Private nonprofit · University

Furman University

Greenville, South Carolina · Large suburb

#3 most selective in South Carolina#4 graduation rate in South Carolina#5 for grad earnings in South Carolina
43.0%
Admit rate
$30,308
Avg net price
79%
Graduation rate
$68,635
Median earnings

Furman University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Greenville, South Carolina (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,379 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,379 undergradsLarge suburbSelective · 43% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Southern Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Furman University's admitted students.

Admit rate
43.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1260–1430
Avg GPA
3.66

Enter a test score to see where you land against Furman University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Furman University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. The land of present-day Greenville was once the hunting ground of the Cherokee, which was forbidden to colonists. A wealthy settler from Virginia named Richard Pearis arrived in South Carolina around 1754 and established relations with the Cherokee. As the largest city in the Upstate, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville's theaters and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theater companies. Four independent theaters present several plays a year. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
188 miles
Nearest airport
13 miles to Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)

How Furman University compares

Selectivity43.0%

More selective than 88% · #3 most selective of 29 in South Carolina

SAT average1371

Higher than 87%

Graduation rate79%

Higher than 88% · #4 of 35 in South Carolina

First-year retention91%

Higher than 87%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$68,635

Higher than 82% · #5 of 35 in South Carolina

Average net price$30,308

Cheaper than 15% · #34 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$23,250

Lower than 50%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment2,379

Larger than 62%

Percentiles compare Furman University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Carolina.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,550students
  • Undergraduate2,37993%
  • Graduate1717%

Undergraduates by gender

2,379undergrads
  • Women1,39259%
  • Men98741%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black6.0%
  • Hispanic7.2%
  • Asian3.4%
  • Other or multiracial11%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,379
Graduate enrollment
171
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
13%
First-generation students
12%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$83,896
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$93,591
Endowment
$827,738,616

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
43.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1260–1430
SAT average
1371
SAT reading
650–720
SAT math
610–710
ACT composite
28–32
Average GPA
3.66

Cost

In-state tuition
$59,770
Room & board
$16,504
Books & supplies
$1,250
Total cost of attendance
$76,798
Average net price
$30,308

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
79%
Graduated on time (4 years)
73%
First-year retention
91%
Transferred to another college
19%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$50,796
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$68,635
Median debt at graduation
$23,250
Students with federal loans
28%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
77%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
73%
Low-income (Pell)
67%
First-generation
65%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,398
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$9,094
Meal plan (year)
$6,774
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Southern Conference
Varsity athletes
464 (265 men · 199 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)135
Football126
Soccer62
Lacrosse32
Basketball30
Softball22
Tennis20
Volleyball19
Golf18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
8.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
29
Property offenses (2022–2024)
32

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,554 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

20reported offenses a year
9.7 violent a year11 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
8.0
Rape
7.0
Fondling
2.7
Burglary
2.0
Arson
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$16,401
$30–48k
$17,290
$48–75k
$21,041
$75–110k
$27,736
$110k+
$39,310

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$86,472

$21,041/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$37,307
average award, among those who get one

Furman University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $37,307. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 647 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$68,635
Typical debt at graduation
$23,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
34%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$64,078
Men
$73,790

Men out-earn women by $9,712 (15%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
91°F
Winter low
35°F
Annual rain
47″
Annual snow
3.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Greenville Dwtn AP, SC US station (7.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Furman University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Furman University side by side →

Colleges near Furman University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.