by our College Data Analytics TeamHere is what you can expect to pay at Clemson University, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
Attendance costs at Clemson University came in between $34,494.00 ranging to $59,806.00 depending on residency and living arrangement.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: about $34,494.00 in-state versus $59,806.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $15,554.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,940.00 |
| Total cost | $34,494.00 |
| That is 79% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,494.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,762.00 |
| Net price | $21,732.00 |
| That is 13% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,494.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$21,408.00 |
| Net price | $13,086.00 |
| That is 32% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $40,866.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,940.00 |
| Total cost | $59,806.00 |
| That is 211% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $59,806.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,762.00 |
| Net price | $47,044.00 |
| That is 144% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $59,806.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$21,408.00 |
| Net price | $38,398.00 |
| That is 99% above the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with tuition and fees plus living costs. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by around 2.0% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $13,344.00 | $22,161.00 | $35,175.00 |
| Senior year | $14,150.00 | $23,500.00 | $37,300.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $54,979.00 | $91,304.00 | $144,922.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $20,945.00 | $34,784.00 | $55,210.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $633.00 | $1,051.00 | $1,668.00 |
| Total amount paid | $75,924.00 | $126,088.00 | $200,132.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $13,344.00 | $22,161.00 | $35,175.00 |
| Senior year | $13,608.00 | $22,599.00 | $35,869.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $26,952.00 | $44,760.00 | $71,044.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $10,268.00 | $17,052.00 | $27,065.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $310.00 | $515.00 | $818.00 |
| Total amount paid | $37,220.00 | $61,811.00 | $98,110.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $39,156.00 | $47,973.00 | $60,987.00 |
| Senior year | $41,521.00 | $50,871.00 | $64,671.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $161,324.00 | $197,649.00 | $251,267.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $61,459.00 | $75,297.00 | $95,724.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,857.00 | $2,275.00 | $2,892.00 |
| Total amount paid | $222,783.00 | $272,946.00 | $346,990.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $39,156.00 | $47,973.00 | $60,987.00 |
| Senior year | $39,929.00 | $48,920.00 | $62,191.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $79,085.00 | $96,893.00 | $123,178.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $30,129.00 | $36,913.00 | $46,926.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $910.00 | $1,115.00 | $1,418.00 |
| Total amount paid | $109,214.00 | $133,805.00 | $170,104.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net-price section.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $22,253.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $22,112.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $14,212.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $14,857.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $19,988.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $24,020.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $27,348.00 |
Get a tailored estimate from the Clemson University Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the grants & scholarships detail.
The median graduating debt at Clemson University stands at $19,000.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $8,740.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,000.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $32,000.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. Below, debt is broken out by low, middle, and high family income:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $20,025.00 |
| Middle income | $19,500.00 |
| High income | $18,638.00 |
Graduates from lower-income families carry $1,387.00 more debt than high-income graduates.
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,750.00 |
First-generation borrowers from Clemson University carry $750.00 more than continuing-generation graduates.
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell median debt at Clemson University amounts to $3,946.00. This school is flagged by the Department of Education for Pell-related debt inequity.
The default-rate classification at Clemson University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.9% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Clemson University come to $837,965,441.00 spread across 40,932 loan recipients.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 507 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $15,237.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 75 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,911.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the college veterans page.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Clemson University, consider the following:
Dig further into the cost picture with the related pages below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.