Clark University was founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts by Jonas Gilman Clark. It was the first all-graduate university in the United States and the first university to award a doctoral degree. Initially, Clark offered advanced degrees in education, psychology, and philosophy. In 1889, G. Stanley Hall became the first president of Clark University and he established an experimental psychology laboratory and a philosophical library at the school. This helped to create a strong foundation for research at Clark University and helped to differentiate it from other universities at that time.
In 1902, Hall left Clark University to become the president of Johns Hopkins University, but his legacy continued with Robert MacIver becoming the new president of Clark University in 1906. MacIver helped to significantly expand the scope of research conducted at Clark by introducing new departments such as sociology and anthropology which allowed students access to new fields of study. He also began offering courses in business administration which were highly sought after among students during that time period. During World War I, many faculty members left their posts at Clark to serve in Europe while graduate students completed their studies under professors who remained on campus or through correspondence courses provided by faculty members abroad.
Clark 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 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 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 West Virginia, including private colleges and public universities of state West Virginia.
University acronym: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/cu_clark-university.html
Admissions Stats
Clark University is an esteemed university located in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a private liberal arts and research university founded in 1887. The university boasts a 11:1 student-faculty ratio and offers over 80 undergraduate majors, as well as graduate and doctoral programs. Clark University has an acceptance rate of 56%, with the average GPA of admitted students being 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. The most popular majors at Clark are Psychology, Biology, Business Administration/Management, Economics, and Political Science/Government. In terms of standardized testing requirements, the average SAT score of accepted students is 1250 out of 1600 while the average ACT score is 28 out of 36. Students can also choose to submit their AP or IB exam scores for consideration in the admissions process if they have taken any advanced placement tests or International Baccalaureate exams. Additionally, Clark University requires two letters of recommendation from teachers or counselors familiar with the applicant’s academic background and extracurricular activities. Finally, Clark places emphasis on personal essays as a way to get to know applicants better; applicants must submit one essay that speaks to their personal interests or experiences that have shaped them into who they are today.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | more 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 | 4,038 |
| Female applicants | 2,281 |
| Male applicants | 1,757 |
| Applicants accepted | 2,790 |
| Female applicants accepted | 1,651 |
| Male applicants accepted | 1,139 |
| Freshman enrollment | 578 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 330 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 248 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Applicants placed on wait list | 0 |
| Students accepting place on wait list | 0 |
| Students accepted from wait list | 0 |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 44% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | 97% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.5 |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | 3.2-3.8 |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | 87% |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | 602 |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | 540-660 |
| SAT Math average score | 589 |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | 530-640 |
| SAT Writing average score | 598 |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | 550-650 |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | 29% |
| Average ACT Composite score | 27 |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | 25-31 |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | 23-29 |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | 25-31 |