Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Furman University #1119 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,464 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Furman University in the 7.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Furman University #734 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Furman University's Azimuth ranking reflects strong outcomes across multiple dimensions, with particular strength in return on investment. The institution's earnings performance combines with its social sciences focus to deliver meaningful financial outcomes for graduates.
Azimuth ranks Furman University #1119 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private baccalaureate college in Greenville, South Carolina, Furman University enrolls roughly 2,379 undergraduates. Retention is 90.6% and the six-year graduation rate is 78.8%, reflecting strong student persistence through degree completion. Where Furman University performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Furman University #734 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $64,492, and Furman University sits in the 7.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. This performance reflects both the institution's focus on Social Sciences and its ability to move graduates into careers with durable earning trajectories. Access and affordability shape the remaining pillars of the composite. Furman University enrolls 13.2% Pell-eligible students and 12.4% first-generation undergraduates, positioning the institution in the 33.2 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 11.2 percentile, reflecting the pricing structure typical of selective private baccalaureate institutions. Mobility outcomes place the institution in the 48.2 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, indicating that low-income and first-generation graduates achieve measurable economic progress relative to peers at comparable institutions.
Published cost of attendance is $76,798. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $16,401, middle-income families pay around $21,041, higher-income families pay approximately $39,310. Azimuth ranks Furman University #1266 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 11.2 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,250; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $54,750. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $64,492, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $263 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Furman University is a fit for students who want a private nonprofit four-year option in SC and are weighing outcomes against cost. Azimuth ranks Furman University #1118 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $64,492, placing Furman University in the 64.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,464 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 7.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Published cost of attendance is $76,798. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $16,401, middle-income families pay around $21,041, higher-income families pay approximately $39,310. Students should weigh those current cost and earnings figures against the school's program mix before treating the fit as primarily an earnings, affordability, or access story.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
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This is the Furman University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Biology, General
51 graduates
American Government and Politics (United States)
62 graduates
Business Administration and Management, General
60 graduates
Communication and Media Studies, Other
66 graduates
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
7 graduates
Furman University's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences — a signature that reflects the institution's liberal arts identity and regional positioning. Communication and Media Studies is the largest program with 66 graduates, followed by Political Science, Business Administration, Kinesiology, and Biology, General.
The program portfolio spans 35 distinct majors, with 0 meeting Azimuth's ranking threshold across roughly 774 undergraduates annually. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in applied and quantitative fields.
Political Science leads with median earnings of $74,476 four years after enrollment, followed by Business Administration at $73,099, Communication and Media Studies at $64,014, Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services at $60,280, and Psychology, General at $57,264. Communication and Media Studies, the largest program by enrollment, generates median earnings of $64,014, demonstrating that scale and earnings strength align at Furman University.
The concentration of Social Sciences at 13%, combined with Business at 10% and Arts at 7%, shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and labor-market positioning. Many of Furman University's highest-earning programs are direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect immediate labor-market outcomes.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these dominant program families align with regional and national wage trends. As a private liberal arts institution in the Southeast, Furman University positions its program mix to serve both students seeking traditional academic pathways and those targeting applied professional fields with strong early-career financial returns.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Published cost of attendance is $76,798. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $16,401, middle-income families pay around $21,041, higher-income families pay approximately $39,310.
Azimuth ranks Furman University #1266 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 11.2 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,250; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $54,750.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $64,492, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $263 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Graduates of Furman University earn median 4-year earnings of $64,492, placing Furman University in the 64.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,464 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Furman University in the 7.8 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Furman University #734 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect both the quality of Furman's academic programs and the institution's ability to position graduates into careers with sustained earning potential.
The earnings pattern centers on Social Sciences, which anchors the institution's economic signature. Communication and Media Studies is the largest program with 66 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $64,014 — 1.1× the national benchmark for the field.
The Political Science program graduates 62 students with median 4-year earnings of $74,476, while Business Administration and Kinesiology round out the top programs by scale. Biology, General represents another significant enrollment cluster, contributing to the breadth of Furman's degree portfolio.
The concentration in Social Sciences — combined with strong outcomes across these major programs — helps explain why Furman graduates consistently achieve earnings that exceed expectations relative to similar students at comparable institutions.
Explore alternatives with comparable outcomes based on location, selectivity, and value:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Presbyterian College Higher acceptance rate (19.8 percentage points higher) and located 45 miles away; similar graduate earnings | SC | 72% | $60,194 | Compare |
Washington College Higher acceptance rate (13 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | MD | 66% | $65,518 | Compare |
University Of Utah Higher acceptance rate (34.6 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | UT | 87% | $67,170 | Compare |
Davidson College Same region (98 miles away) (earnings difference: 18.6%) and similar program focus; same institution type | NC | 14% | $81,400 | Compare |
Wofford College Same state (29 miles away) with nearly identical earnings; same institution type | SC | 59% | $68,964 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Assumption University Similar quality tier (#30567 ranked) | MA | 83% | $74,895 | #30567 | Compare |
Dallas Baptist University Similar quality tier (#30574 ranked) | TX | 89% | $56,807 | #30574 | Compare |
William Woods University Similar quality tier (#30575 ranked) | MO | 71% | $42,401 | #30575 | Compare |
Northwest Nazarene University Similar quality tier (#30565 ranked) | ID | 65% | $51,719 | #30565 | Compare |
Morehouse College Similar quality tier in Southeast (#30564 ranked) | GA | 44% | $52,889 | #30564 | Compare |
