Quad

Head-to-head

U. South Carolina-Columbia
Clemson

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. South Carolina-Columbia costs about $10.4K less per year on average than Clemson ($27,484 vs. $37,845, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Clemson grads earn $9.3K more ten years out than U. South Carolina-Columbia's ($71,513 vs. $62,177)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    Clemson graduates 8 pts more of its students than U. South Carolina-Columbia (84% vs. 77%)

    Graduation rate
  4. 4

    U. South Carolina-Columbia's yield is 5 pts higher than Clemson's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    U. South Carolina-Columbia is more diverse (index 0.46 vs. 0.41)

    Diversity index
  6. 6

    Clemson's SAT midpoint is 45 points higher than U. South Carolina-Columbia's

    SAT midpoint

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

Clemson admits 42%, U. South Carolina-Columbia 57%; U. South Carolina-Columbia's yield is higher, at 23%.

Acceptance rate
U. South Carolina-Columbia57%
Clemson42%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaSelectivefrom South CarolinaVery selectivefrom other states
  • ClemsonVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
U. South Carolina-Columbia
1200–1360
Clemson
1240–1410
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaGPA very important48%
  • ClemsonGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

U. South Carolina-Columbia is a bit larger than Clemson (29,820 vs. 23,300 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. South Carolina-Columbia29.8K
Clemson23.3K
Pell Grant share
U. South Carolina-Columbia19%
Clemson15%

Majors and faculty

Public Health leads at U. South Carolina-Columbia, and Business Administration and Management at Clemson.

Students per faculty member
U. South Carolina-Columbia19 to 1
Clemson16 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaPublic Health, General8%
  • ClemsonBusiness Administration and Management, General8%

What each costs

U. South Carolina-Columbia costs about $10.4K less a year than Clemson on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. South Carolina-Columbia$27.5K
Clemson$37.8K
Aid generosity
U. South Carolina-Columbia19%
Clemson18%

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
U. South Carolina-Columbia$62.2K
Clemson$71.5K
Graduation rate
U. South Carolina-Columbia77%
Clemson84%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaGrowing+126%
  • ClemsonGrowing+196%
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:University of South Carolina-Columbia (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;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 2018;Clemson University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About 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