Quad

Head-to-head

Clemson
U. Tennessee-Knoxville

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Clemson graduates 13 pts more of its students than U. Tennessee-Knoxville (84% vs. 71%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    Clemson grads earn $11.3K more ten years out than U. Tennessee-Knoxville's ($71,513 vs. $60,249)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville costs about $8.1K less per year on average than Clemson ($29,748 vs. $37,845, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville's yield is 9 pts higher than Clemson's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville's grants cover 27% of its full price on average, vs. 18% at Clemson

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville has 7 pts more first-gen students than Clemson (25% vs. 17%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Tennessee-Knoxville admits 42%, Clemson 42%; U. Tennessee-Knoxville's yield is higher, at 27%.

Acceptance rate
Clemson42%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville42%
Quad's selectivity
  • ClemsonVery selective
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Clemson
1240–1410
U. Tennessee-Knoxville
1200–1370
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • ClemsonGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

U. Tennessee-Knoxville is a bit larger than Clemson (30,418 vs. 23,300 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Clemson23.3K
U. Tennessee-Knoxville30.4K
Pell Grant share
Clemson15%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville19%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Clemson, and Marketing/Marketing Management at U. Tennessee-Knoxville.

Students per faculty member
Clemson16 to 1
U. Tennessee-Knoxville18 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • ClemsonBusiness Administration and Management, General8%
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleMarketing/Marketing Management, General7%

What each costs

U. Tennessee-Knoxville costs about $8.1K less a year than Clemson on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Clemson$37.8K
U. Tennessee-Knoxville$29.7K
Aid generosity
Clemson18%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville27%

What each pays off

Clemson's former students earn more, a median $71.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Clemson$71.5K
U. Tennessee-Knoxville$60.2K
Graduation rate
Clemson84%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville71%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • ClemsonGrowing+196%
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleGrowing+287%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Clemson University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why