Claflin University vs Philander Smith College

Claflin University and Philander Smith College, both historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), offer unique educational experiences to their students. Claflin, located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, has an acceptance rate of 68%, while Philander Smith, in Little Rock, Arkansas, has an acceptance rate of 58%. Claflin's student body is predominantly female (63%), while Philander Smith's is more evenly split (52% female, 48% male). Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including business, education, and nursing, but Claflin also offers programs in agriculture and family and consumer sciences, while Philander Smith has strengths in computer science and social work. With graduation rates of 45% and 39% respectively, both universities are committed to student success and providing a supportive learning environment. Explore the comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional HBCUs and find the best fit
Claflin University logo

Claflin University

Philander Smith College logo

Philander Smith College

Overview

Location Orangeburg, South Carolina Little Rock, Arkansas
Campus setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 71.0% 55.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Methodism Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 62.5% Open Admission
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $50
$25
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 8,467
Total number of admissions given out 5,289
Admitted students who chose to enroll 315
Yield rate 6.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A
High school GPA Required N/A
Recommendation letters Not required N/A
High school transcript Not required N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $39,446 $31,724
Average net price $19,308 $14,396
Tuition $16,476 $11,804
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,030

Meal plan: $5,450
Room/dormitory: $5,192

Meal plan: $3,058
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

97.0%
Average amount $13,431
98.0%
Average amount $11,505
Students receiving federal student loan 80.0%
Average amount $6,294
57.0%
Average amount $5,451
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $9,735
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,779
Men 29.1% Women 70.9%
710
Men 36.1% Women 63.9%
Graduate students 87
Men 29.9% Women 70.1%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 22.2% N/A
International students 2.3% 5.4%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 1,174 522
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from South Carolina Georgia Florida Michigan Missouri N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Psychology
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 51.1% 28.2%
Dropout rate 21.6% 68.8%
Transferred out 25.4% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,900
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: $36,943
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,141
  • Year 3: $36,132
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,587
  • Year 2: $39,648
  • Year 3: $31,889
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,551
  • Year 2: $27,476
  • Year 3: $29,572
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,056
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $29,453
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,088
  • Year 2: $24,730
  • Year 3: $29,283
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,063
  • Year 2: $21,964
  • Year 3: $28,436
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,023
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $27,326
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,882
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $26,717
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,628
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: N/A
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,677
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $34,628
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,231
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $28,884
Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,774
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: N/A

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