Furman University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Furman University is a private college in South Carolina that admits roughly 43% of applicants, which puts it in the selective range. A rate like this means it admits a minority of applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Furman University weighs, where it ranks among South Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1360, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Furman University?
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, Furman University admitted 73.3% of Early Decision applicants (96 of 131), against about 48.3% of everyone else. Its overall rate that year was 48.7%.
Source: Furman University Common Data Set 2025-26, IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 30, 2026.
What do students study at Furman University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Furman University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Furman University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Furman University?
At Furman University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 43% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Furman University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Furman University hard to get into?
Furman University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 43% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Furman University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Furman University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Furman University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Furman University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Furman University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Furman University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1350 SAT?
About 66% (Likely), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1350 SAT, the middle of Furman University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1430 SAT comes out near 83%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/furman-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Furman University
From Furman University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Furman University?
73.3%. Furman University admitted 96 of 131 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 48.7% of all 9,312 first-year applicants (Furman University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Furman University?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 73.3% versus about 48.3% for everyone who applied another way, 1.5x the rate, and Early Decision filled 2.1% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Furman University is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
How many students get off the waitlist at Furman University?
9 for fall 2025. Furman University offered 524 applicants a waitlist spot, 76 accepted one, and 9 were admitted from it: 11.8% of those who stayed on (Furman University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Furman University?
25.8%: 60 of 233 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Furman University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Furman University Common Data Set 2025-26. Read from the document twice independently; only matching figures are shown. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Furman University
Built from Furman University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Furman University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Furman University carries about a 3.53 core GPA and a 1380 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1260 to 1430 SAT (28 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1345 or higher; below 1260, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Furman University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and extracurricular activities highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: one or two activities with leadership or recognition rather than a long list, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Furman University's exact dates at www.furman.edu.
How many students apply to Furman University, and how many get in?
8,406 students applied to Furman University for fall 2023; 4,419 were admitted (52.6%). 620 enrolled. Only about 14% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Furman University enrolls about 2,379 undergraduates in total, 58% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Furman University?
Admitted students at Furman University post SAT scores of 1260 to 1430 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1371. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 28 to 32. A score above 1430 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1260 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Furman University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Furman University looks for
What Furman University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Furman University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and extracurricular activities above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Furman University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Furman University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Furman University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Furman University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $76,798 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $59,770. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $30,308 a year, and it ranges from $16,401 for families earning under $30,000 to $39,310 for families earning over $110,000. 13% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Furman University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Furman University students ten years after entry are $68,635 ($50,796 at the six-year mark). 79% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 91% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $23,250; 28% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Furman University compares in South Carolina
Furman University ranks #2 most selective of 32 schools in South Carolina in our database.
Among the 32 South Carolina schools we track, Furman University ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Clemson University (38%) and Morris College (50%) sit nearby, which makes South Carolina a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Furman University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Furman University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Millsaps College, Warner University, and Mount Marty University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Furman University's acceptance rate?
Furman University admitted 4,419 of 8,406 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 52.6% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 14% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Furman University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1260 to 1430 on the SAT and 28 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1430 is in the top quarter of admits. Furman University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Furman University test-optional?
Yes. Furman University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Furman University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Furman University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $30,308 a year against a sticker price of about $76,798. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $16,401 on average.
What do Furman University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Furman University are $68,635 a year among students who received federal aid, and 79% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Furman University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Furman University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and extracurricular activities most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Furman University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Furman University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Furman University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Furman University specifically.
Is Furman University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Furman University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.