Clarke University

What is the history of Clarke University?

Clarke University is a private Catholic institution founded in Dubuque in 1843 by Mary Frances Clarke and the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It began as a school for young women, an origin that still figures in the university's identity.

The institution was later known as Clarke College. It became coeducational in 1979 and adopted the name Clarke University in 2010. Those changes reflect its development from a women's college into an institution offering undergraduate and graduate study to a broader student population.

What are the faculties and departments at Clarke University?

Clarke University offers undergraduate programs across the liberal arts, sciences, business, education, health professions, and performing and visual arts, along with selected graduate and professional programs. Prospective students should use the current academic catalog to identify the department, degree, and course requirements for a particular major.

Examples of undergraduate fields include biology, psychology, business administration, accounting, education, nursing, social work, computer science, and the arts. Clarke also offers graduate study in fields that include physical therapy. Some paths, particularly those leading to teaching or health-profession credentials, have separate progression standards, clinical or fieldwork requirements, and licensing considerations beyond general university admission.

The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 9 to 1. That institution-wide measure describes enrollment relative to faculty; it does not mean every class has nine students or that every required course is offered every term.

What is the location of Clarke University?

Clarke University's campus is in Dubuque, Iowa, a city on the Mississippi River near the Illinois and Wisconsin borders. Its setting combines a residential college campus with access to a small-city community.

Students considering off-campus employment, clinical placements, or commuting should account for travel within Dubuque and the surrounding region. First-year students are permitted to park a car on campus, which may matter for applicants coming from outside the city. Dubuque Regional Airport serves the area, but travelers should check current routes and ground transportation rather than assume a direct flight will be available.

What is the mission and vision of Clarke University?

Clarke describes its educational purpose in terms of academic learning, personal development, and service, drawing on its Catholic identity and the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the university's stated mission, not a measured outcome for every student.

That heritage is visible in opportunities for campus ministry and community involvement. Applicants weighing the fit of a faith-affiliated institution can distinguish between the university's institutional values and the requirements of an individual academic program or student activity.