More selective than 97% of South Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $35,015. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 94% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Clemson University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 60,122 applicants, Clemson University admitted 22,879 and 4,494 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1410 on the SAT or 28–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Clemson University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for South Carolina residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Clemson University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Clemson University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,607 | $57,830 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $14,109 | $59,963 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $18,851 | $80,117 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $24,833 | $105,540 | 2.8 years |
| $110k+ | $27,922 | $118,669 | 3.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (68% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($71,513) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $37,997 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Clemson University majors, earnings & careers
Clemson University offers 70 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 17
- Engineering · 15
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Clemson University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Information Science / Studies | $105,646 | $25,964 |
| Computer Engineering | $102,762 | $26,955 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $101,301 | $22,498 |
| Construction Management | $98,726 | $22,675 |
| Electrical Engineering | $96,446 | $26,000 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $94,449 | $25,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $93,705 | $22,500 |
| Industrial Engineering | $92,491 | $26,750 |
Quick list of all 70 majors
- Accounting$84,458
- Agricultural Business$67,050
- Agricultural Engineering$88,338
- Agricultural Production Operations$51,582
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Animal Sciences$47,853
- Anthropology—
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Architecture$63,892
- Biochemistry$60,988
- Biology$65,577
- Biomedical Engineering$93,705
- Business Administration$70,059
- Ceramic Sciences and Engineering—
- Chemical Engineering$92,098
- Chemistry$67,996
- Civil Engineering$84,873
- Computer and Information Sciences$101,301
- Computer Engineering$102,762
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Construction Management$98,726
- Criminology$50,133
- Economics$79,468
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,861
- Education (Subject Teaching)$50,212
- Education, Other—
- Electrical Engineering$96,446
- Engineering-Related Fields$94,449
- English$50,582
- Environmental Engineering$81,714
- Environmental Science / Conservation$40,266
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$91,269
- Food Science and Technology$63,501
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other$69,274
- Forestry$63,764
- Genetics—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$66,150
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$72,010
- History$50,125
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Industrial Engineering$92,491
- Information Science / Studies$105,646
- Landscape Architecture$65,469
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$52,044
- Marketing$81,109
- Materials Engineering$85,883
- Mathematics$82,450
- Mechanical Engineering$91,028
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$81,526
- Nursing$74,491
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$48,898
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$52,844
- Political Science$64,822
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$55,126
- Public Relations and Advertising$71,968
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$54,780
- Soil Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$70,584
- Special Education—
- Studio Art$35,526
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other$45,735
- Writing$67,102
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Greenville
Overall prices in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,507. Housing costs 23% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 52 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Pickens County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pickens County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Clemson University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in South Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University | 38% | $22,253 | 87% | $71,513 | This school |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | 60% | $22,811 | 79% | $62,177 | |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 23% | $20,723 | 75% | $72,085 | |
| College of Charleston | 60% | $18,960 | 66% | $56,416 | |
| Medical University of South Carolina | — | — | — | $88,420 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Clemson University would cost you $558 less per year than University of South Carolina-Columbia, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Clemson University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,866).
- Clemson University gives aided families $3,935 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Carolina resident | Clemson University | University of South Carolina-Columbia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,554 | $12,688 | +$2,866 |
| Books & supplies | $1,436 | $1,226 | +$210 |
| Housing & meals | $12,872 | $12,558 | +$314 |
| Personal & travel | $5,476 | $5,505 | −$29 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$323 | −$339 | +$16 |
| Sticker price | $35,015 | $31,638 | +$3,377 |
| Average grants | −$12,762 | −$8,827 | −$3,935 |
| You pay | $22,253 | $22,811 | −$558 |
“+” means Clemson University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Clemson University
What is the Clemson University acceptance rate?
Clemson University accepts 38% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 22,879 of 60,122 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1410 on the SAT or 28–32 on the ACT.
How much does Clemson University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $35,015 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,253 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,607 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,922.
How much do Clemson University graduates earn?
Former Clemson University students earn a median $71,513 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Clemson University graduation rate?
87% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a Clemson University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Clemson University costs about $80,117 after grants ($18,851 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $71,513 ten years after starting, $37,997 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Clemson University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/clemson-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).