Penn State vs. Clemson

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or Clemson University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or Clemson is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Penn State Main Campus vs. Clemson University comparison
Penn State Main Campus Clemson University College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus Clemson University
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Overview

 Penn State Clemson
Location University Park, PA Clemson, SC
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 50,028 28,466
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #133
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu clemson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Clemson
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $14,118
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $38,062
Room & Board $12,744 $12,350
Avg Net Price $26,747 $24,577
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $10,430
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 79%

Admission

 Penn State Clemson
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 52,819
Admitted 47,360 22,704
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 43%
Enrolled % 19.5% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.75
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 26/31 28/32
SAT Range 1210/1390 1220/1410
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Clemson
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Clemson
Graduation Rate 87% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $57,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $222

Diversity

 Penn State Clemson
% Men 53% 48%
% Women 47% 52%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 83%
% Black 4% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State Clemson
% In-State 51% 52%
% Out-of-State 40% 46%

Campus

 Penn State Clemson
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Clemson based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 28,466 students)

Penn State vs. Clemson Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or Clemson?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 30.1% more expensive to attend than Clemson for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $14,118.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.9% higher at Clemson than Penn State Main Campus ($38,062.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Clemson University than Penn State ($24,577 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Clemson University are 3.2% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,350 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Clemson University than Penn State Main Campus (79% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Clemson University students is 3.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($10,430 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. Clemson Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or Clemson? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Clemson or Penn State .

  • The average SAT score at Clemson University (1275) is 73 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Clemson students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than Clemson (43%)

Penn State vs. Clemson Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or Clemson? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Clemson and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Clemson University (87% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Clemson University earn on average $1,800 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($57,100 vs. $55,300)
  • Clemson University students graduate with a $5,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Clemson graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($222 vs. $277)
  • More Clemson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/