Enrollment: 2801
Most Popular Majors: Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric,History, General,Political Science and Government, General,
Regular Application Deadline: 01/15
Student Faculty Ratio: 11:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 46
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $23,709.00

2009 Best Value Colleges – Private
Best College Library
Don't Inhale
Future Rotarians and Daughters of the American Revolution

Students Say - Academics
Furman University, "a small, private, liberal arts school with a gorgeous campus," has "a great reputation, especially in the Southeast." These are just some of the reasons students choose the school. Undergraduates also love the "great collegiate atmosphere," "generous scholarships, plenty of undergraduate research opportunities, and personal attention from professors," and the "sweet downtown scene" in hometown Greenville. In short, they come because they feel that "Furman offers a great overall experience." Students warn that "Furman is hard. There are no 'gimmes' here. You work for what you get and oftentimes the result shocks freshmen who grew accustomed to cruising in high school." As one student writes, "Furman places a great deal of emphasis on class discussion and active participation. This is often quite fun, but it usually is a pretty effective test of whether you read the deconstruction article last night or whether you truly have the Greek aorist passive down." Students' efforts to keep up are abetted by "small class sizes and a good faculty" that provides "the feeling that your professors not only know you as a person, but care about you. Even when classes are kicking your butt, Furman still provides a very enjoyable academic experience, and you're left thinking of the good over the bad."

Students Say - Campus Life
Furman University is a good fit for "students who have truly come to get an education but also find an abundance of other activities that they love." Even walking to class offers a pleasant diversion "because of how picturesque the campus is." For some, "life at Furman is definitely centered around Furman itself. Students call it "the bubble." Students are generally "very active in at least one activity on campus other than their academic responsibilities." Major events include homecoming, which is "one of the most fun weeks all year, with competitions and...gathering on the mall Friday night for float building, carnival rides, funnel cakes, and for many students, alcohol intake." Others leave campus fairly frequently to take advantage of downtown Greenville ("one of the coolest places") and the many "outdoor opportunities in the surrounding area." Students occasionally venture farther a-field: "We're only 2 hours from Atlanta, Charlotte, and Columbia, so we go to concerts there. We're right in the mountains, so we go hiking and camping, and sometimes we make the 4-hour drive to the beach." Just about everyone enjoys the frequent and popular Greek parties; although "only about one-third of the student body is involved in Greek organizations, at least two-thirds go to the parties and other Greek events." A large jock population drives an active athletic scene; music groups and religious organizations are also "very popular."

Students Say - Student Body
Furman kids are often viewed as being rich, White, and preppy (soror- adorable and frat-tastic are two common terms). "While the majority may fit into those categories," there are also "plenty that are outside that spectrum." True, the typical student may be "a southern (probably from Tennessee, Georgia, or South Carolina) Protestant Christian of a conservative denomination, athletic, snappily dressed, and hard-studying, but not possessing deep intellectual interest in more than a couple of subjects;" but the University is working hard to overcome its reputation as a "a school only for conservative, rich, white kids" by "opening up its doors to many different types of people. Last year, for example, the student body president was a Muslim of Pakistani descent." Most here "are religious to some degree," and many "can quote any and every line of the Bible, making those who are less religious feel a little out of place." Rich or not, religious or agnostic, southern or otherwise, "The one unifying factor here is the desire for Furman to retain a spirit of southern hospitality no matter the diversity of its student body."

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