Clemson University vs. University of South Carolina

A lot of South Carolina families treat these two as interchangeable home-state options, then meet on opposite sidelines at the Palmetto Bowl every November. About a hundred miles separate them, and the two campuses live in different worlds. Clemson sits in the rural upstate on Lake Hartwell, a tight-knit college town that orbits orange-clad Saturdays at Death Valley. South Carolina holds down Columbia, the state capital, where the historic Horseshoe anchors a flagship wired into a working city. Clemson points its best students toward engineering, and recruiters from the BMW and Michelin plants down the road know it. South Carolina runs broader, with the Darla Moore School of Business pulling the largest share of its majors and a deep bench in health and public health. Residency tilts the scales at both: in-state applicants clear a far lower bar than the out-of-state crowd that now fills nearly half each class. Visit both before you rank them, because the orange town and the garnet capital recruit very different kinds of weekends.

Want to compare other schools? Open the interactive comparison tool →

ClemsonClemson, SC

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Clemson CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Clemson CDS (Fall 2025).
42.4%acceptance rate
Applied
64,805
Admitted
27,498
Enrolled
5,084

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state52.9%
5,661 admitted of 10,697 applicants
Out-of-state40.4%
21,277 admitted of 52,651 applicants
International38.4%
560 admitted of 1,457 applicants

Early action

Clemson offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Clemson is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1250
50th Percentile
1330
75th Percentile
1400

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
28
50th Percentile
31
75th Percentile
32

Class rank

Where Clemson's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class54.57%
Top quarter of class92.08%
Top half of class99.52%

Based on the 61.35% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Clemson does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Clemson weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Clemson's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

2024–25 CDSClemson's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
$35,814
In-State
$61,126
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$15,554$40,866
Room & Board
$13,284$13,284
Other Expenses
$6,976$6,976
Total
$35,814$61,126

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$14k
$30–48k~$14k
$48–75k~$19k
$75–110k~$25k
$110k+~$28k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants14.8%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
32%
Avg. Package
$15,875
Avg. Need Met
49%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Engineering
Sciences
Social Sciences
Health Professions
Other
Business
25%
Engineering
16%
Sciences
10%
Social Sci
9%
Health
6%
Other
34%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

N/A

Student outcomes

First-years who return94%
Graduate within six years88%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$75k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$22k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Clemson’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Business Administration & Management

    498 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Finance

    380 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$91kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Biology

    336 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$66kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Psychology

    327 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$55kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Nursing

    255 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$74kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
Show all 30 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
98%
In Fraternities
19%
In Sororities
40%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize suburb
Location
Clemson, SC

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5333J
5735F
6541M
7348A
8157M
8865J
9169J
9068A
8462S
7450O
6440N
5634D
Snow a year
2 in
Precipitation a year
52 in
Days at 90°F or above
55
Days below 32°F
57

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, CLEMSON UNIV, SC US station, 1.5 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

46%
54%
Male
10,961
Female
13,099

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White75.4%
Hispanic9.3%
Other7.4%
Black4.7%
Asian and Pacific Islander3%
Native American<1%
South CarolinaColumbia, SC

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

South Carolina CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from South Carolina CDS (Fall 2025).
56.5%acceptance rate
Applied
59,630
Admitted
33,695
Enrolled
7,818

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state71.4%
10,065 admitted of 14,102 applicants
Out-of-state51.7%
23,200 admitted of 44,911 applicants
International69.7%
430 admitted of 617 applicants

Early action

South Carolina offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

South Carolina is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1200
50th Percentile
1280
75th Percentile
1360

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
26
50th Percentile
29
75th Percentile
32

Class rank

Where South Carolina's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class31.26%
Top quarter of class64.82%
Top half of class92.43%

Based on the 63.09% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. South Carolina does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How South Carolina weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from South Carolina's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$39,004
In-State
$64,814
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$12,688$38,498
Room & Board
$17,334$17,334
Other Expenses
$8,982$8,982
Total
$39,004$64,814

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$13k
$30–48k~$15k
$48–75k~$20k
$75–110k~$24k
$110k+~$28k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants19.1%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
41%
Avg. Package
$17,598
Avg. Need Met
61%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Health Professions
Biological & Life Sciences
Psychology
Communication
Social Sciences
Engineering
Other
Business
32%
Health
11%
Life Sci
11%
Psychology
6%
Comm
6%
Social Sci
5%
Engineering
4%
Other
24%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

19:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return92%
Graduate within six years79%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$68k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$22k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

South Carolina’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Public Health

    402 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$59kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Finance

    379 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$93kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt
  • Biology

    376 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$59kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Nursing

    260 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$81kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    248 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$68kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
Show all 35 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
96%
In Fraternities
27%
In Sororities
34%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Columbia, SC

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6037J
6440F
7246M
8154A
8762M
9369J
9672J
9471A
8966S
8054O
6944N
6139D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
48 in
Days at 90°F or above
108
Days below 32°F
33

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, COLUMBIA UNIV OF SC, SC US station, 0.4 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

40%
60%
Male
12,796
Female
19,049

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White70.9%
Black10.7%
Hispanic7.3%
Other6.7%
Asian and Pacific Islander4.3%
Native American<1%

Writing your Clemson or South Carolina application essay?

Paste your draft and get specific, line-by-line feedback on what is and isn't landing — scored against the rubrics admissions readers use.

Get essay feedback

Clemson vs. South Carolina: frequently asked questions

Clemson is the more selective of the two, admitting about 38.3% of applicants versus 60.2% at South Carolina. Both lean heavily on residency, so the headline gap narrows once you account for where you live: in-state applicants clear a far lower bar at each school than out-of-state applicants do.

South Carolina, clearly. For Fall 2024 it admitted about 54.7% of out-of-state applicants, while Clemson admitted only 34.9% of theirs. Both schools admit in-state students at much higher rates (55.9% in-state at Clemson, 76.2% at South Carolina), so applying from outside the state makes Clemson the tougher ticket by a wide margin.

Clemson is the stronger engineering bet and treats the field as a signature strength, with engineering its second-largest major at about 18% of degrees. South Carolina confers far fewer engineering degrees, roughly 6%, and channels more of its students into business and the health professions. If engineering anchors your plan, Clemson concentrates more of the program, peers, and recruiting around it.

Business is the largest major at both, but it sits more at the center of South Carolina, where the Darla Moore School of Business draws about 31% of degrees versus 26% at Clemson. South Carolina's business identity runs deeper across the Columbia campus, while Clemson balances its business school against an equally prominent engineering college.

South Carolina carries the lower sticker for non-residents, at about $37,376 in tuition and fees versus $40,866 at Clemson. It also stretches further on aid: South Carolina meets roughly 60% of demonstrated need with an average package near $17,418, against 49% met and about $14,186 at Clemson. For an out-of-state family weighing net cost, South Carolina is the more affordable starting point.

Setting splits them sharply. Clemson occupies a small rural town in the upstate foothills on Lake Hartwell, with about 23,400 undergraduates and campus life built around football Saturdays. South Carolina is the larger public flagship, roughly 30,200 undergraduates in downtown Columbia, the state capital, centered on the historic Horseshoe with a city at its edge.

Source: Clemson University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. In-State Tuition & Fees and Out-of-State Tuition & Fees are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Clemson. Banner photo by Chris Pruitt (Spyder Monkey), via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Source: University of South Carolina Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with South Carolina. Banner photo by Dfscgt21, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).