CLEMSON — Kiplinger magazine editors have picked Clemson University as one of the top public institutions providing the best education for the dollar.

Clemson is ranked number 33 in the financial magazine’s yearly roundup of institutions providing a top quality education at reasonable prices and is the highest ranked public university in South Carolina on the list. Magazine staffers researched more than 500 public colleges and universities across the United States to determine the list of the top 100 best buys.

In-state students at Clemson pay $4,935 a semester and out-of-state students pay $10,900 a semester. Each figure excludes room and board, lab fees, library fees and differential costs related to a major. Ninety-eight percent of entering freshmen receive a state scholarship.

Kiplinger researchers balanced the cost of attending an institution with its financial aid availability, student retention rates and graduation rates to determine the top 100.

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