Clarkson University vs Michigan State University (MSU)

Clarkson University and Michigan State University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Clarkson, a private research university in Potsdam, New York, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 69%. Its focus on STEM fields is evident in popular majors like Engineering, Computer Science, and Business. The student body comprises 4,500 undergraduates, creating a close-knit community. In contrast, Michigan State University, a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, welcomes a larger and more diverse student body of over 50,000 undergraduates. With an acceptance rate of 70%, it offers a wider range of academic programs, including popular majors like Business, Engineering, and Social Sciences. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Clarkson at 83% and Michigan State at 80%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two outstanding universities.

	Clarkson University	Michigan State University
Overview
Location	Potsdam, New York	East Lansing, Michigan
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	80.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.6%	83.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1180 - 1380	1100 - 1320
ACT range	25 - 32	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	51.0%	48.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	16.0%
Total number of applicants	7,011	50,630
Total number of admissions given out	5,229	42,150
Admitted students who chose to enroll	740	9,225
Yield rate	14.2%	21.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,716	In state: $29,734 Out of state: $55,546
Average net price	$31,413	$8,738
Tuition	$53,100	In state: $14,750 Out of state: $40,562
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,726 Meal plan: $7,518	Room/dormitory: $4,408 Meal plan: $6,268
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,981	58.0% Average amount $12,822
Students receiving federal student loan	71.0% Average amount $5,323	34.0% Average amount $4,999
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $16,547	6.0% Average amount $18,093

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,852 Men 69.3% Women 30.7%	38,574 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	1,101 Men 55.4% Women 44.6%	11,085 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.8%	18.7%
International students	8.6%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,482	17,463
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York Mississippi Connecticut Vermont New Hampshire	Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Engineering Technologies Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Health Professions Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	75.6%	82.1%
Dropout rate	7.1%	7.8%
Transferred out	17.1%	9.8%
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	Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $126,500 Year 2: $123,886 Year 3: $132,790 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,863 Year 2: $98,481 Year 3: $108,546 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,313 Year 2: $89,435 Year 3: $101,511 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,361 Year 2: $96,183 Year 3: $100,492 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $97,714 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $79,294 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $93,263 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,609 Year 2: $83,915 Year 3: $92,316 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $83,457 Year 2: $86,129 Year 3: $91,721 Food Science and Technology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,178 Year 2: $83,915 Year 3: $89,761 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,462 Year 2: $80,133 Year 3: $84,869

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Clarkson University vs Michigan State University (MSU)

Clarkson University

Michigan State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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