POTSDAM -- Clarkson University is ties, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 rankings of "Best Colleges." Clarkson ranks in the top 125 institutions in the nation.

Clarkson ranked highly in national universities in measures of reputation, with earned recognition by college presidents, provosts and deans across the country based on the strength of Clarkson’s academic programs.

Each year U.S. News surveys more than 1,800 accredited four-year institutions for their annual “Best Colleges” issue. Schools in the "National Universities" category, like Clarkson, offer a full range of programs and recognize faculty research.

Contributing to Clarkson’s overall ranking were its academic reputation, its graduation rate, and the potential for student social mobility. The Social Mobility Ranking rates the success of students awarded Pell grants.  Households with family incomes less than $50,000 annually are eligible for Pell grants, and a majority are awarded to students with a family income below $20,000.  

Clarkson is also again on the U.S. News "Great Schools, Great Prices" list (Best Value Schools), which takes into account a school's academic quality, as indicated by its U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2020-2021 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid through scholarships and aid.   The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that perform well academically.

Clarkson also ranks highly in undergraduate business programs and in a new category, undergraduate computer science. In particular, the global supply chain management program was ranked as a Top-20 program in the nation for the 17th time. The graduation rate and percentage of freshmen in the top 10% of their high school graduating class also rose from 2020.

U.S. News also ranks Clarkson among its "Best Colleges for Veterans" in the National University category. The list provides military veterans and active-duty service members with data on which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help them make pursuing a college education more affordable.

The survey editors also placed Clarkson University in the "A+ Options for B Students" list, which they identify as strongly rated schools that accept students who have potential and will work hard.