Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Clemson's retention and graduation rates impact you. First year retention rates let you know how many students come back for their sophomore year. Graduation rates tell you how long it takes to complete a degree at Clemson . Remember, every extra semester it takes to graduate will increase the cost of your degree.

On This Page You'll Find:
- What These Rates Have To Do With You
- First to Second Year Retention Rate at Clemson
- Graduation Rates at Clemson University
Clemson Has One of the Best Freshman Retention Rates in the Country
With 93.0% of students staying on for a second year, Clemson University is one of the best in the country when it comes to freshman retention.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in South Carolina , the average is 61.0% .
Clemson Freshmen Retention Rate Rankings
Any Questions?
- When you attend a school that is high quality and a good fit for you, it is more likely you'll return for another year. Read more about why retention is so important.
- How many students make it past freshman year? You might be surprised at the answer.
Overall, 80.3% of Clemson Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Clemson , there were 4,381 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2016 . By 2018 , six years after beginning their degree, 80.3% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 81.2% of this class eventually completed their degree.
We consider the "on-time" graduation rate for a bachelor's degree to be four years, but colleges typically report their graduation rates after six or even eight years.
This implies that 18.8% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 824 students, 17 were still working towards their degree, 658 had transferred to a different institution, and Clemson lost contact with the remaining 148 whom we assume dropped out.
Some Students Take More Time to Graduate
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years (on-time). Some schools cater mostly to traditional students while others cater to “non-traditional” students who may be attending part time and thus are likely to take longer to graduate.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-Time / Full-time Students at Clemson Represent 66.5% of the Class of 2016 and 68.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 59.0% , first-time students in the Clemson class of 2016 who attended classes full-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 82.0% and by 2020 ,83.0% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 35.8% after four years, 46.4% after six years, and 47.8% after eight years.
The Graduation Rate at Clemson is About What we had Anticipated
Studies have shown that high-achieving students are more likely to complete their degree on time. Given the academic preparedness of the first-time / full-time students accepted to Clemson , we expected that after six years about 81.8% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Clemson
17.0% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 494 students, 9 were still working towards their degree, 407 had transferred to a different institution, and Clemson lost contact with the remaining 78 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Clemson Represent 0.7% of the Class of 2016 and 0.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 38.7% , first-time students in the Clemson class of 2016 who attended classes part-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 41.9% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.6% after six years and 23.7% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Clemson
58.1% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 18 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 14 had transferred to a different institution, and Clemson lost contact with the remaining 4 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Clemson Represent 30.4% of the Class of 2016 and 30.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 79.5% , returning students in the Clemson class of 2016 who attended classes full-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 80.2% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 53.8% after six years and 55.1% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at Clemson
19.8% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 264 students, 6 were still working towards their degree, 205 had transferred to a different institution, and Clemson lost contact with the remaining 53 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Clemson Represent 2.4% of the Class of 2016 and 1.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 54.8% , returning students in the Clemson class of 2016 who attended classes part-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 54.8% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Clemson
45.2% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 47 students, 2 were still working towards their degree, 32 had transferred to a different institution, and Clemson lost contact with the remaining 13 whom we assume dropped out.