Clemson University

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Clemson University

Clemson University operates as a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina (suburb: midsize), with a total reported enrollment of 23,300 students of which 24,568 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Clemson University is categorized as “15” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. The reported admission rate is 38.3%, drawn from the most recent IPEDS Fall enrollment survey, with an average SAT of 1,353 and an ACT midpoint of 30. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $22,253, with published in-state tuition of $15,554 and a Pell grant recipient share of 14.8%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $21,500, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. The 4-year completion rate is 87.2%, and the first-year retention rate is 93.5%. Graduates earn a median of $71,513 ten years after enrolling, compared with $58,311 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 460600.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 77.9% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.