Clemson University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Columbia, South Carolina · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
Clemson University is a public university in Columbia, South Carolina that admits about 61% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $24,532 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Finance and Financial Management Services, Public Health and Biology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 79% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.0 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Clemson University is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Clemson University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 61%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1297 and an ACT composite around 29. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $24,532 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Clemson University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Clemson University?
Clemson University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Clemson University weight in admissions?
Clemson University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Interview
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Clemson University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 580–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 630. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–32. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1190 |
| 50th percentile | 1270 |
| 75th percentile | 1350 |
| % submitting SAT | 29% |
| 25th percentile | 26 |
| 50th percentile | 29 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 15% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 29% |
| Top 25% of class | 63% |
| Top 50% of class | 93% |
| % submitting class rank | 62% |
How much does Clemson University actually cost?
Published tuition is $12,688 for in-state students and $34,934 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,558 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $24,532 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 19% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $24,532 |
| Application fee | $65 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Clemson University
| Regular deadline | 12/1 |
| Notification date | Mid-March |
| Reply deadline | 1-May |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 15-Oct |
Will my child graduate from Clemson University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Clemson University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Clemson University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Finance and Financial Management Services, Public Health and Biology, General. Across all programs, Clemson University confers roughly 2,895 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $91,441 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 608 | $91,441 |
| Public Health | 438 | $55,090 |
| Biology, General | 369 | $60,846 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 342 | $48,055 |
| Marketing | 335 | $77,355 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 290 | $63,908 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 281 | $69,907 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 232 | $74,996 |
Is Clemson University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Clemson University disclosed 60 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 32 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Clemson University?
About 29% of undergraduates at Clemson University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 26% of men join a fraternity and 39% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in South Carolina parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Clemson University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Clemson University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Clemson University
What GPA do I need for Clemson University?
Clemson University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Clemson University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 580–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 630. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 26–32.
How much does Clemson University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Clemson University after grants and scholarships is $24,532 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Clemson University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Clemson University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Clemson University?
Clemson University accepts about 61% of applicants out of roughly 52,703 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Clemson University test-optional?
Yes. Clemson University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Clemson University?
About 79% of students at Clemson University graduate within six years. 92% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Clemson University look for in applicants?
Clemson University rates GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Clemson University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Clemson University is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina.
What are the most popular majors at Clemson University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Clemson University by annual graduates are Finance and Financial Management Services, Public Health and Biology, General. The school awards about 2,895 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Clemson University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Clemson University reported 60 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.0 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Clemson University?
At Clemson University, 29% of undergraduates live on campus, 26% of men are in fraternities, 39% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Clemson University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.