Biology at Furman University

Furman's biology program comes with a significant caveat: the sample size is too small to draw firm conclusions. But based on available data, the first-year earnings of $28,801 trail both the state median ($30,286) and national median ($32,316) by meaningful margins. For a selective school where the average SAT is 1364, these outcomes rank in just the 40th percentile among South Carolina biology programs—below even several regional public universities like USC Aiken and Lander.

The debt picture offers some relief: $21,645 is more manageable than both state and national medians, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. However, that advantage matters less when peer institutions are producing graduates who earn $3,000-$10,000 more annually right out of the gate. Southern Wesleyan, for instance, reports first-year earnings of $39,464—nearly $11,000 higher than Furman's graduates.

Given the small sample, these numbers might not reflect typical outcomes. Still, parents should investigate why Furman's biology graduates aren't showing the earnings premium you'd expect from a selective private institution. Before committing to this program, ask the university for more detailed career outcomes data and understand whether graduates are pursuing graduate degrees (which would temporarily suppress earnings) or entering different career paths than expected.