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Harvard Stanford Princeton RIT Caltech Yale St Lawrence University RPI Syracuse Cornell Northeastern Carnegie Mellon| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Clarkson University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
| Location | Cambridge, MA | Potsdam, NY | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Remote Town | ||
| Enrollment | 11,920 | 3,603 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #7 | #183 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | mit.edu | clarkson.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $59,750 | $56,642 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $59,750 | $56,642 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,390 | $17,016 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $21,519 | $33,192 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $58,331 | $43,097 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 100% |
Admission |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 26,904 | 7,347 | ||
| Admitted | 1,274 | 5,669 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 4.7% | 77.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 85.6% | 10.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.96 | 3.8 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Very High | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | |||
| ACT Range | 34/36 | 26/31 | ||
| SAT Range | 1510/1580 | 1198/1390 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Required to be considered for admission | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 12:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 72% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $142,100 | $70,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 92% | 86% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $17,316 | $27,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $179 | $279 |
Diversity |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 37% | 17% | ||
| % Women | 25% | 13% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 37% | 84% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 2% | ||
| % Hispanic | 15% | 4% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 2% | ||
| % International | 10% | 3% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 2% |
Students |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 8% | 65% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 81% | 29% | ||
Campus |
MIT | Clarkson | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than Clarkson based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 3,603 students)
MIT vs. Clarkson Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, MIT or Clarkson?
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology is 5.5% more expensive to attend than Clarkson for in-state tuition ($59,750.00 vs. $56,642.00)
- Out of state tuition is 5.5% higher at MIT than Clarkson University ($59,750.00 vs. $56,642.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than Clarkson ($21,519 vs. $33,192)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Clarkson University are 14% lower than costs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($17,016 vs. $19,390)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Clarkson University than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (100% vs. 58%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students is 35.3% larger than aid received Clarkson University ($58,331 vs. $43,097)
MIT vs. Clarkson Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, MIT or Clarkson? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Clarkson or MIT .
- The average SAT score at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1507) is 309 points higher than at Clarkson (1198)
- Incoming MIT students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Clarkson (27)
- Accepted freshman MIT students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Clarkson (3.8)
- Clarkson has a higher acceptance rate (77.2%) than MIT (4.7%)
MIT vs. Clarkson Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, MIT or Clarkson? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Clarkson and MIT.
- The graduation rate at MIT is higher than Clarkson University (93% vs. 72%)
- Graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn on average $71,300 more per year than Clarkson graduates after ten years. ($142,100 vs. $70,800)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology students graduate with a $9,684 lower median federal student loan debt than Clarkson graduates. ($17,316 vs. $27,000)
- MIT graduates are paying $100 less per month on federal student loans than Clarkson graduates. ($179 vs. $279)
- More MIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Clarkson students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 86%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/