Clarkson University vs United States Naval Academy (USNA)

Clarkson University and the United States Naval Academy stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. Clarkson, a private research university in Potsdam, New York, boasts a 75% acceptance rate and is renowned for its engineering, business, and health sciences programs. In contrast, the United States Naval Academy, a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland, maintains a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of only 9%. Its curriculum emphasizes leadership, military science, and engineering, preparing graduates for careers as commissioned officers in the United States Navy or Marine Corps. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, their contrasting acceptance rates, curriculum focus, and student body demographics make them suitable for different types of students. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and career goals.

	Clarkson University	United States Naval Academy
Overview
Location	Potsdam, New York	Annapolis, Maryland
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	80.0%	98.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.6%	8.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1180 - 1380	1200 - 1420
ACT range	25 - 32	26 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	51.0%	69.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	48.0%
Total number of applicants	7,011	16,265
Total number of admissions given out	5,229	1,374
Admitted students who chose to enroll	740	1,183
Yield rate	14.2%	86.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,716
Average net price	$31,413
Tuition	$53,100
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,726 Meal plan: $7,518
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,981
Students receiving federal student loan	71.0% Average amount $5,323
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $16,547

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,852 Men 69.3% Women 30.7%	4,528 Men 71.3% Women 28.7%
Graduate students	1,101 Men 55.4% Women 44.6%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.8%	92.6%
International students	8.6%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,482	4,667
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York Mississippi Connecticut Vermont New Hampshire	California Texas Maryland Virginia Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Engineering Technologies Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Engineering Social Sciences Military Technologies Physical Science English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	N/A

Outcome
Graduation rate	75.6%	91.3%
Dropout rate	7.1%	8.7%
Transferred out	17.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $114,346 Year 2: $107,376 Year 3: $116,722 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,757 Year 2: $95,295 Year 3: $105,649 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,495 Year 2: $78,074 Year 3: $94,384 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,482 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $85,200 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,827 Year 2: $77,715 Year 3: $83,602 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,898 Year 2: $68,858 Year 3: $78,529 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,862 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: $76,752 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,118 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $76,112 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $75,843 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,036 Year 2: $67,748 Year 3: $73,468	N/A

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Clarkson University vs United States Naval Academy (USNA)

Clarkson University

United States Naval Academy

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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