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Colleges in and near Potsdam

Potsdam is a college town: 57 of every 100 residents are students

Clarkson University (3,323 students on campus) and SUNY College at Potsdam (2,318) are inside the village. Across New York, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town57% of residents are studentsSUNY College at PotsdamClarkson University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Potsdam. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
9,398 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
SUNY College at Potsdam
Residents in college
57%
Above NY (7%)
Nearest community college
49 mi
North Country · $6,682 tuition
Nearest public university
0.8 mi
SUNY College at Potsdam · $8,768 in-state
Students on campus in Potsdam
5,641
next to 8,019 residents

What stands out about college in Potsdam

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town57 of every 100 Potsdam residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.Two colleges within 1 mileSUNY College at Potsdam admits 78% of applicants; Clarkson University admits 77%. Together they have 5,641 students on campus.In-state price at SUNY College at PotsdamLiving in New York, SUNY College at Potsdam charges $8,768 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,678. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 49 miles awayNorth Country Community College in Saranac Lake: tuition and fees $6,682 a year for New York residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Potsdam

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

57 of every 100 Potsdam residents are in college (NY: 7).

5,641students on campus at Potsdam’s 2 colleges, next to 8,019 residents (dorm students count as residents)
932college students live in Potsdam households rather than dorms
21.7median age · NY 39.8
66%of homes rented · NY 46%
$898median rent · 45% below the state
Cost of living$898/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB+HealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Potsdam’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 29.3% of Potsdam residents are below the poverty line, 20.5% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 13 points either way). 63% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C+

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (57% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Potsdam’s median age is 21.7 (New York 39.8), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B+

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Potsdam

Two private colleges within 10.4 miles, and two public colleges within 10.8 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miClarkson UniversitySUNY College at PotsdamSt Lawrence UniversityPotsdam
University or collegeCommunity college
SUNY College at PotsdamUniversity or college · Public · 2,318 on campus · In Potsdam78%admitted$14knet price45%graduate$48kearningsClarkson UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,323 on campus · In Potsdam77%admitted$30knet price75%graduate$90kearningsSt Lawrence UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,089 on campus · 10.4 mi · Canton54%admitted$29knet price79%graduate$67kearningsSUNY College of Technology at CantonUniversity or college · Public · 1,668 on campus · 10.8 mi · Canton92%admitted$15knet price38%graduate$48kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Potsdam’s median household income ($34,546) falls.

SUNY College at PotsdamIn Potsdam · sticker $25,083$8,684a year
SUNY College of Technology at Canton10.8 mi · Canton · sticker $24,906$12,813a year
St Lawrence University10.4 mi · Canton · sticker $82,000$14,008a year
Clarkson UniversityIn Potsdam · sticker $79,022$19,934a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Potsdam: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →SUNY College at PotsdamClarkson UniversitySt Lawrence UniversitySUNY College of Technology at Canton
Clarkson University75% graduate$90k earnings$26k typical debt
SUNY College at Potsdam45% graduate$48k earnings$24k typical debt
St Lawrence University79% graduate$67k earnings$27k typical debt
SUNY College of Technology at Canton38% graduate$48k earnings$20k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Potsdam

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Potsdam’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Engineering 29%Education 13%Business 9%Psychology 7%Biology 6%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 31%

Biggest programs

Mechanical EngineeringClarkson University · 155 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasSUNY College at Potsdam · 121 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Civil EngineeringClarkson University · 70 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralSUNY College at Potsdam · 60 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsSUNY College at Potsdam · 52 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Chemical EngineeringClarkson University · 52 graduates a year
$94k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsSUNY College at Potsdam · 51 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringClarkson University · 48 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Potsdam

Is Potsdam a college town?

Yes. 57 of every 100 Potsdam residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across New York. Clarkson University has 3,323 students on campus, next to 8,019 residents.

What colleges are in Potsdam?

Clarkson University and SUNY College at Potsdam are inside the village. North Country Community College is 49 miles away in Saranac Lake.

Why is Potsdam’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 29.3% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 20.5% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 13 points).

What is the closest community college to Potsdam, and what does it cost?

North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, 49 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,682 a year for New York residents; the federal net price, $11,868, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Clarkson University?

Clarkson University admitted 77% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,200–1,390 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Potsdam. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →