Clemson University Undergraduate Programs: A Comprehensive Overview

Clemson University, a public land-grant research university located near Clemson, South Carolina, offers a wide array of undergraduate programs across its nine colleges. Founded in 1889, Clemson has grown to become the second-largest university by enrollment in South Carolina, with a total of 24,060 undergraduate students enrolled for the Fall 2025 semester. The university's mission is rooted in providing education, research, and service to the public, and its undergraduate programs reflect this commitment.

Academic Structure and Colleges

Clemson University consists of nine colleges, each offering a unique set of undergraduate programs:

College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences (CAFLS): This college is dedicated to unified education, research, and public service programs that bring new innovation and leadership to the agricultural industry.
College of Architecture, Art, and Construction (CAAC): This college houses the School of Architecture, the Department of Art, and the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning.
College of Arts and Humanities (CAH): Founded in 2023, this college encompasses six departments: English, History and Geography, Interdisciplinary Studies, Languages, Performing Arts, and Philosophy and Religion.
College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences: This college focuses on understanding and improving human behavior and health through education, research, and service.
College of Education: Clemson's newest college, centered in Tillman Hall, is dedicated to providing a diverse set of experiences for its faculty, staff, and students.
College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences (CECAS): This college specializes in engineering and physical sciences, fostering study and research in fields transcending traditional areas.
College of Science: This college focuses on advancing scientific knowledge through research and providing a strong foundation in scientific principles for its students.
Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business: This college offers a range of business programs and is committed to developing future business leaders.
Harvey S. Peeler Jr. Honors College: This college provides education for highly motivated and academically talented students, with a highly competitive admission process.

Popular Undergraduate Majors

Clemson University offers a diverse range of undergraduate majors, with some of the most popular including:

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Engineering
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Social Sciences
Health Professions and Related Programs
Agricultural / Animal / Plant / Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Psychology
Education
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Visual and Performing Arts

Focus on Agricultural Sciences

Clemson's Department of Agricultural Sciences provides unified education, research and public service programs that bring new innovation and leadership to the agricultural industry. With curricular concentrations in pre-vet and science, animal agribusiness and equine business, Clemson’s Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences teaches students fundamental knowledge of physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, management and more, while offering hands-on experience with farm animal species through lab classes and experiential opportunities outside the classroom. Clemson’s Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences department blends many disciplines - biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, health and more - to not only help people live healthier but help private industry deliver safely packaged food to a growing global population. Clemson’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation partners with numerous state and federal agencies to offer real-world opportunities for students while protecting and advancing one of South Carolina’s most valuable assets, its forests. Clemson’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences offers numerous educational, research and outreach programs in agronomy, entomology, environmental sciences, horticulture, turfgrass, plant pathology and soil and water sciences.

Phoebe Beard first connected with agriculture through a farm program taught by Clemson alumni. That experience sparked her curiosity about the field and how she could reach her potential at Clemson. As an agricultural education major, she has propagated plants, crossbred plant species and cared for livestock. Now, with a semester of student teaching completed, Phoebe is eager to use her technical knowledge and instructional skills to inspire the next generation. “My teachers and their passion showed me what agriculture is all about. Now that passion is in everything I do. throughout South Carolina.

Read also: A Look at Clemson's Student Body

College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences (CECAS) Programs

The College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences (CECAS) offers a broad range of rigorous and rewarding baccalaureate programs which provide exceptional academic opportunities. Combining engineering and science disciplines facilitates study and research in fields transcending traditional areas.

