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The real 4-year cost of Clemson University in South Carolina
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Clemson University went from $10,379 to $15,120, an average of 0.8% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $15,120Academic fee (Clemson's term for tuition) plus all mandatory fees. In-state academic fee frozen for 7th consecutive year; out-of-state up 3.5%.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition freeze or guarantee, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $10,379 | – | – |
| 2009 | $11,078 | – | – |
| 2010 | $11,908 | – | – |
| 2011 | $12,304 | – | – |
| 2012 | $12,674 | – | – |
| 2013 | $13,054 | – | – |
| 2014 | $13,446 | – | – |
| 2015 | $13,882 | – | – |
| 2016 | $14,708 | – | – |
| 2017 | $15,116 | – | – |
| 2018 | $15,374 | – | – |
| 2019 | $15,558 | – | – |
| 2020 | $15,558 | – | – |
| 2021 | $15,558 | – | – |
| 2022 | $15,558 | – | – |
| 2023 | $15,554 | – | – |
| 2026 | $15,120 | $15,120 | – |
| 2027 | – | $15,238 | $14,867–$15,608 |
| 2028 | – | $15,357 | $14,619–$16,113 |
| 2029 | – | $15,477 | $14,375–$16,633 |
| 2030 | – | $15,597 | $14,135–$17,171 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $15,120 |
| Year 2 | $15,238 |
| Year 3 | $15,357 |
| Year 4 | $15,477 |
| 4-year total | $61,191 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $21,191
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $33,578
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $12,872/ yr
- rising 4.9% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $63,988
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here has kept rising even while tuition was frozen; the creep moved to room & board.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Clemson University4-year schools with similar prices in South Carolina
Closest to Clemson University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Allen University$14,304
- Winthrop University$15,956
- Morris College$16,224
- Strayer University-South Carolina$13,920
- South University-Columbia$16,452
- University of South Carolina-Columbia$13,542
- Columbia College$16,745
- Medical University of South Carolina$16,972
Use this data
Published figures for Clemson University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.