Clemson University is South Carolina's public land-grant research university, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is best known for engineering, automotive research, business, architecture and agriculture, with BMW's US plant and the Clemson automotive research campus nearby. Choose it for an engineering degree in a top-30 US public university.
Clemson, United States
Official website: clemson.edu
#951
Top 30 (U.S. News)
R1 — very high research activity
The Clemson International Center for Automotive Research, partnered with BMW
$24,000 – $42,000
International students, non-resident undergraduate and master's rates
$13,000 – $17,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on clemson.edu before you apply.
MS Computer Science
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MS Automotive Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MS Electrical Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MS Mechanical Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MBA (Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business)
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
Top-30 US public university with a strong engineering college.
Automotive engineering — a dedicated research campus in Greenville partnered with BMW.
Death Valley — the 81,000-seat Memorial Stadium and a famous game-day tradition.
Lakeside campus in the Blue Ridge foothills, beside Lake Hartwell.
Graduates join BMW, Michelin, Boeing, GE and the automotive and aerospace firms around Greenville and Charleston.
STEM master's graduates can work in the US for up to three years on OPT.
Engineering bachelor's graduates report median starting salaries around USD 70,000-80,000.
Business graduates move into finance and management roles in Charlotte and Atlanta.
Undergrad
1 Jan 2027
Postgrad
Varies by programme
Undergrad
1 Oct 2026
Postgrad
Varies by programme
The 1,400-acre campus sits beside Lake Hartwell, with Tillman Hall at its centre, the engineering complex to the south and the stadium and residence halls close by.
Clemson is a small college town of about 17,000 people with low rent, lake and mountain recreation nearby and Greenville 40 minutes away. Atlanta and Charlotte are each about two hours.
Form I-20 issued by Clemson
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
For fall 2027 undergraduate entry, Early Action closes 15 October 2026 and Regular Decision closes 1 January 2027; spring 2027 entry closes 1 October 2026. Graduate deadlines are set by each programme, with most engineering and computer science master's closing between December and April.
Undergraduates can start in fall (August) or spring (January). Most computer science and engineering master's programmes also admit for spring, while automotive engineering and the one-year MBA are fall only. Check your programme's admissions page to confirm.
You need an F-1 student visa. International Services issues your Form I-20 after you accept the offer and submit proof of funding. Then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and book an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Computer science, automotive engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and the MBA attract the most international applicants. Graduate admission needs a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0, TOEFL 80 or IELTS 6.5, and the GRE or GMAT for some programmes. Undergraduate admission is selective, with an acceptance rate around 40%.
Clemson offers limited merit scholarships to international undergraduates, considered automatically if you apply by the Early Action deadline; need-based aid is not available. Graduate students can apply for teaching and research assistantships, which are common in engineering and the sciences.
