Clark Atlanta University (CAU) is a private, historically black university located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the largest of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) member institutions. The university was established in 1988 with the consolidation of two historically black colleges: Clark College, founded in 1869 and Atlanta University, founded in 1865. Both institutions were part of the Atlanta University Center (AUC), a consortium formed by six schools that provided educational opportunities to African Americans since 1929.
The idea for a consolidated institution was first proposed by Dr. Benjamin Mays, president of Morehouse College and former president of Atlanta University. In 1979, the presidents of Clark College and Atlanta University met to discuss the possibility of consolidation and decided that it would be beneficial for both institutions to join forces and form a larger university to serve more students and provide more resources. After almost ten years of debate, planning and preparation, Clark College and Atlanta University officially merged on August 1st 1988 to become what is now known as Clark Atlanta University.
Since its inception, CAU has been dedicated to providing high-quality education while also promoting social change through research initiatives such as its Center for Urban Education Research & Policy Analysis (CUREPA). CAU has also been an active participant in community service projects such as its annual Urban Plunge program which provides students with hands-on experience working with disadvantaged communities in the city of Atlanta. CAU has also expanded its international outreach with study abroad programs in countries such as Senegal, Ghana, France and South Africa among others where students can gain knowledge about other cultures while furthering their education.
Clark Atlanta University, as one of the top colleges ranked by major educational institutions, has impressed us by its high selectivity and student friendly application process during admissions. The following tables detail 2018 class profile, including total applications received, average high school GPA, SAT scores/ACT scores, and acceptance rates of Clark Atlanta University. To learn more about GPA, SAT and ACT scores information, please follow the links below. If you want to find even more about Clark Atlanta University, such as tuition fees and scholarships, you can click the link after tables to visit the school’s official website.
- ACT-TEST-CENTERS: Provides a list of all four year schools in Washington, including private colleges and public universities of state Washington.
University acronym: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/cau_clark-atlanta-university.html
Admissions Stats
Clark Atlanta University is a historically Black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center consortium, which includes three other major HBCU’s. The university has an acceptance rate of 54%, with an average SAT score range of 1070-1250 and an average ACT score range of 21-26. The school has a total enrollment of 4,910 students, with 2,764 undergraduates and 2,146 graduate students. Of the undergraduate students, 75% are women and 25% are men. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1 and the average class size is 18 students. The freshman retention rate at Clark Atlanta University is 74%, meaning that 74% of freshman return for their sophomore year. Additionally, the four-year graduation rate for first-time full-time students is 33%. Finally, there are over 80 degree programs offered at Clark Atlanta University ranging from associate’s to doctorate degrees in a variety of fields including business administration, communications arts & sciences, computer science & engineering and more.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | less selective |
| Fall 2022 acceptance rate | 69% |
| Early decision acceptance rate | N/A |
| Early action acceptance rate | N/A |
| Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students) | 69% |
Fall 2022 Applications, Acceptances & Enrollments
| Applicants | 5,962 |
| Female applicants | 4,578 |
| Male applicants | 1,384 |
| Applicants accepted | 4,136 |
| Female applicants accepted | 3,256 |
| Male applicants accepted | 880 |
| Freshman enrollment | 852 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 645 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 207 |
| Early decision applicants | N/A |
| Early decision applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early decision applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Early action applicants | N/A |
| Early action applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early action applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Total enrolled incoming freshmen who were accepted under early acceptance or early action | N/A |
Fall 2022 Wait List
| School has a wait list | No |
| Applicants placed on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepting place on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepted from wait list | N/A |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 62% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | 100% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.0 |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | 2.6-3.3 |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | 75% |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | 440 |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | 400-480 |
| SAT Math average score | 430 |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | 390-470 |
| SAT Writing average score | N/A |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | 25% |
| Average ACT Composite score | 19 |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | 18-21 |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT English score breakdown | N/A |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT Math score breakdown | N/A |