Acceptance Rate
43%
Avg. SAT
1430
75th percentile
“Nestled by a shimmering lake in exploding Greenville, Furman delivers intimate liberal arts rigor with Southern warmth and real-world engagement baked into every degree.”
Greenville, SC
Location
Large Suburb
Campus Setting
You arrive at Furman University, founded in 1826 by Baptist leader Richard Furman—the first Baptist president ordained in America—and relocated three times across South Carolina before planting roots in Greenville in 1958. Once tied to Baptist traditions, it severed formal religious links in the 1990s to embrace a secular liberal arts mission, fostering students who crave deep community bonds over cutthroat competition. You'll thrive here if you're collaborative, service-driven, and drawn to the outdoors—think hikers who debate philosophy over sweet tea—but might chafe if you seek urban grit or massive diversity; the student body skews white, Southern, and politically moderate-conservative in a state capital suburb that's anything but sleepy. Greenville pulses with craft breweries, Michelin headquarters, and a downtown waterfall park drawing 5 million visitors yearly, offering internships galore yet affordable living compared to Charlotte or Atlanta. Tradeoffs hit hard: the humid summers stifle outdoor plans, and the smaller scale means fewer niche majors or global cultural hubs.
Photo Gallery
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Furman's classrooms, professors ditch lectures for Socratic seminars where your voice shapes the debate, backed by a 9:1 student-faculty ratio that dwarfs most peers (more personal than 90% of U.S. colleges). Standouts include the politics and international affairs department, fueling poli-sci majors into think tanks, and health sciences with direct paths to med school; the mandatory Engaged Learning program guarantees every undergrad an internship, research stint, or study abroad before graduation—over 90% complete multiple. You'll join faculty on sustainability projects at the 200-acre farm or dissect lasers in physics labs echoing Charles Townes' legacy. Yet tradeoffs loom: research feels undergrad-focused rather than elite grad-level, and with just 2,300 undergrads, specialized STEM tracks lag behind bigger research universities.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
2,383 undergrad • 171 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
73%
Black / African American
7%
Hispanic / Latino
7%
Asian
3%
Other / Multi-racial
10%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Greenville, SC
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Picture your week: Monday seminars by the lake, Tuesday intramurals on the turf fields, Thursday volunteering at Greenville's Reedy River Falls, and weekends tailgating Furman football—Division I FCS Paladins draw packed crowds. Campus hums with friendly Southern vibes; 80% live on-site in all-freshman residence halls or themed houses like wellness or outdoors, fostering tight-knit groups over anonymous dorm towers. Traditions glue it together: the Bell Tower chimes hymns every quarter-hour, Engagement Weekend pairs you with alumni mentors early on, and Greek life claims 35% without dominating. Social scene skews wholesome—think bonfires, hiking the nearby Blue Ridge, or Swamp Rabbit Trail bike rides—ideal for relationship-builders, but party-seekers or introverts escaping cliques might feel the modest scale; winters chill mildly, but relentless humidity and occasional tornado watches test resilience.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Southern Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
No
Air Force
No
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$9,934
$30K – $48K
$18,331
$48K – $75K
$20,509
$75K – $110K
$25,643
$110K+
$34,641
Apply for Financial Aid
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
91%
4 Years Graduation Rate
76%
6 Years Graduation Rate
82%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$68,635
91% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Furman University and return in the fall. 76% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 82% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
76%
4-6 years
6%
Non-grad
18%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$55,392
Acceptance
43%
Undergrads
2,383
4-Year Grad Rate
76%
Endowment
$732M
Greenville, SC 29613-6162