This article does that with Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina. It will not tell you whether your child should attend. No one who does not know your child can tell you that. But it will show you, with the exact figure and what it means, what kind of university this is, what it really costs, who gets in, and who stays. With that piece in hand, you and your child can move forward with better judgment.
What Kind of School It Is and Where It Is Located
Furman is classified as a baccalaureate college focused on arts and sciences. In the most recent data for this type of classification, it is a small, highly residential four-year school: at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. It also appears in the most selective admissions group in that classification system.
Highly residential does not mean your child has to move. It means that, if your child lives at home, they will be part of a minority within a community designed around living there. And “most selective” does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants get in. That number exists separately, and you will see it later, so do not let this label be the only yardstick your family uses to evaluate the school.
Geographically, Furman is in Greenville, within Greenville County, in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area but outside the principal city. If your child were considering living at home and commuting to class, the only real way to know how long it would take is to drive that route on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. A map almost never tells the whole truth.
It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. The highest level it reports offering is a post-master’s certificate, and it is classified as an institution that awards degrees primarily at the bachelor’s level or above. That is a general institutional fact: it does not tell you whether your child’s specific major is offered there or whether it connects to a graduate program. That must be asked program by program.
And one clarification worth making now: Furman is not registered as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this census, 138 do have at least one of those three designations. Having none of them says nothing about which communities Furman serves today or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
A Small Community, With Few Latino Students
Furman had 2,505 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is medium-sized—between 1,000 and 4,999—and, compared with 941 similar selective private schools, falls right in the middle: neither among the largest nor among the smallest. Of that total, 2,327 were undergraduates and 178 were graduate students. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution.
Now the figure that matters most if you are a Latino family: 7 out of every 100 undergraduate students in the fall of 2023 were Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority, and it ranks below the midpoint of the 941 comparable schools that report this data. That does not remove Furman from your list, but it does change the question you should ask during a visit: what exists for Latino students—a student group, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish. Having few Latino students does not make a school bad, and having many does not make it good; it only tells you who is enrolled today. And remember: that 7 out of every 100 applies to the school as a whole. Your child’s specific major may look very different.
Another fact about the student body: there are more women than men, 57 out of every 100. And the percentage of students ages 25 to 64 rounds to zero—almost no one there is an adult who returned to school. If your child is looking for an environment with peers of the same age and educational path, this confirms it. IPEDS does not report where incoming students came from in this cycle, so that information simply is not available.
How Academics Work
Furman’s academic year is organized into semesters, two periods of about 15 weeks. The institution accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience, and it reported that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit. Accepting AP does not mean Furman awards credit for every exam: the data do not say what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your child’s major. Ask for the equivalency chart in writing before assuming there will be savings.
In the most recently reported year, Furman awarded 509 bachelor’s degrees across 21 program families (CIP). No family accounted for a large share: the largest, social sciences, represented only 14 out of every 100 degrees. Compared with 942 selective private schools, Furman is in the quarter with the most program families represented in its catalog. It offers a broad, distributed selection without a single dominant major. But keep this in mind: 21 families with a row in the report do not mean 21 active majors, nor do they guarantee that the exact program your child wants exists. Verify the specific program.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 9 to 1, one of the lowest among the 941 comparable schools—it is in the group’s lowest quarter. It is a striking number, but by itself it does not measure actual class size or how much attention your child will receive. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
Furman also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, and several pathways to teacher certification, including state approval of the program. It is worth asking how students access each one and whether it applies to the major that interests your child.
Getting Into Furman: What It Requires and What Actually Happens
This is where it helps to sit down and take your time, because there are several pieces and they do not all carry the same weight.
Furman does not have open admissions. Of the nine admissions considerations the government asks about—not counting standardized tests or legacy status—it marked four as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the required course plan, and the English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other components are not required but are considered if you submit them: class rank, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the school. Your child cannot change that last factor. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it—spend it on what is within your child’s control.
The published undergraduate application fee is $0.
Now for the numbers that truly show how difficult it is to get in. In the 2023 cycle, Furman received 8,406 first-time applications and offered admission to 4,419 applicants. That is 53 out of every 100—almost half. Compared with 942 selective private schools, it falls on the lower side: seven out of ten of those schools accepted a higher percentage. Admission is not a sure thing, but it is not a lottery either. The application is reviewed.
But here is the figure that surprises families most: out of every 100 admitted students, only 14 enrolled. Eighty-six do not appear as enrolled at Furman during that period—the data do not say whether they attended another school or why. Put another way, out of every 7 young people who receive an acceptance, about one ends up attending. Do not read that as a mark against the school; the federal record does not explain why each person made the decision they made. What matters for you is this: what others decided does not predict what your child will be offered. Wait for your child’s letter with the net price—that is the real number.
Furman does not require the SAT or ACT; it has a “test optional” policy. Of the students who enrolled, 28 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them, the middle half scored between 650 and 720 in reading and writing and between 610 and 705 in math. That range applies to students who had already enrolled and submitted scores—it is not an admissions minimum or a guarantee if your child reaches it.
