Clemson University is ready to welcome approximately 5,000 first-year students to main campus after another competitive admissions cycle.
More than 66,000 first-year students applied for undergraduate admission to Clemson, including a record 11,163 from South Carolina. This is the first time Clemson has received more than 11,000 applications from South Carolina residents.
This year, 9 out of 10 South Carolina applicants were offered a path to Clemson University through Fall admission, Summer admission or entrance into the Bridge to Clemson program.
The Class of 2030 is joining a community of Tigers united by curiosity and eager to help one another succeed. We can’t wait to see how these students move Fiercely Forward in pursuit of excellence and impact at Clemson and beyond.
Who they are
This year’s incoming first-year class includes 123 high school valedictorians and 78 salutatorians. Of these, 85 valedictorians and 58 salutatorians are from South Carolina.
Additionally, 389 new students will join the Clemson University Honors College, including 228 from South Carolina.
605 students
Identify as first-generation students, including 467 from South Carolina
797 students
Reported that one or both of their parents are Clemson graduates
79 students
Will represent Clemson as student-athletes
Where they’re from
Our newest Tigers come from every corner of South Carolina, representing 304 high schools and all 46 counties in the Palmetto State. Joining them are students from 46 states, Washington, D.C., and 23 countries.
Students are also traveling from as far as Kamuela, Hawaii (4,450 miles away), and Queensland, Australia (9,136 miles away), to be Tigers.
Top states for first-year enrollment
- South Carolina
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Massachusetts
Top five South Carolina counties for first-year enrollment
- Greenville
- Charleston
- York
- Spartanburg
- Lexington
What they’re doing
These students will emerge as the next generation of engineers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, educators and creatives.
Top 10 intended majors
- Prebusiness
- General Engineering
- Biological Sciences
- Psychology
- Health Science
- Nursing
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences
- Political Science
- Architecture
- Elementary Education
Top five intended majors among South Carolina students
- General Engineering
- Prebusiness
- Biological Sciences
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences
- Nursing
Image description
Infographic titled “Meet the Class of 2030” for Clemson University, set on a purple background with orange and white text. Key statistics include:
- 66,494 first-year applications
- 11,163 in-state applications (a University record)
- Approximately 5,000 incoming first-year students
- Top 10 Intended Majors: Prebusiness, General Engineering, Biological Sciences, Psychology, Health Science, Nursing, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Political Science, Architecture, Elementary Education
- Student Demographics: 605 students identify as first-generation college students (467 from South Carolina)
- 9 in 10 South Carolina applicants offered a pathway to Clemson
- 304 South Carolina high schools represented
- Students are from every South Carolina county
- Top 5 States Represented (with a simple U.S. map highlighting them): South Carolina (SC), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), Massachusetts (MA)
- Footer note: “Information current as of July 28, 2026”
We have many other new members joining the Clemson Family.
1,617
Transfer students (1,140 from South Carolina)
Top five intended majors (transfer students)
- Prebusiness
- General Engineering
- Psychology
- Biological Sciences
- Economics (B.A.)
1,092
Bridge to Clemson students (937 from South Carolina)
Top five intended majors (Bridge students)
- Prebusiness
- General Engineering
- Biological Sciences
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences
- Exploratory Studies (undeclared)
First-year graduate students
- Master’s — 1,196
- Ph.D. — 346
- Education Specialist — 11
- Certificate and nondegree — 50
Top five first-year master’s program enrollment
- MBA Business Administration
- M.S. Civil Engineering
- MPAcc Accounting
- M.Arch. Architecture
- M.S. Computer Science
Top five first-year Ph.D. program enrollment
- Ph.D. Chemistry
- Ph.D. Economics
- Ph.D. Educational Leadership
- Ph.D. Biological Sciences
- Ph.D. Electrical Engineering
North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York and Virginia lead this year’s out-of-state enrollment for incoming graduate students. International enrollment leaders include Ghana, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and China.
Students are traveling from as far as Mililani, Hawaii (4,572 miles), and Seri Iskandar, Malaysia (9,728 miles), to continue their education at Clemson.
All information pertaining to undergraduate and graduate students is current as of July 28, 2026, and July 22, 2026, respectively. These are unofficial data points provided by the Clemson University Office of Admissions and the Clemson University Graduate School, and they are subject to change.
The Clemson University Office of Institutional Research will release official data points to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System later in the Fall 2026 semester. That data can be found in the Clemson University Interactive Factbook.
