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Clemson touts record applications, high retention and $338 million in research spending to lawmakers
Summary
President Jim Clements told the House Education and Public Works Committee that Clemson continues to break records in applications, retention and fundraising, reported $338 million in research expenditures and expects to welcome the first class to its veterinary college in fall 2026.
President James P. Clements, president of Clemson University, briefed the House Education and Public Works Committee and highlighted record application growth, high retention and graduation rates, substantial research expenditures and a veterinary medicine college under construction.
Clements told lawmakers Clemson received nearly 62,000 applications for roughly 4,900 spots last year and that the university expects total applications this year to be about 65,000. “When I arrived at Clemson in 2013, we had 18,000 applications,” Clements said. “That number has more than tripled in the past decade.”
Clements emphasized Clemson’s commitment to in-state students: he said about 62 percent of undergraduates are South Carolina residents and 38 percent are from out of state. He also highlighted academic awards and post-graduation outcomes: retention from freshman to sophomore year is about 93.5 percent, the six-year graduation rate is approximately 87 percent and the four-year graduation rate is about 71 percent.
On research and fundraising, Clements reported $338,000,000 in externally funded research expenditures last year and a record $259,000,000 in private fundraising. He said Clemson has increased private fundraising by more than $150,000,000 a year since 2013. Clements also discussed experiential learning supported by state funding, saying nearly 82 percent of students who received state-funded internships and co-ops were from South Carolina and that almost 70 percent of the employers were located in the state.
Clements thanked the General Assembly for investing in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He said the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine is under construction and that Clemson plans to welcome its first class in fall 2026.
On athletics and external partnerships, Clements said Clemson’s football program recently won the ACC championship and that the university’s board reached an agreement to remain in the Atlantic Coast Conference under a revenue arrangement Clements called “a really good outcome for us.”
Committee members asked questions and offered congratulations; Representative Johnson and others thanked Clements and invited further engagement. Clements introduced legislative staff present, naming Angie Leidinger, Mark Catherin and Jarrett Breuder as points of contact.
Why it matters: the university’s enrollment, research and career-outcome metrics affect workforce development, state economic partnerships and higher-education planning across South Carolina.
Ending: Clements invited lawmakers to a Clemson reception later that day and said the university will continue to brief state officials on progress including the veterinary college’s development.
