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Colleges in and near Clinton

Clinton is a college town: 15 of every 100 residents are students

Presbyterian College (1,136 students on campus) is inside the city. Across South Carolina, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town15% of residents are studentsPresbyterian College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Clinton. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
1,136 students on campus
Nearest college
1 mi
Presbyterian College
Residents in college
15%
Above SC (6%)
Nearest community college
21.7 mi
University of South Carolina-Union · $7,558 tuition
Nearest public university
25.7 mi
Lander University · $11,700 in-state
Students on campus in Clinton
1,136
next to 7,918 residents

What stands out about college in Clinton

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town15 of every 100 Clinton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.A college in ClintonPresbyterian College has 1,136 students on campus in Clinton, 51% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 21.7 miles awayUniversity of South Carolina-Union in Union: tuition and fees $7,558 a year for South Carolina residents.In-state price at Lander UniversityLiving in South Carolina, Lander University charges $11,700 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $21,300. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Clinton

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

15 of every 100 Clinton residents are in college (SC: 6).

1,136students on campus at Presbyterian College, next to 7,918 residents (dorm students count as residents)
272college students live in Clinton households rather than dorms
30.6median age · SC 40.2
58%of residents are women · SC 51% (±3.9 points)
48%of homes rented · SC 28%
$899median rent · 24% below the state
ClintonClinton, SC
Cost of living$899/mo median rentA−SafetyCrime reported to the FBID−HealthCDC estimatesC−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Clinton’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 25.1% of Clinton residents are below the poverty line, 25.6% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 15% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living A−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 15%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Clinton’s median age is 30.6 (South Carolina 40.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Clinton

One private college within 1 mile. The nearest public four-year college, Lander University, is 25.7 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miPresbyterian CollegeClinton
University or collegeCommunity college
Presbyterian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,136 on campus · In Clinton68%admitted$21knet price51%graduate$60kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Clinton’s median household income ($44,522) falls.

Lander University25.7 mi · Greenwood · sticker $27,277$11,778a year
Presbyterian CollegeIn Clinton · sticker $60,242$15,985a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Presbyterian CollegeLander University
Lander University50% graduate$42k earnings$25k typical debt
Presbyterian College51% graduate$60k earnings$26k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Clinton

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Presbyterian College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 29%Biology 18%Psychology 13%Social sciences 13%History 8%English 7%Everything else 13%

Biggest programs

Psychology, General47 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations43 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
History21 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government19 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Clinton

Is Clinton a college town?

Yes. 15 of every 100 Clinton residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across South Carolina. Presbyterian College has 1,136 students on campus, next to 7,918 residents.

What colleges are in Clinton?

Presbyterian College is inside the city. University of South Carolina-Union is 21.7 miles away in Union.

What is the closest community college to Clinton, and what does it cost?

University of South Carolina-Union in Union, 21.7 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,558 a year for South Carolina residents; the federal net price, $8,065, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Presbyterian College?

Presbyterian College admitted 68% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 980–1,200 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Clinton. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →