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Admissions & selectivity

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# Clemson University Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/clemson-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/clemson-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/clemson-university/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/clemson-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/clemson-university/similar/)

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## What is the acceptance rate at Clemson University?

Clemson University’s reported acceptance rate is 38.3%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
38.3%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2024-25

**Applicants**
60,498

**Admitted**
23,145

Source: Clemson University Common Data Set 2024-25, C1 · first-time, first-year students.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

Clemson University admitted 38.3% of applicants, below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 60,498 first-year applicants, 23,145 admitted applicants, and 4,820 enrolled applicants.

## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled Clemson University students report?

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, Clemson University reported that enrolled first-year students who submitted SAT scores had a middle range from 1250 to 1400. 35% of the entering class submitted SAT scores.

The middle range for ACT scores, among the 20% who submitted them, ran from 28 to 32. The ranges above reflect enrolled students who submitted scores, not required minimums.

Among enrolled first-year students with a reported class rank, 55% were in the upper tenth of the class, 92% in the upper quarter, and 100% in the upper half. 66% of the entering class reported a rank.

Applicants can compare their scores to Clemson University's own ranges: 1250 to 1400 on the SAT and 28 to 32 on the ACT.

The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at Clemson University. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle.

**35% of entering students submitted SAT scores**

SAT: reported composite scores

**25th percentile**
1250

**Median**
1320

**75th percentile**
1400

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

**20% of entering students submitted ACT scores**

ACT: reported composite scores

**25th percentile**
28

**Median**
31

**75th percentile**
32

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Source: Clemson University Common Data Set 2024-25, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters.

## Who enrolls at Clemson University?

**Pell Grant recipients**
14.7%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
24.6%

**First-year retention**
93.5%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

Clemson University enrolls 23,300 undergraduates, with Pell Grant recipients comprising 14.8% of the undergraduate body and an estimated 24.6% entering from other colleges. The mix includes students receiving federal grant aid alongside a substantial transfer-in presence.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 3,731 degree-seeking transfer applicants, 2,181 admitted, and 1,580 enrolled. Pell-eligible and transfer applicants should review aid and transfer-credit information before applying, since these are distinct routes into a large undergraduate population.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, Clemson University reported that 86.6% of the first-time, full-time fall 2018 entering class completed within six years. Pell Grant recipients in that cohort posted 79.7%, below the overall rate.

Federal figures show 93.5% of full-time bachelor’s-seeking first-year students returning, above the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The graduation rate within six years for the first-time full-time cohort is 86.6%, above its peer median of 65.0%.

Pell recipients complete within six years at 71.2%, below the overall rate by 15.4 percentage points. Enrolled students can expect retention and completion rates that exceed comparable institutions’ medians, alongside a lower completion rate for Pell recipients.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).