Automotive Engineering: Increasingly becoming multi-disciplinary, an Automotive Engineering B.S. degree can help build a foundation of skills geared toward the megatrends shaping this multi-trillion-dollar industry. Clemson’s automotive engineering program is renowned for developing top talent and is known for being pioneers in the sector.
Bioengineering: The goal of biomedical engineering is the same as it has been for generations: to create integrated, innovative technology to improve human health. The ways to reach that goal, on the other hand, are as varied as ever. Clemson’s Department of Bioengineering tackles tough issues through research and hands-on experiences.
Biosystems Engineering: Biosystems Engineering is a field dedicated to studying the footprints our ideas may leave on the earth and determining the best ways to prevent permanent harm. At Clemson, you’ll learn the fundamentals of engineering science and biological applications through hands-on, team-based experiential learning activities.
Chemical Engineering: Based on the sciences of chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics, chemical engineering is at the forefront of environmental pollution prevention and remediation and is also leading the way in medical and health-related research. Clemson’s program offers increased interaction between students and faculty.
Civil Engineering: Civil engineers plan, design, construct, maintain and operate facilities and systems that control and improve the environment for modern civilizations. At Clemson, our civil engineering program utilizes hands-on lab experiences, strong student/faculty relationships, and a curriculum that works toward your goals.
Computer Engineering: The Computer Engineering program provides in-depth education and hands-on experience with computers of all sizes. Students learn to solve real-world problems on hardware and computer architecture, software, and systems through a versatile array of technical electives that include communication and intelligent systems.
Computer Science: For Computer Science, choose how technical (B.S.) or interdisciplinary (B.A.) you want your degree. The B.S. program is oriented toward designing, implementing, and applying software systems to solve information processing problems. The B.A. is ideal for acquiring a broad-based liberal arts education with a solid computer science understanding.
Computer Information Systems (CIS): The Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree program is oriented toward computer applications in management-related problems. The program emphasizes functional areas of management, including accounting, production, marketing, and finance, and the applications of computers in these areas.
Electrical Engineering: The Electrical Engineering program encompasses circuits, computer engineering, electromagnetic fields, electronics, controls, signal analysis, power systems, and communications. Technical electives during senior year allow students to select specialties.
Environmental Engineering: Environmental engineers are on the frontlines of world issues. Clemson University has the first ABET-accredited undergraduate degree program in South Carolina for environmental engineering and offers a core curriculum that emphasizes areas including wastewater treatment, air pollution control, sustainability, and risk assessment.
Geology: The B.S. degree in Geology offers students a flexible program of study that emphasizes hands-on experience in classrooms, laboratories, and fieldwork. Optional concentration areas in hydrogeology and environmental science are offered for students interested in those specific career paths.
Industrial Engineering: Clemson’s Industrial Engineering program focuses on several major research and teaching emphasis areas that involve optimization, supply chain design, quality control, user-centered design, and ergonomics. Your capstone class allows you to apply everything you’ve learned to a project for an off-campus client such as Caterpillar, 3M, or Milliken.
Materials Science & Engineering: Materials Science & Engineering is a vast, interdisciplinary field based around the creation of materials that will change and define how we go about our everyday tasks. The program establishes in students a broad foundation in the science and engineering of materials and hands-on work with particles, thin films, and bulk materials.
Mechanical Engineering: Mechanical Engineering students prepare for a career in engineering and for lifelong learning through a balanced B.S. program that includes working in teams and individually. Curriculum covers fundamental engineering sciences as well as the arts and humanities to develop a deeper understanding of today’s complex modern society.

Admission and Selectivity

Admission to Clemson is considered "selective" per The College Board. News & World Report categorizes Clemson as 'more selective'. For the Class of 2029 (enrolled Fall 2025), Clemson received 64,805 applications and accepted 27,498 (42.4%). Of those accepted, 5,084 enrolled, a yield rate (the percentage of accepted students to choose to attend the University) of 18.5%.

Student-Faculty Ratio and Class Sizes

The student-faculty ratio at Clemson University is 16:1, and the school has 36.9% of its classes with fewer than 20 students.

Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR)

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) was established in 2013 in Greenville as a seminary for automotive research and innovation. CU-ICAR is a 250-acre (101 ha) automotive and motorsports research campus. The department of Automotive Engineering was ranked tenth in the world in 2015. CU-ICAR includes a graduate school offering master's and doctoral degrees in automotive engineering, and programs focused on systems integration. The campus also includes an Information Technology Research Center being developed by BMW. BMW, Microsoft, IBM, Bosch, Timken, JTEKT/Koyo and Michelin are all major corporate partners of CU-ICAR. Private-sector companies that have committed to establishing offices and/or facilities on the campus include the Society of Automotive Engineers and Timken.

Charleston Innovation Campus

The Charleston Innovation Campus in North Charleston was founded in 2004 as the Restoration Institute. It houses the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, Dominion Energy Innovation Center, and the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center. The conservation center includes the Hunley Commission, which is undertaking the stabilization of the H. L. Hunley, a Civil War submarine that was the world's first to sink a ship. The energy innovation center opened in 2013 and houses a 7.5MW and a 15MW offshore wind turbine test facility for $100 million. In 2016, Clemson opened the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center. The 70,000 sq. ft.

Read also: Clemson Admission GPA

Historical Context

Founded in 1889, Clemson University's history is intertwined with the legacy of Thomas Green Clemson, who bequeathed his fortune and plantation, Fort Hill, to the state of South Carolina for the establishment of a "high seminary of learning." The university initially focused on agricultural and mechanical arts education, reflecting Clemson's vision. Over the years, Clemson has evolved into a comprehensive research university with a wide range of academic programs.

The university's early history also involved the use of convict laborers, predominantly Black individuals, in the construction of its original buildings. This is a somber part of Clemson's past that the university acknowledges and addresses.

Clemson also played a role in the desegregation of higher education in the South. In 1963, Harvey Gantt became the first African-American student to enroll at Clemson, marking a significant step toward integration.

Read also: Your Guide to Clemson Jobs

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