What a friend would tell you
What Furman is looking for
Furman rewards applicants who show interest in engaged learning, meaning research, internships, or study away as part of their plan. Mentioning Furman's signature Pathways program or a specific faculty member signals serious intent. ED applicants get a meaningful advantage at a school that tracks demonstrated interest carefully.
What students wish they'd known
At 2,700 students, the social scene is small and can feel repetitive by sophomore year. Greenville is growing but still a mid-size Southern city with limited nightlife for college students. Greek life at 26% shapes the weekend social calendar more than the number suggests. The Baptist heritage is mostly vestigial, but the culture runs moderate to conservative, which can surprise students from progressive backgrounds.
Furman might be a fit if...
- You want a Southern LAC where undergraduate research and internships are built into the curriculum, not extras
- You are drawn to Greenville's growing food, arts, and outdoor scene as an extension of campus
- You want generous merit aid at a school where professors will know your name by October
Furman Admissions Strategy
1.3x (est.)
Early Decision Advantage
Early Decision admits at 1.3x the RD rate. The trade: ED is binding. Apply only if you'd say yes on the spot.
Early Decision: the numbers
Furman's Early Decision acceptance rate is 55.9% (est.) vs 42.0% RD. ED is binding. If you are admitted, you are committing to enroll. This signals strong commitment and gives a meaningful admissions advantage.
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD January 15
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD January 15
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Recommended; evaluative
Yield Rate
35%
Only 35% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Furman, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Furman
$62,000
Sticker Price
$28,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-blind admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 79% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Furman spends about $18,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, well above the $15K national average.
What Furman Graduates Get
$49,000
Avg Starting Salary
89%
Employed or in Grad School
73%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (79%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Furman Campus & Culture
The Campus
Furman's 750-acre campus is anchored by a 30-acre lake and a signature bell tower rising from a manicured waterfront lawn. Red brick Georgian buildings line the north shore, while the Asian garden and rose garden soften the southern edge. The surrounding Greenville foothills provide a backdrop of rolling green ridges visible from most of campus.
The Social Scene
Close-knit; active student life; Greenville cultural scene; residential, collaborative
Furman Traditions & Trivia
Bell Tower Kiss
Kiss someone under the Bell Tower and campus lore says you two will end up married, so couples have been testing their luck there for decades.
Senior Fountain Swim
On the last day of classes, seniors wade into the campus fountains with pool floats to celebrate the end of four years, a chaotic and beloved send-off.
Academics at Furman
What Furman is known for
Hidden gem in Greenville; strong faculty engagement; beautiful campus; generous merit aid
Most popular majors at Furman
Standout programs
Business, Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, English
How the curriculum works
Liberal arts core with strong sciences and business; Furman Advantage (internship/research program)
Recommended high school courses
AP/IB in English, math, sciences, history
Notable Furman Alumni
Charles Townes
Nobel Prize in Physics for co-inventing the laser, Furman class of 1935
Keith Lockhart
Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra
Max Heller
Former Greenville mayor who transformed the city's downtown, Holocaust survivor and Furman supporter
Beth Daniel
LPGA Hall of Famer, Furman golf standout
Richard Riley
Former US Secretary of Education and South Carolina Governor
If you like Furman, also consider
Rhodes College
Comparable Southern LAC with urban Memphis location and gothic campus
Davidson College
Higher selectivity Southern LAC with similar faculty engagement
Sewanee
The University of the South: Mountaintop LAC with deeper tradition and more isolation
Elon University
Similar experiential learning model, larger, North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Bigger Southern private with more resources and name recognition