Furman University

Admissions at Furman University have grown increasingly selective, even as its standing on national lists has slipped slightly. In the 2027 U.S. News National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, the university stood at 57th, dropping after placing in the mid-forties between 2023 and 2026. For the class entering in 2025, Furman admitted 42.9% of applicants, an admit rate higher than 33% of 30 peer private liberal arts colleges. That same year, the school recorded a yield rate of 13.1%, which was higher than 17% of peer institutions. Because only about an eighth of admitted candidates ultimately enrolled, the university experiences considerable competition from other colleges in attracting accepted students. For prospective applicants, these figures mean that gaining admission is selective, with most applicants being denied, but the school's modest draw gives waitlisted or borderline candidates a relevant context when planning their applications.

Furman University follows an admissions policy where standardized test scores are optional, though considered if submitted. For the 2025 entering class, enrolled students who provided results achieved a median SAT score of 1340. Within its peer group of similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges, Furman's median SAT score is higher than 39% of peer schools. Standardized testing is not submitted by all applicants, as 27% submitted SAT scores in 2025. High school classroom performance plays an essential role in admissions decisions: in the 2020-2021 cohort, 17.15% of entering students earned a 4.0 GPA, while most of the class recorded strong grades across college-preparatory subjects. For prospective applicants, gaining admission requires a competitive secondary school transcript, alongside test scores near or above the peer benchmark for those who choose to report them.

Undergraduate degree completions at Furman University are broadly distributed across the liberal arts and sciences, with the top three majors accounting for 28.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2025. The single largest discipline was Business Administration and Management, General, which produced 75 graduates and enrolled the highest proportion of foreign degree recipients with a 10.7% international share. However, the largest disciplines do not coincide with the school's top-ranked department. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, undergraduate Psychology was the sole ranked program, placing 83rd nationally. For career outcomes, 2023 earnings data show that graduates in Business Administration, Management and Operations secured a median salary of $68,621 one year after completing their studies, outperforming all other fields. While Furman maintains strong programs across biology, kinesiology, and government, business stands out as both the largest program and the strongest provider of early-career compensation.

Furman University has a predominantly domestic, majority-white student body with relatively modest international and Asian representation across its undergraduate cohorts. In the 2025 incoming undergraduate class, the college enrolled 56 international students, who constituted 9.2% of new freshmen. Asian enrollment is similarly limited, with 19 students making up 3.1% of the first-year cohort. Among continuing undergraduates, international and Asian students likewise account for small single-digit shares of the population, while white students represent the clear majority and women outnumber men across both undergraduate and graduate levels. For prospective international and Asian applicants, these figures mean they will be studying within comparatively small cultural peer groups rather than large, diverse communities. Families evaluating the university should weigh whether an applicant thrives in a campus setting where students of international or Asian heritage comprise a distinct minority, and consider how this demographic profile aligns with their personal preferences for daily student life.

The student body at Furman University is heavily concentrated in traditional college age brackets. In 2025, undergraduate enrollment was dominated by young adults, with students aged 20 to 21 comprising the largest group at 49.3%, followed by those aged 18 to 19 at 32.9%. Undergraduates aged 22 to 24 formed a smaller cohort, meaning the undergraduate population consists almost entirely of individuals between 18 and 24. The graduate population is slightly older, with students aged 22 to 24 making up the largest share at 41.2%, alongside smaller segments of students in their late twenties and beyond. This demographic structure reflects an undergraduate campus environment centered around traditional-age college students.

International student enrollment at Furman University remains small and is concentrated almost entirely at the undergraduate level. In 2025, undergraduate international students accounted for 6% of undergraduates, a proportion higher than 40% of 30 peer private liberal arts colleges. In contrast, international representation at the graduate level was just 0.6%, with only one international student enrolled in 2025. Among 2025 degree recipients, international students represented 4.3% of bachelor's degree completions and 1.5% of master's degree completions. Across academic programs, undergraduate international graduates concentrated most heavily in Business Administration and Management, General, where they made up 10.7% of graduates, while science and social science majors saw minor shares. At the master's level, international representation was limited to Design and Visual Communications, General. For international applicants, these patterns indicate a small peer cohort that clusters primarily within undergraduate business courses.

Families considering Furman University can explore several notable institutions within the surrounding region that offer different campus settings. Located just 28.1 kilometers away, Clemson University is a large public institution ranked 80th among National Universities in the 2027 rankings. For applicants prioritizing a private liberal arts setting, Wofford College is situated 28.8 kilometers from Furman and held the 68th spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges in 2027. Further into North Carolina, Davidson College sits 98.5 kilometers away and ranked 16th among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Additionally, University of Georgia, positioned 85.5 kilometers from campus, ranked 52nd among National Universities in 2027. These options give students a balanced selection of prominent research universities and small liberal arts colleges within a 100-kilometer radius of Furman.

Campus safety reports at Furman University show a downward trend in recorded violations, with disciplinary enforcement accounting for most incidents. In 2025, the university recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 19.7. From 2023 to 2025, internal substance violations formed the largest categories of reported incidents, totaling 370 liquor law disciplinary referrals and 65 drug law disciplinary referrals. Over the same three-year period, reported criminal offenses occurred far less frequently, led by 24 motor vehicle thefts, alongside smaller numbers of rapes, stalking incidents, and sexual harassment reports. These records suggest that safety concerns on campus are primarily tied to institutional policy violations rather than violent crime, though prospective students and families should remain mindful of substance-related disciplinary oversight.