#23 National Public University and Top University in South Carolina

Once again reaffirming its stature among the country’s top higher education institutions, Clemson University is ranked the 23rd best national public university by U.S. News & World Report in the publication’s annual rankings released Tuesday. This is the ninth consecutive year the school has ranked in the top 25 in the publication’s annual guide to “America’s Best Colleges.”

“The latest U.S. News rankings confirm what so many of us associated with this great university have known for years: Clemson offers one of the very finest educational experiences in the country,” Clemson President James P. Clements said. “Our outstanding faculty and staff continue to provide life-changing educational opportunities for our students, and it is extremely gratifying to see their effort, along with the support of our incredible alumni base, continue to be recognized in this way.”

The U.S. News rankings measure institutions’ performance on up to 16 measures of academic quality, as well as on how they are perceived by their peers. The rankings emphasize outcomes, with graduation and retention rates accounting for 30 percent of the score. The top schools all have high six-year graduation rates and strong freshman retention rates.

Clemson’s total score across all measures tied its highest mark ever, thanks to strong showings in a number of categories. Some highlights of Clemson’s performance compared to the approximately 185 national public universities rated include:

• Clemson’s average six-year graduation rate is 81 percent, well above the national average of 59 percent and good enough to put it 19th in that category.
• More than half the classes at Clemson have a 20 or fewer students-to-one teacher ratio, reflected in its ranking 15th in the percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students.
• Clemson ranked No. 20 in the percentage of students who placed in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.
• Clemson graduates have a long history of giving back to their alma mater, and this year their generosity once again put the school at the top of the alumni-giving rate category, placing it sixth.

Ranked 66^th among all national universities, Clemson also was recognized for its outstanding engineering and business schools— ranking No. 53 and No. 63, respectively, for those undergraduate programs. Clemson also was ranked again as one of the top 50 best colleges for veterans.

“We are once again very excited for Clemson University to be ranked among the nation’s top public universities by the folks at U.S.News and World Report,” said Robert Jones, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This ranking reflects the complete experience that a student can enjoy at Clemson. That reflection includes quality competitive academics, top facilities and a student community spirit unlike any other.”