Admit rate has ranged 59%–75% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Presbyterian College is a small, tight-knit liberal arts school in Clinton, South Carolina, where two-thirds of students are athletes and nearly everyone lives on campus. With a 68% acceptance rate and a strong emphasis on affordability (100% of students receive financial aid), PC offers a personalized education with a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and a curriculum heavy on business, biology, and pre-professional tracks.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
852
In-state tuition
$44,910
Out-of-state tuition
$44,910
Acceptance Rate
68%
On-Campus Housing
89%
Student-Faculty Ratio
12:1
4-Year Graduation Rate
49%
Athletes in Student Body
65%
Financial Aid Recipients
100%
Avg First-Year Aid Package
$44,350
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$60,194
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.9×
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Graduation rate
51%
First-year retention
80%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
73%
Pell (lower-income) share
54%
First-generation share
20%
Endowment / student
$126,345
Financial health
2.2 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Business Administration, Management and Operations$42,363
Mathematics$36,312
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$33,518
English Language and Literature, General$25,194
Political Science and Government$24,035
Psychology, General
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
5
Per 1,000 students
5.87
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
105
Summer high
89°F
Winter low
39°F
Annual rain
46.4"
Annual snow
1"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
81
Scholarly works
1,043
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.2%
Bottom → top quintile
41%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Presbyterian College?
Presbyterian College's acceptance rate is approximately 68% (Clinton, SC), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Presbyterian College?
Admitted students at Presbyterian College typically score 980–1200 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Presbyterian College cost?
At Presbyterian College, the average net price (after aid) is about $20,528 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Presbyterian College?
Presbyterian College enrolls approximately 852 undergraduate students.
Where is Presbyterian College located?
Presbyterian College is located in Clinton, SC.
Admissions
Presbyterian College is somewhat selective, with an Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering around 68%—about 10 percentage points higher than the national average. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 987–1212 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT, though Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policies apply. Notably, PC requires admitted students to withdraw applications from other colleges upon acceptance, a policy outlined in their Common Data Set (CDS)A standardized report most colleges publish each year with admissions, test-score, and financial-aid figures, making schools easier to compare.. The school does not have an open-admission policy.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$22,824
Biology, General$16,663
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Academics
PC offers 90+ majors, minors, and graduate programs, with business, biology, and education dominating student choices. The curriculum leans heavily on liberal arts fundamentals—critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving—delivered in small classes (12:1 student-faculty ratio). The college has historically punched above its weight in value rankings, including a #1 spot in College Factual’s 2013 Best Value list. Pre-professional tracks (pre-med, pre-law) are robust, and the school emphasizes 'transformative' education through hands-on learning.
Life at PC revolves around campus immersion: 89% of students live on-site, and the vibe is deeply communal, with a heavy athletic presence (65% of students are athletes). Spiritual life is active, with campus-wide worship and outreach programs, while clubs and volunteer opportunities round out the experience. Students describe the environment as 'everyone says hello'—a nod to the school’s small size (1,000 undergrads) and Presbyterian roots. The campus itself is frequently praised for its beauty and alumni engagement.
PC’s four-year graduation rate is 49%, rising to 58% at six years—slightly below national averages for private colleges. Retention is stronger, with 80% of freshmen returning for sophomore year. Median earnings for alumni a decade out hover around $60,000, though specific employment data is sparse. The school’s emphasis on pre-professional programs suggests many graduates pursue further education in law, medicine, or business.
PC guarantees scholarships for admitted students with a 3.0+ GPA, part of an aggressive affordability push. The average first-year aid package is $44,350, and 100% of students receive some form of financial assistance. Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculators suggest annual costs after aid range from $22,000–$30,000, with $27 million annually disbursed in scholarships and loans. Notably, the school meets 81% of demonstrated financial need.
PC’s small-college intensity—where athletes, future doctors, and liberal arts purists share tiny classes—is its signature. The school’s financial aid policies (100% coverage, guaranteed scholarships) make it a rare Southern liberal arts bargain, while its Presbyterian heritage infuses campus life with community service and spiritual optionality. For students seeking a close-knit, affordable college with D1 sports and pre-professional rigor, PC delivers—as long as they’re okay with saying 'hello' to everyone they pass.
Presbyterian College logo · sourceAbout PC | Presbyterian College · sourceAbout PC | Presbyterian College · sourcePresbyterian College - SC Picture Project · source
