French Pop Culture. Don't take it.) I still realize that there are so many opportunities here that don't exist at other schools.
My only qualm with Clark is that it's rather small (I was looking for a school of 4,000-7,000 and Clark is just over 2,000) and well, Worcester. BUT, Worcester is NOT that bad! The area around Clark isn't pretty, but we do a LOT of community service and work with the neighborhood a lot. It's just another city neighborhood, and it has both families and Clark students in it. Main South isn't a fantastic area, but it's not dangerous during the day, so just grab a friend and check out all the cool things to do! There's 3 Asian markets, a Hispanic market, pizza and Chinese food, Annie's Clark Brunch (a FANTASTIC diner that you will be eating at quite a lot because it's cheap and delicious) and Acoustic Java (a fabulous little cafe) right outside of the Clark campus, so go explore! It's actually a pretty neat area. Main South as well as Worcester as a whole has a ton of restaurants as well- in fact it should be known for it's food if anything else. In addition to good food and a lot of culture, there are 13 colleges total in Worcester, so it definitely caters to college life. My father recently told me that he read that Worcester was one of the biggest up and coming cities for 20-somethings, and young people are moving there at an extremely fast rate because the growth is so huge. So don't judge Worcester on the outside! As for my first comment, after living here, it's still not my cup of tea, but I definitely don't HATE it. It definitely wasn't what I was looking for, but it doesn't ruin my experience here at all.
The work-load is heavy, but definitely manageable. It really depends on what classes you take. With some classes and majors you'll start writing 10-page (20 pages double spaced) papers in the first week and with other classes you'll have maybe one or two 3 page papers per month! There's always a lot of reading involved no matter what you're taking, so make sure you keep track of that. We're a very academically driven school and everyone here wants to do well. I promise you though, the workload won't get TOO hard, and if it does it's probably just a hill that you have to get over and won't face again for awhile. There's always help if you need it. The staff are always willing to reach out to you and help you figure out how to manage your time, and if you're open and honest with your professors about your needs, they'll most likely be more understanding of extenuating circumstances should any come up.
Where is the best place to get work done on campus?
I do most of my work in the library. It is fantastic, the first floor is the Academic Commons where groups can meet to work and talk. There is a cafe there as well as public computers that can be printed from. Once entering the second floor serious work is done there. Between the 2nd and 5th floors there are different levels of amount of effort put into work and how quiet it is. As one goes higher up, the building becomes more and more quiet. I like to work on the 5th floor looking out a window at a private desk. It allows me to get all my work done in silence and I get to have a beautiful view of Clark campus from my window. It's very beautiful and peaceful.
What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
Clark is like a box of M&Ms in terms of the diversity of people's personalities, backgrounds and cultures. The best part of being here is interacting with the different people and learning from their experiences as well as your own.
What are the most popular student activities/groups?
Because of the large presence of international students, the ISA is a large club, and their International Gala event is one of the most popular on campus. There's no Greek life, but sports houses and off-campus apartments have enough parties to make up for that. The lack of Greek life also seems to unite the campus a bit more, I've never been to a party that's had a list, or not allowed in because I wasn't dressed skimpy enough. Everybody just wants to have fun. For the size and budget of the school's student planning, the bands and speakers that come are great. In the past decade we've had Kevin Smith, Sapphire (author of Precious), and Hillary Clinton, not to mention an entertaining appearance from recent Bachelorette star and Clark Alum Ali Fedotowsky. As for bands, the school tends to bring in national touring indie acts, such as Dirty Projectors, Dan Deacon, Ted Leo, Girl Talk, Kimya Dawson, Santogold, YACHT, and No Age.
There is no Greek life on campus, but if a student is interested in greek life there are neighboring schools that welcome Clark students to frat parties.
It depends on what you are into. I have enjoyed classes from the theater, philosophy and sociology department. One of the most popular classes that get filled up are the "Studio" classes in the theater department, "Human Sexuality" in the Psychology department and "Existentialism" in the Philosophy department.
Sports are huge at Clark University. There are lots of kids who go to Clark on sports scholarships, and lots of people take sports very seriously. All of my friends on sports teams during their season work very hard to be the best team they can be. There is a lot of cougar pride on campus.
All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA.
Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.
91% of students attending Clark University receive some sort of financial aid.
23% were awarded federal grants.53%received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.
