Clemson ranked among best values in public colleges by Kiplinger

January 4, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – January 4, 2011 – Kiplinger magazine has rated Clemson University among the best values in public higher education in its ranking of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges released Tuesday.

Clemson’s ranking — 41st for in-state students, 46th for out-of-state students — was based on a variety of factors that matched quality of education with cost.

Kiplinger through the years has consistently rated Clemson as a high-value, high-quality return on the investment, said Clemson admissions director Robert Barkley. It’s gratifying for the value of a Clemson education to be acknowledged highly in a number of publications, but particularly so in case of Kiplinger, which specifically compares costs and benefits. Especially in today’s economy, that’s an important distinction for prospective students and their families.

Kiplinger uses data from more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, graduation rates, cost and available financial aid, along with its own editorial assessment, to reach its conclusions.

Tuition for in-state students at Clemson is $5,927 per semester and $13,710 for out-of-state students, excluding room and board, lab fees, library fees and differential costs related to majors.

Ninety-nine percent of in-state entering freshmen receive scholarships, which is a distinguishing factor in the Kiplinger formula.

The Kiplinger study is available online at http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/