Despite admittedly gaming the system in an effort to artificially inflate its status, Clemson (S.C.) University remained two spots shy of fulfilling its obsession of becoming a Top 20 public university, according to rankings released Thursday by U.S. News & World Report.
Clemson ranked No. 22 among public schools – unchanged form last year – and 61st among all schools, also unchanged. The University of South Carolina, meanwhile, dropped to No. 55 among public schools and 110th overall. Last year, USC ranked 52nd among public schools and 108th among all schools.
Despite its slipping status, USC boasted the nation’s top undergraduate international business program for the thirteenth consecutive year, although that success obviously wasn’t enough to counter the ill effects of the school’s failed “economic development” boondoggling. In USC’s defense, however, it hasn’t revolved its entire academic universe around catering to these specific rankings the way Clemson has.
Clemson’s fixation on the U.S. News criteria – first reported exclusively on FITS – quickly morphed into outright duplicity and embarrassing childishness on the part of its president, James Barker, who attempted to unfairly (and ridiculously) boost his school’s status by ranking it ahead of Harvard, Stanford and other top-tier institutions of higher learning.
Pathetic, we know.
Forget competing with Harvard and Stanford. The Palmetto state – which spends a disproportionately large percentage of its budget on higher ed – continues to lag behind its regional peers, which is simply unacceptable when students and parents are being forced to absorb exorbitant tuition increases.
Tuition at Clemson has tripled over the last decade, from under $4,000 to nearly $12,000, while tuition at USC has more than doubled over the same time period. Additionally, Seniors at Clemson and USC are paying 23% and 17% more per year, respectively, than when they first arrived on campus.
Those numbers do not compare favorably to schools in neighboring states.
In-state tuition at the University of Georgia, for example, is $5,500 less than in-state tuition at Clemson and $3,100 less than in-state tuition at USC, and yet Georgia outranked both South Carolina schools. Similarly, in-state tuition at the University of Florida is more than $7,000 less than Clemson and $5,000 less than USC, and yet Florida outranked Georgia as well as both South Carolina schools.
Bottom line? As in so many other government endeavors, South Carolina’s competition is simply providing a better product at a better price.
WEB EXTRA
By rebel August 20, 2009 at 6:52 am
Maybe if USC would drop its real estate development fantasies, programming absurdities like ‘living-learning communities’ and ‘service learning,’ and concentrate on academics, it wouldn’t be slipping off the cliff.
By bluetiger August 20, 2009 at 8:21 am
And maybe, if the taxpayers and public finally see the real underbelly of this current Administration of our Clemson University, take them out, starting at the two heads – bring the University back to the institution that everybody was proud of, respected and supported through thick and thin, Alumni and Friends could, once again, hold their head high when hearing the latest news about our school.
Get and Administration that has the ethics and care to treat all of their employees with fairness and respect. Protect those employees from predators from within their own ranks – and provide an environment where a young woman can pursue a career without having to forsake all principles and decency to be treated humanely.
God, Barker must just totally love and give thanks to Michail Jackson and the Luv Gov – they’ve kept his Administrations antics off the news for an unprecedented amout of time.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' August 20, 2009 at 9:18 am
People at Clemson can recite to themselves “we’re awesome’ a million times a day, but the rest of the nation isn’t as impressed. I’m glad to see President Barnum’s, I mean Barker’s, “Greatest Show on Earth” scam accomplished nothing. Hopefully it backfired. As the song asked, who’s zooming who?
By K Trane August 20, 2009 at 11:07 am
Clemson engineering gets about 4 times the amount of grants that Harvard engineering gets. It might be understandable why Barker ranked Clemson higher, but I dunno about Standford. If you want a liberal arts degree, go to Harvard. But I’d put a Clemson engineer against a Harvard engineer any day of the month.
By K Trane August 20, 2009 at 11:09 am
But Barker needs to stop inflating tuition. It’s supposed to be a public school not Duke University where it costs $42,000/yr. They also need to put more South Carolinians in the graduate and doctoral programs and stop educating solely the Chinese and the Indians.
By Notafan August 20, 2009 at 11:44 am
Interesting that Clemson didn’t move up this year — I expected them to because of their aggressive ratings-gaming strategies. Guess US News and World Report didn’t want to throw any more gasoline on the fire by moving Clemson up again this year. They couldn’t. It would have just been more confirmation that the ratings are horseshit to begin with.
By Earmarks Are Good? August 20, 2009 at 11:49 am
Are USC and SC Public Radio using public money to promote earmarks?
http://www.sc.edu/media/carolinaminutes.php
http://www.sc.edu/portal2/carolinaminutes/m_1250696929.mp3
By fitslies August 20, 2009 at 1:21 pm
As your article cites other southern states as above Clemson. With the pitiful amount of funding that South Carolina gives higher education, it is a wonder we have 2 schools in the top 60…..most states fund the research universities at a higher rate and protect them. The tuition increases directly reflect the abandonment of the legislature and especially this governor. Sites like this that continue to denigrate our state universities will continue to feed the national/international perception how un-educated our citizens are. Companies bypass SC, not because of our tax rates, but, because they know they can get better eduated workers in Georgia or North Carolina or Tennessee….you really need to wake up…..
By fitsnews August 20, 2009 at 1:40 pm
“Fitslies,”
The pitiful amount of funding? Set your big government crack pipe down, please.
S.C. spends 17.8% of its budget on higher education compared to the national average of 10.1%, according to the most recent data available from the National Association of State Budget Officers.
