- Photos
-
-
_
U.S. News Rankings
| Ranking score and category | |||||
|
|||||
Summary
Clemson University is a public institution that was founded in 1889. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 15,836, 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 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 68. Its in-state tuition and fees are $12,674 (2012-13); out-of-state tuition and fees are $29,600 (2012-13).
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.
| School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): | |
|
Clemson University combines the benefits of a major land-grant, science- and engineering-oriented research university with a strong commitment to quality teaching and individual student success. It is a student-centered community characterized by high academic standards, inclusiveness, collaboration and a drive to excel. Located in a college-town setting, Clemson boasts a 17,500-acre forest, a 295-acre botanical garden and a lakefront setting. Undergraduate enrollment is managed to ensure small classes, an 18-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, and high retention and graduation rates. Clemson scores above the national average on student engagement and satisfaction surveys, and has earned national recognition for living-learning communities, Creative Inquiry, writing across the curriculum and participation in community service. A new 10-year strategic plan, the Clemson 2020 Road Map, focuses on providing talent for the new economy, driving innovation that stimulates economic growth, and addressing the great challenges of the 21st century, such as health, energy, transportation and environmental sustainability. Other key emphasis areas include advanced materials, biotechnology and biomedical science, information and computing technology, family and community living, general education, information and communications technology, and leadership and entrepreneurship. Clemson ranks 25th among national public universities according to U.S.News & World Report and ranks 11th among both private and public schools for having an unusually strong 'commitment to undergraduate teaching.' Clemson is the No. 1 choice of the state's best high school graduates, and nearly half of Clemson's incoming freshmen ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The University ranks sixth among national universities, both public and private, in payback ratio, according to SmartMoney Magazine - a calculation based on graduates' lifetime earning potential and the cost of tuition. Clemson's 19,914 students can select from 80 undergraduate and 110 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. Clemson was founded in 1889 through a bequest from Thomas Green Clemson, a Philadelphia-born, European-educated engineer, musician and artist who married John C. Calhoun's daughter, Anna, and settled at her family estate in South Carolina. Clemson believed that the way to rebuild his adopted state's war-ravaged economy was through scientific education, so he left his home and fortune to the state of South Carolina to create the institution that bears his name |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1889 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2011 Endowment | $164,834,619 |
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 63.3 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 63.3% |
| Application deadline | May 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | May 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Clemson University is 18:1, and the school has 51.6 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Clemson University include: Physical Sciences; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Engineering; Health Professions and Related Programs; and Social Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 90.5 percent.
Student Life
Clemson University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 15,836, with a gender distribution of 54.1 percent male students and 45.9 percent female students. At this school, 41.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 59.0 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 | 19,914 |
| Student gender distribution | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | |
|
|
|
| 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% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | Yes |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Clemson University, 45.8 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $4,421.
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 | $12,674 (2012-13) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $29,600 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $7,914 (2012-13) |
| Financial aid statistics | |
|
|
|
* Overview details based on 2011 data
