Clemson University, USA

Founded in 1889, Clemson University, USA is ranked #23 among America’s public universities by the US News and World Report

Clemson University (CU, estb.1889) is a top-ranked American public tertiary education institution with an enrolment of 21,957 students mentored by 1,496 faculty. The US News and World Report ranks CU #23 among public universities in its America’s Best Colleges Rankings 2017 and identifies it as one of only 11 public colleges and universities to make essay writing a priority across all disciplines. Moreover, the university was ranked #1 among higher education institutions in the US on the parameter ‘best values’ by Kiplinger magazine (2013), while SmartMoney ranked it #7 for return on students investment (2012).

Currently, the university’s seven colleges — agriculture, forestry and life sciences; architecture, arts and humanities; business; behavioural, social and health sciences; education; engineering, computing and applied sciences; and science — offer over 80 undergraduate and 110 graduate degree programmes. The university, particularly well-reputed for its science and engineering education, boasts an enviable 1:17 teacher-student ratio.
Founded in 1889 following a bequest from Thomas Green Clemson, a Philadelphia-born politician and statesman who left most of his estate to establish a college that would teach scientific agriculture and the mechanical arts to South Carolinians, CU was initially an all-male, all-white military school. It became a co-ed, civilian institution in 1955 and was the first all-white institution in South Carolina to desegregate. 

Clemson. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent to Lake Hartwell, Clemson (pop.14, 000) is a self-contained college town. In 2015, Princeton Review ranked Clemson #1 in the United States for “town-and-gown” relations with its resident university. Proud to host the South Carolina Botanical Gardens and Bob Campbell Geology Museum, Clemson offers numerous indoor and outdoor recreation options. The 900-plus-mile shoreline of Lake Hartwell offers swimming, skiing and sailing opportunities while the mountains are less than an hour away and provide canoeing, kayaking, white-water rafting, hiking, camping, skiing and fishing options. In addition, downtown Clemson offers numerous dining and shopping alternatives. 

Clemson is sited an hour’s drive from Greenville while Charlotte and Atlanta are 2.5 hours away.The town experiences a humid subtropical climate characterised by warm, humid summers and cool, dry winters. Summer temperatures range between 22-32°C and in winter between 7-10°C.

Campus facilities. Sprawled across 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the shores of Lake Hartwell, the campus offers state-of-the-art academic, research, sports and residential facilities. Important campus landmarks are Lee Hall, an outdoor amphitheatre, students’ organic farm, Brooks Center for Performing Arts, Center for Visual Arts and the Tillman Media Center. The university libraries include the main R.M. Cooper, Gunnin Architecture and the Special Collections Libraries. Together they house over 1.5 million books, journals and information resources.

Sports facilities are extensive and include the 175,000 sq. ft Swann Fitness Center which houses the McHugh Natatorium, a 30 ft climbing wall, 1/10 mile indoor track, eight racquetball and six basketball courts, two group fitness studios, wellness zone, and 1/3 mile outdoor track. The center also hosts the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Center (sailing and water ski clubs); Hoke Sloan Tennis Center, LeConte Family Field (artificial turf fields), 18-hole golf course and the Riggs field (soccer). Other on-campus facilities include a bookstore, 17 dining halls and restaurants, and the Redfen Health Center.

All students have the option to become members of over 400 student clubs and organisations offering a plethora of extra-curricular activities.

Admission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission into Clemson’s undergraduate programmes is successful completion of Plus Two. Moreover, foreign students need to submit proof of proficiency in the English language (TOEFL or IELTS test scores) and their Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores. All test scores must be forwarded directly to Clemson by testing agencies. Admission application forms are required to be submitted online with the application fee of $70 and transcripts/mark sheets/academic records of secondary school and teacher recommendations. The university’s admissions committee requires that all foreign secondary school mark sheets/transcripts be verified by a certified US educational consultant/agency (for a list visit www.naces.org).

The deadline for submission of admission applications and supporting documents is May 1 for August entry or October 1 for January admissions. For further information, contact the Office of Admissions, Clemson University, 105 Sikes Hall, Box 345124, Clemson, SC 29634-5124. Ph: 001 864-656-2287; Fax: 001 864-656-2464; e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.clemson.edu. 

Accommodation. Clemson offers a variety of on-campus housing including 27 residence halls, apartments and suites. First-year students are usually accommodated in residence halls in double rooms with semi-private bathrooms while sophomore and upper class students are free to choose from suite and apartment style living options. All housing offers internet and laundry facilities.

Degree programmes. The university’s seven colleges offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programmes (see box).

SUMMIYA YASMEEN