Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Clemson University, San Diego State University, Florida State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | ClemsonClemson, SC | San DiegoSan Diego, CA | Florida StateTallahassee, FL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 38.3% | 36.2% | 24.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1240–1410 | Not reportedSan Diego State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1270–1410 |
| Average net price | $22,25314.8% on Pell grants | $15,36431.7% on Pell grants | $11,29723.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $15,554 in-state · $40,866 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $8,728 in-state · $21,328 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $5,656 in-state · $18,786 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 86.6% | 76.4% | 85.6% |
| First-year retention | 93.5% | 90.6% | 96.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 14.8% | 31.7% | 23.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $71,513 | $64,909 | $61,675 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 | $15,000 | $18,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 16:1 | 22:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 23,300 | 35,377 | 32,212 |
| Consensus percentile | 27Lower is better | 28Lower is better | 19Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 61 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 65 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 38 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Clemson | San Diego | Florida State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #75 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #117 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #51 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #86 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #87 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #72 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #654 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #115 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #126 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #93 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #163 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #199 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #76 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #248 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #47 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | #961 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1092 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #550 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Clemson University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing San Diego State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Florida State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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