Furman University
Furman University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Furman University Featured Rankings
About Furman University
According to Wikipedia, Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became a secular university in 1992, while keeping Christo et Doctrinae as its motto. As of Fall 2021, it enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduate students and 150 graduate students on its campus.
Furman University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,406 | 43% | 91% | 74% | 1345 | 30 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Furman University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $61,444 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $17,649 |
| 30K - 48K | $16,013 |
| 48K - 75K | $25,245 |
| 75K - 110K | $26,292 |
| 110K+ | $42,171 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Furman University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Furman University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $70,201 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Furman University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2,558 | 2,334 | 224 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Furman University?
Furman University is located at 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC 29613-6162.
How Safe is Furman University?
Relative to its enrollment, Furman University has a violent crime rate of 0.23% and a property crime rate of 0.20%. Greenville has a violent crime rate of 0.65% and a property crime rate of 3.48%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Furman University Known For?
Furman University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Literature
- History
- Education
- Business
- Biology
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Medical
- Sociology
- Communications
- Earth Sciences
- Philosophy
- Economics
- Anthropology
Furman University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Furman University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Furman University ranks #224 in the U.S. and #957 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesFurman University ranks #233 in the U.S. and #930 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesFurman University ranks #273 in the U.S. and #799 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesFurman University ranks #278 in the U.S. and #782 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesFurman University ranks #323 in the U.S. and #1357 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesFurman University ranks #341 in the U.S. and #1182 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesFurman University ranks #351 in the U.S. and #1423 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesFurman University ranks #362 in the U.S. and #904 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesFurman University ranks #362 in the U.S. and #1567 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesFurman University ranks #374 in the U.S. and #1935 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesFurman University ranks #441 in the U.S. and #1799 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesFurman University ranks #445 in the U.S. and #1863 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesFurman University ranks #512 in the U.S. and #1914 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesFurman University ranks #514 in the U.S. and #1768 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesFurman University ranks #550 in the U.S. and #2018 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesFurman University ranks #555 in the U.S. and #2266 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesFurman University ranks #683 in the U.S. and #2287 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesFurman University ranks #688 in the U.S. and #4107 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesFurman University ranks #1432 in the U.S. and #4186 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWho Are Furman University's Most Influential Alumni?
Furman University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, History, and Literature. Here are some of Furman University's most famous alumni:
- John B. Watson
- An American psychologist .
- Charles H. Townes
- A 20th-century American physicist.
- Brad Cox
- An American computer scientist.
- Judy Clarke
- An American lawyer.
- Amy Grant
- An American singer-songwriter, musician .
- Maurice Bloomfield
- An American classical philologist.
- Clint Dempsey
- An American soccer player.
- Kathryn Paige Harden
- An American psychologist and behavior geneticist.
- Phyllis Tickle
- An American writer.
- Sam Wyche
- An American football player and coach .
- Xavier Woods
- An American professional wrestler.
- Tomiko Brown-Nagin
- An American legal academic.
