Public · University

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina · Midsize suburb

#1 graduation rate in South Carolina#2 most selective in South Carolina#3 for grad earnings in South Carolina
38.3%
Admit rate
$22,253
Avg net price
87%
Graduation rate
$71,513
Median earnings

Clemson University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Clemson, South Carolina (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 23,300 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 23,300 undergradsMidsize suburbSelective · 38% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Atlantic Coast ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Clemson University's admitted students.

Admit rate
38.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1240–1410
Avg GPA (est.)
3.80

Enter a test score to see where you land against Clemson University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Clemson University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson is a city in Pickens and Anderson counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The community was originally named Calhoun. Clemson University was founded in 1889 and located south of the original town. In 1943, the town was renamed to Clemson, reflecting its identification with the adjacent university. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
187 miles
Nearest airport
38 miles to Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)

How Clemson University compares

Selectivity38.3%

More selective than 90% · #2 most selective of 29 in South Carolina

SAT average1353

Higher than 85%

Graduation rate87%

Higher than 94% · #1 of 35 in South Carolina

First-year retention93%

Higher than 91%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$71,513

Higher than 84% · #3 of 35 in South Carolina

Average net price$22,253

Cheaper than 40% · #28 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$21,500

Lower than 63%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment23,300

Larger than 96%

Percentiles compare Clemson University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Carolina.

Clemson University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

28,976students
  • Undergraduate23,30080%
  • Graduate5,67620%

Undergraduates by gender

23,300undergrads
  • Women11,73650%
  • Men11,56450%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White76%
  • Black5.0%
  • Hispanic9.1%
  • Asian2.9%
  • Other or multiracial7.3%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
23,300
Graduate enrollment
5,676
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
15%
First-generation students
17%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$78,377
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$109,377
Endowment
$1,124,156,325

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 4,494 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From South Carolina51%
  • Other U.S. states48%
  • International0.9%

A regional draw: about 51% of first-years come from South Carolina, the rest from elsewhere.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
38.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1240–1410
SAT average
1353
SAT reading
620–700
SAT math
620–710
ACT composite
28–32
Average GPA (estimated)
3.80

Cost

In-state tuition
$15,554
Out-of-state tuition
$40,866
Room & board
$13,284
Books & supplies
$1,456
Total cost of attendance
$35,015
Average net price
$22,253

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
87%
Graduated on time (4 years)
68%
First-year retention
93%
Transferred to another college
9%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$58,311
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$71,513
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Students with federal loans
31%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
72%

About 18% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
68%
Low-income (Pell)
67%
First-generation
68%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
7,500
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
32%
Housing charge (year)
$8,026
Meal plan (year)
$4,846
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
Varsity athletes
676 (362 men · 314 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)207
Football137
Soccer61
Rowing56
Baseball40
Basketball34
Lacrosse34
Softball23
Tennis22
Volleyball22
Golf20
Gymnastics20

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
41
Property offenses (2022–2024)
93

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 10 campuses (29,077 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

45reported offenses a year
14 violent a year31 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
24
Burglary
6.0
Fondling
5.7
Rape
5.0
Aggravated assault
3.0
Arson
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$13,607
$30–48k
$14,109
$48–75k
$18,851
$75–110k
$24,833
$110k+
$27,922

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$81,372

$18,851/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

53%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$7,127
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 53% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $7,127. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 4,589 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$71,513
Typical debt at graduation
$21,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
30%
Out-earn a HS grad
76%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$64,169
Men
$77,390

Men out-earn women by $13,221 (21%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
91°F
Winter low
32°F
Annual rain
52.4″
Annual snow
2.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Clemson Univ, SC US station (1.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Clemson University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Clemson University side by side →

Colleges near Clemson University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.