Clarke University

Admission to Clarke University is relatively accessible, though its national standing has slipped in recent years. In the US News rankings, the university moved from rank 218 in 2020 to rank 352 in 2026. For the entering class of 2025, Clarke recorded an acceptance rate of 71.8%, which was higher than 51% of peer institutions in all private comprehensive universities. While the school admits a clear majority of its applicant pool, it faces considerable challenges in getting admitted students to enroll. Its yield rate for 2025 stood at just 5.5%, placing it higher than only 1% of schools in the same peer group. This indicates that most admitted students choose other colleges, meaning applicants who meet Clarke's baseline criteria have a strong likelihood of admission but few admitted peers ultimately matriculate.

Clarke University maintains accessible academic criteria for incoming undergraduate applicants. In 2025, the median SAT score among enrolled students was 1060, placing the institution higher than 6% of peer schools in all private comprehensive universities. For students submitting ACT results that same year, the middle half of composite scores spanned from 16 to 24. Standardized testing is submitted by a small fraction of the entering class, with single-digit percentages of students reporting either exam. These benchmarks indicate that applicants with modest or developing high school academic credentials fall comfortably within Clarke's typical student profile. The institution does not require elite testing metrics to secure admission. For families assessing academic fit and admissibility, Clarke represents an attainable option where entrance standards accommodate students across a broad spectrum of educational backgrounds, meaning that applicants demonstrating steady secondary school performance can approach the admissions process with confidence.

Academics at Clarke University center primarily on professional and pre-professional tracks, with undergraduate completions concentrated in a small group of fields. In 2025, the top three undergraduate programs accounted for 46.7% of all bachelor's degrees conferred. Business Administration and Management was the largest undergraduate major, graduating 34 students, followed by Elementary Education and Teaching, and Sport and Fitness Administration. International bachelor's students were heavily drawn to business administration and sports management. At the graduate level, the university features offerings such as physical therapy, which was ranked 139 by US News in 2026, and social work, ranked 241 in 2024; its largest undergraduate fields do not appear on national major ranking tables. In the labor market, 2023 earnings data indicate that graduates in Registered Nursing achieved the highest early compensation, with median first-year earnings of $74,349, outperforming business and education alumni. Students choosing Clarke will find degrees tailored to practical career paths.

Clarke University maintained an overall student body of 962 students in 2025. Undergraduate continuing students made up the largest division, within which international students numbered 68, representing 13.2% of that cohort. Asian students formed a very small portion of campus, with 10 continuing undergraduates accounting for 1.9% of their group. Across the entering freshman class, international and Asian representation remained minimal, consisting of just a few individuals. Similarly, transfer students and the graduate division included only a handful of international scholars and almost no Asian students. The student community is predominantly domestic, with white students making up the majority across both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The student body at Clarke University reflects a traditional collegiate age structure. In 2025, the undergraduate population was concentrated among young adults, led by the 20 to 21 age group at 38.6%, followed closely by 18 to 19-year-olds at 32.4%. Students aged 22 to 24 comprised a smaller segment of undergraduates. This strong presence of traditional college-age students shapes an undergraduate campus life centered on shared developmental milestones. In contrast, graduate programs serve early-career adults, with students aged 22 to 24 making up 59.2% of all graduate enrollees. The transition from a youthful undergraduate cohort to a focused, early-professional graduate community creates distinct student dynamics across academic levels.

International enrollment at Clarke University displays distinct trends between academic divisions. At the undergraduate level, international representation has grown steadily, reaching 81 students in 2025 to account for 9.9% of the undergraduate body. This share is higher than 80% of peer institutions in all private comprehensive universities. Conversely, the graduate division has maintained minimal international presence over time, with international scholars accounting for just over one percent of graduate enrollment in 2025. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students earned a notable share of bachelor's degrees but very few advanced credentials. At the bachelor's level, international graduates concentrated primarily in Business Administration and Management, where they made up 26.5% of degree recipients, followed by sports management. At the master's level, international representation remained scarce, and doctoral cohorts contained no international graduates.

Families considering Clarke University can explore several alternative higher education options within a relatively short distance. Located 70 kilometers away, Augustana College is a liberal arts college holding rank 91 in the 2027 US News rankings. Also nearby in the region, University of Iowa is a large national university situated 72.9 kilometers away, ranked 100 in the 2027 rankings. To the northeast, University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a major research university setting 76 kilometers from Dubuque, holding rank 34 among national universities. Another nearby choice is Beloit College, a liberal arts college located 84.6 kilometers away and ranked 100 in the 2027 liberal arts college ranking. These institutions provide a variety of public university and private liberal arts environments within the surrounding area.

Campus safety reports for Clarke University indicate an overall reduction in reported offenses over recent years. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate per 1,000 students of 10.4, down from higher rates in earlier years. The campus incident log is primarily characterized by substance-related disciplinary actions rather than violent offenses. From 2023 to 2025, disciplinary referrals for drug violations formed the largest category, totaling 17 incidents over those years, while disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations totaled 13 incidents. Other offenses were infrequent during the 2023 to 2025 period, consisting of a low number of burglaries, reported sexual offenses, and weapons-related incidents. These statistics reflect an environment where institutional policy enforcement around alcohol and drugs accounts for the bulk of safety reports, while major criminal incidents remain rare on campus.