Furman University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Greenville, South Carolina · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective · CDS 2023-2024
Furman University is a private nonprofit university in Greenville, South Carolina that admits about 53% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $29,997 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Communication and Media Studies, Political Science and Government and Business Administration, Management and Operations, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 81% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 6.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Furman University is a private institution located in Greenville, South Carolina with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Furman University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 53%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1364 and an ACT composite around 31. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $29,997 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Furman University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Furman University?
Furman University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Furman University weight in admissions?
Furman University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2023-2024). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Talent/ability
- • First generation status
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Furman University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–705, with an EBRW midpoint near 675. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–32. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1280 |
| 50th percentile | 1340 |
| 75th percentile | 1410 |
| % submitting SAT | 28.2% |
| 25th percentile | 29 |
| 50th percentile | 31 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 24.6% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 40.2% |
| Top 25% of class | 69.4% |
| Top 50% of class | 92% |
| % submitting class rank | 54.3% |
How much does Furman University actually cost?
Published tuition is $58,312 for in-state students and $58,312 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $15,868 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $29,997 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 11% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $59,360 |
| Room and board | $16,504 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $29,997 |
| Application fee | — |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Furman University
| Regular deadline | 2024-01-15 |
| Notification date | 2024-03-01 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 2024-11-15 |
| ED acceptance rate | 28% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 2024-12-01 |
| EA acceptance rate | 69% |
Will my child graduate from Furman University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Furman University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Furman University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Communication and Media Studies, Political Science and Government and Business Administration, Management and Operations. Across all programs, Furman University confers roughly 398 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Communication and Media Studies program report a median income of about $64,162 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Communication and Media Studies | 66 | $64,162 |
| Political Science and Government | 62 | $69,977 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 60 | $76,391 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 58 | — |
| Biology, General | 51 | $80,090 |
| Psychology, General | 43 | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 30 | — |
| Music | 28 | — |
Is Furman University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Furman University disclosed 16 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 6.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 11 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Furman University?
About 89% of undergraduates at Furman University live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 23% of men join a fraternity and 41% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in South Carolina parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Furman University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Furman University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Furman University
What GPA do I need for Furman University?
Furman University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Furman University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–705, with an EBRW midpoint near 675. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–32.
How much does Furman University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Furman University after grants and scholarships is $29,997 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Furman University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Furman University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Furman University?
Furman University accepts about 53% of applicants out of roughly 8,406 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Furman University test-optional?
Yes. Furman University is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at Furman University?
About 81% of students at Furman University graduate within six years. 91% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Furman University?
Furman University's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 28%, compared with its overall rate of 53%. The ED rate is not materially higher here, so weigh the binding commitment carefully.
What does Furman University look for in applicants?
Furman University rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Furman University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Furman University is a private nonprofit institution located in Greenville, South Carolina.
What are the most popular majors at Furman University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Furman University by annual graduates are Communication and Media Studies, Political Science and Government and Business Administration, Management and Operations. The school awards about 398 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Furman University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Furman University reported 16 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 6.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Furman University?
At Furman University, 89% of undergraduates live on campus, 23% of men are in fraternities, 41% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2023-2024 Common Data Set submitted by Furman University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.