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Summary
Clemson University is a public institution that was founded in 1889. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 15,459, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 17,000 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Clemson University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 68. Its in-state tuition and fees are $12,668 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $28,826 (2011-12).
As a student at Clemson, get ready to love the color orange, the school’s website advises. The orange Clemson Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. The teams are supported by notoriously passionate student fans and two costumed student mascots, known as The Tiger and The Tiger Cub. There are more than 325 student clubs and organizations, and about 25 percent of students are involved in the school’s large Greek system. Clemson is set on Hartwell Lake, where students can sail, swim, and fish. For indoor fun, the on-campus Union Recreation Center has a bowling alley, arcade, and billiards room. Students can travel for free on campus bus system The CAT, which connects students between Clemson University and the nearby city of Clemson, S.C.. The city of Clemson is within walking distance of campus, too, and offers a typical active college scene with many shopping, dining, and nightlife options. Freshmen must live in university housing, and nearly half of all students choose to live on the school’s picturesque, tree-lined campus.
Clemson University is a land-grant institution that conducts research for the betterment of the community. Students and faculty are involved in projects ranging from improving irrigation systems to lowering youth bullying rates in South Carolina schools. Clemson has graduated many famous athletes, including former Washington Redskins center Jeff Bostic and PGA Tour golfer Lucas Glover. Other notable alumni include politicians such as former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond and business personalities like George H. Ross, advisor to Donald Trump on The Apprentice and executive vice president of the Trump Organization.
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As an institution founded to be both a driver of economic development and a "high seminary of learning," Clemson University is something of a higher education hybrid: A major, land-grant, science- and engineering-oriented research university with a teaching and learning environment more typical of a private, liberal arts college. Despite record growth in applications, Clemson tightly manages undergraduate enrollment to ensure small classes, a low student-to-faculty ratio, and high retention and graduation rates. Clemson provides supplemental instruction, tutoring and mentoring through its nationally recognized Academic Success Center, and offers a variety of living-learning communities in university housing. A novel program called Creative Inquiry pairs teams of students with a senior faculty mentor for a multi-year, individualized research project that one national publication called "a small-group experience for 14,000 undergraduates." Clemson scores well above the national average on annual student engagement and satisfaction surveys. The University's 17,000 students can select from 70 undergraduate and 100 graduate degree programs offered by five colleges: Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Architecture, Arts and Humanities; Business and Behavioral Science; Engineering and Science; and Health, Education and Human Development. Located in a college-town setting, Clemson boasts its own 17,500-acre experimental forest, is home to the 295-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden, and sits on the shores of Lake Hartwell, one of the Southeast's most popular recreation sites. Visitors can enjoy student and professional theatre, music and dance at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, play a round of golf at the championship-caliber Walker Course, and cheer at Division I athletic events in 19 sports. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1889 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2010 Endowment | N/A |
Applying
When applying to Clemson University, it's important to note the application deadline is May 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due May 1. The application fee at Clemson University is $60. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 57.7 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 58% |
| Application deadline | May 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | May 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Clemson University is 16:1, and the school has 50.8 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Clemson University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Engineering; Health Professions and Related Programs; Social Sciences; and Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 90.5 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 16:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 50% - Medium | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Clemson University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 15,459, with a gender distribution of 54.4 percent male students and 45.6 percent female students. 37.2 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 62.8 percent of students live off campus. Clemson University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Clemson University.
| Total enrollment | 19,453 |
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| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | N/A |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
Clemson University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Clemson University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Clemson University, 74 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Clemson University.
| Students who have cars on campus | 74% - Medium |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | Yes |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Clemson University, 46.8 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $4,778.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $12,668 (2011-12) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $28,826 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $7,228 (2011-12) - Medium |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
