Clemson University adds $46,279 to graduate salaries, the highest among all universities in South Carolina, according to the WSJ/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings. In addition, Clemson has the No. 1 Best Value in South Carolina per recent SmartAsset rankings.
WSJ/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. also lists Clemson’s net price as $22,112, among the lowest in the state, while SmartAsset recognizes the University as having the No. 1 starting salary ($71,513) for graduates among all schools in South Carolina. Median starting salary is calculated with annual earnings of individuals who received federal student aid and began college 10 years ago, regardless of their completion status.
Overall, Clemson is the top-ranked public school in South Carolina in the WSJ poll, more than 200 spots higher than the next-ranked public institution in the Palmetto State.
The WSJ/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking uses student outcomes, including salary impact, years to pay off net price and graduate rate impact, as 70 percent of its methodology.
Clemson also ranks as the top national and public university in South Carolina in the recent U.S. News & World Report 2026 rankings, in addition to claiming top 25 rankings among public schools nationally for Co-Ops/Internships (No. 4), First-Year Experiences (No. 9), Most Innovative Schools (No. 14) and Best Undergraduate Teaching (No. 22).
Recently, Forbes named Clemson as the best university in the state and No. 33 nationally among public colleges. Forbes’ list came on the heels of Niche naming Clemson as the Best College in South Carolina, earning top marks for Best Academics, Best Professors and Best College Athletics among all universities in the Palmetto State.
Niche also ranked Clemson as the No. 27 Top Public University nationally. Niche’s recognition followed several recent accolades from The Princeton Review, which named Clemson as one of the best colleges in the South, a Best Value College, No. 6 Best Alumni Networks (Public Schools), No. 11 Best Schools for Internships (Public Schools), No. 16 Students Love Their School Teams, No. 24 Best Athletic Facilities and No. 20 Best Career Services.