How exactly does that constitute a “pitiful amount of funding?”
You are obviously buying into the myth that general fund dollars are the ONLY dollars that get spent in this state – which ignores nearly 70% of the budget.
Please. The current FY budget (general, federal and other funds) is $20.7 billion, not the $5.7 billion you read about it the paper.
And all the higher ed budgets went up BEFORE the tuition (and fee) increases were imposed.
You are a moron.
Seriously, you need to take your uninformed commentary to the Palmetto Scoop or some other bought-and-paid for blog.
We play with live ammo around here.
-FITS
By CNSYD August 20, 2009 at 2:57 pm
The REAL problem is that SC has too many public colleges and universities. The state has taken over private schools, e.g. Lander and College of Charleston and poured money into them. This creates a duplication of services. Also “specialty” colleges like The Citadel are an extra expense that no other state except VA has to bear. Other than the desire of local politicians, were Francis Marion and Coastal Carolina necessities?
By K. SoZZe August 20, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Where’s the link to share this article with all of my Facebook buddies?
By fitsnews August 20, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Kaiser,
Click the “share this” link at the top … or, copy and paste the link into Facebook itself.
The world is your oyster.
-FITS
By bluetiger August 20, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I, a once proud Graduate of Clemson, now, just a Graduate of Clemson – was favored with a Video of our own President Barfer doing about every jig and spin on this #22 to make it #1. Did pretty good until he lost any seme itteligent members of his audience speaking of having a really special “STAFF” – well, if you consider something special being a Staff of good ol’ Folks that have hung on and on and on and on – retired – came back and hung on and on – finally got a little dirt of the BOT and President – got outlandish raises – and are still hanging on and on and on and on – must be wonderful to get points for screwing your emplyees over and over and over – hiding money – only to claim no money is available – and give even more to your special protectors. Even a tidy sum to Asso VP’s who spend more time chasing skirts and rewarding those that “cooperate” than doing anything good for the School.
By Jim August 20, 2009 at 6:33 pm
What is the total spending on higher education in SC vrs. NC and GA? Not just the percentage of the state budget. That does not tell us anything.
By myles keogh August 20, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Who cares what these rankings say other then the jackasses who believe them? They are all BS anyway. For proof look no further then when you have any SUNY school in the top 50 – that is all you need to know to understand these rankings are full of crap.
By CNSYD August 20, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Jim, what you will find is SC’s spends millions while the other two spend billions.
By Fits Lies August 20, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Jim, NC and GA are outspending us by hundreds of millions. Interesting, Fits doesn’t like the 1st Amendment and meaningful discussion is shut down or ridiculed. Because we can not issue bonds to build buildings in SC, we have to create what this rag has labeled as slush funds (the b.s. in the Troutman mess) to meet our match. These guys want all the benefits of government without paying for it. We will be among the first into this recession and dead last out of it. Even Michigan is fully funding their research universities because they believe an educated citizenry will bring the new high-tech, green economy to their state. It’s time we start to fully fund education, from K-12 through higher ed if we ever want to move out of the poverty state that we now live in.
By fitsnews August 20, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Really, they’re outspending us by hundreds of millions?
Funny you never would have guessed that seeing as Georgia (9.6 million) and North Carolina (9.2 million) both have MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY CITIZENS as we do.
Again, brilliant deduction there.
-FITS
By CNSYD August 20, 2009 at 10:07 pm
News flash for FITS. 2x population may be true but a billion is 1000 million. So are you saying GA and NC only spend 2x as compared to SC?
By Commonman August 21, 2009 at 8:24 am
Leave this sacred cow alone. The biggest industry in this state is higher education and the exorbitant salaries they pay Administrative staff and academicians for perpetuating the system. If they did not have to compete with the private sector for these prestigious individuals, they would not need to raise tuition. It is our responsibility to tighten our belts so they can achieve their goals (and justify the exorbitant salaries and perks.) Oh, one can only dream of being a tenured professor at a state institution that would guarantee a position for life.
By totallydumbfounded August 22, 2009 at 10:08 am
And, just who do you think that Clemson competed with for Dori Helms, Ms. Sams, the, oh so unqualified, General Counsel , Johnny Boy Kelly, and his crew, well, you could go down the list of 98% of the Administration at Clemson – analyze and realize that they have been “hanging” on at Clemson for years? In fact, ever since they wormed their way into the cushy life even, in a few cases, retiring, and coming back for even more!! Not one has tried or had a chance to leave our fine institution or their cozy little spots – sitting, waiting for the next shower of ludicrous increases in their salaries as they as they go about their or so tedious duties of finding more and more ways to divert any monies available to themselves.
By Notafan August 28, 2009 at 6:52 pm
There’s only one word to describe academia in South Carolina: FEUDAL.
(As in, many serfs paying for a few outlandishly rich elite)
By smartchicken November 30, 2011 at 9:16 am
The only school in SC that Barker’s dream has benefited is USC. Barker has chased TOP 20 at the expense of EVERYTHING ELSE. Clemson’s Athletics have been destroyed from the inside with a little help from the ACC. Ray Tanner and Steve Spurrier have been smart enough to capitalize on their rival’s blindness. Until the Tigers wake up and clean house,it will only get worse. It will take up to 10 years for the damage,Barker and Terry Don(USC should be paying him)Phillips to be undone. Top 20 would be nice for an instate school, but don’t kill everything else to get there.