FMU-Florence vs Claflin University

Francis Marion University and Claflin University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in South Carolina, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Francis Marion University, located in Florence, boasts a higher acceptance rate of 75% compared to Claflin University's 65% in Orangeburg. While Claflin University has a slightly larger student body, Francis Marion University offers a more diverse student population. Both universities excel in different areas of study; Francis Marion University is known for its strong programs in business, education, and nursing, while Claflin University shines in biology, social sciences, and psychology. With graduation rates of 58% and 56% respectively, both universities are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two exceptional universities and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Claflin University	Francis Marion University
Overview
Location	Orangeburg, South Carolina	Florence, South Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	71.0%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	62.5%	86.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $41 Graduate: $41
SAT range	N/A	930 - 1120
ACT range	N/A	15 - 22
Students submitting SAT score		20.0%
Students submitting ACT score		19.0%
Total number of applicants	8,467	3,028
Total number of admissions given out	5,289	2,608
Admitted students who chose to enroll	315	699
Yield rate	6.0%	26.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$39,446	In state: $24,351 Out of state: $34,735
Average net price	$19,308	$13,299
Tuition	$16,476	In state: $10,384 Out of state: $20,768
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,030 Meal plan: $5,450	$8,230
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 $10,192
Students receiving federal student loan	80.0% Average amount $6,294	59.0% Average amount $5,579
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $9,735	4.0% Average amount $7,593

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,779 Men 29.1% Women 70.9%	3,475 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Graduate students	87 Men 29.9% Women 70.1%	448 Men 22.8% Women 77.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	22.2%	4.4%
International students	2.3%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,174	1,413
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	South Carolina North Carolina Florida Georgia Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	51.1%	43.2%
Dropout rate	21.6%	15.9%
Transferred out	25.4%	38.3%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,582 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $110,561 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,618 Year 2: $58,866 Year 3: $60,568 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,080 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $47,870 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $40,311 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,861 Year 2: $28,443 Year 3: $34,636 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,038 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $34,338 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,535 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $34,010 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,804 Year 2: $28,180 Year 3: $32,997 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,805 Year 2: $30,157 Year 3: $32,022 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,652 Year 3: $31,548

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