He attended the University College of the Gold Coast and received his bachelor's degree with first-class honours from the University of London after which he was awarded a fellowhip for his doctorate in botany from Imperial College London.
He attended the University College of the Gold Coast and received his bachelor's degree with first-class honours from the University of London. G. C. Clerk was then awarded a fellowship for postgraduate research at the University of Bristol and earned his doctorate in botany from the University of London and a DIC from the Imperial College London.