Regarding transfers: among the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 16 out of every 100 transferred without completing at Furman and enrolled at another school. It is a common figure among the 542 comparable schools, slightly below the group’s midpoint. Changing schools is not failing. It is still a good idea for your child to know in advance how to request the documents needed to transfer, in case that becomes necessary.
The Sticker Price, and the One That Really Matters
At Furman University, among 28 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $16,190. Among 36 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $24,978; among 120 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $37,271. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $21,081 between the average for the lowest-income band (28 students) and the average for the highest-income band (120 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $32,901.
$16,190 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grants or scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent specifically to you is what matters.
Financial Aid: Almost Everyone Receives Something, but Few Receive Pell Grants
At Furman, 97 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received one, the average was $38,146 per year—an average that hides those who received much more and those who received much less.
But only 11 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the specific federal aid for low-income families. That means at least 86 out of every 100 received another type of aid—institutional, state, or from another source—without the report distinguishing which one. Receiving aid is not the same as receiving a Pell Grant, and this figure cannot tell you what your child would receive. When your letter arrives, ask directly who provides that grant or scholarship, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year.
Regarding loans: 28 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 year—more than two out of ten, but fewer than half. Among those who borrowed, each took out an average of $6,341 that year. Compared with 942 selective private schools, Furman falls on the lower side: seven out of ten of those schools had a higher proportion of students with loans.
This average covers only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit cards, and it is not the total debt with which someone graduates. That information is not in this report. Some students here go through the year without debt, while others borrow. This percentage does not determine which group your child will fall into; their own financial aid letter does. Wait for it before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
Furman also offers an installment tuition payment plan, if that helps your family manage its budget.
Campus Life: Housing, Food, Sports, and More
Furman has its own housing and does not require every student to live there—the institution reported that it does not impose that requirement universally, which does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may have one. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals per week varying according to the selected plan. The reported maximum capacity of institutional housing is 2,398 students. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed; ask in writing for the year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
ROTC is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army; the Navy and Air Force are not marked. Not confirmed does not mean impossible—it means you need to ask directly.
Furman competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. The report confirms membership for football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field, but it does not specify the division or scholarships by sport. If athletics are part of the plan, write directly to the coach and request a written response.
Regarding distance education: Furman offers online courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and it reports having at least one program in which all required courses can be completed remotely. But in the fall count, 0 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load remotely—all students took at least one in-person class. Confirm in writing whether a fully remote option exists for your child’s specific major.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeds the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that the specific databases needed for your child’s major are available—ask using the major’s name.
Furman also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a designated point of contact for veterans and military service members, and a disability services webpage.
Do Students Stay? Do They Graduate?
Here we reach one of the most reassuring figures in the report—and also one of the easiest to misinterpret.
Among the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 91 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled at Furman or had already graduated one year later. Compared with 930 selective private schools, Furman ranks among those that retain the largest share of their cohort. But be careful: this figure combines those who remain enrolled with those who have already graduated, without separating the two groups, and it does not say what happened to the remaining 9 out of every 100.
The graduation figure is strong: among the cohort that entered in 2017, 81 out of every 100 had a degree in hand six years later. After four years, the figure was already 74 out of every 100—only 7 points below the full-period figure. Compared with 920 selective private schools, Furman ranks in the top quarter.
It is worth looking at the full breakdown of that cohort of 697 students: 568 graduated here within the measured period; 109 transferred to another school without completing at Furman; 1 student remained enrolled without completing; and 19 fell into the federal “no longer enrolled” category, which does not explain why and may include people who graduated after the measured time limit.
A high percentage like this is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control is making sure your child begins with their credits in order and knows, from the first semester, who their advisor is and when registration opens for courses in their major.
The eight-year follow-up tells a similar story: among a cohort of 710 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, 82 out of every 100 had earned a Furman degree or certificate by August 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 79 out of every 100—just 3 points below the rest. Furman ranks in the top quarter compared with 935 comparable selective private schools. But again, this is an earlier cohort, not a prediction about your child. It is more useful to ask about the program’s current support and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What These Numbers Cannot Tell You
This report does not discuss salaries, employment after graduation, or debt at the time of graduation—that information requires other sources, and this article does not invent it.
What you have now is one complete piece: what kind of university Furman is, how many people get in and how many stay, what it really costs based on your family’s income, and what support exists on campus. It is a solid piece, built on official data rather than brochures.
It still needs to be combined with what your child wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. That combination—the university, the student, and the family—is what creates a real plan. This article could only give you the first piece in depth. The other two are yours to build.
If you are just beginning to make your child’s college list, ask what they want to study and how far away they imagine living. If Furman is already on the list, the next concrete step is simple: complete the FAFSA, wait for the financial aid letter, and compare the final number—not the sticker price, not the average for other families, but what the school offers your family in writing.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and United States Department of Education data from different cycles and reports between 2019 and 2023-24, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Furman University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.