Economics at Furman University

Furman's economics program produces graduates earning $55,615 their first year out—about $7,500 more than the typical South Carolina economics graduate and roughly $4,000 above the national median. That's a meaningful premium for a liberal arts college, putting graduates ahead of even flagship schools like USC-Columbia and Clemson. The debt load of $24,125 sits just above state and national averages, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 that suggests graduates can manage repayment without financial strain.

The caveat here is the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset. At a selective liberal arts college with relatively few economics majors, a couple of outliers heading to consulting or finance could skew the numbers upward. Still, the consistency across metrics (performing at the 60th percentile statewide and 63rd nationally) suggests the advantage is real, not statistical noise. With only 11% of students receiving Pell grants, most families here can likely absorb the debt without hardship.

For parents paying Furman's premium tuition, these outcomes justify the investment better than many liberal arts programs do. Your child would graduate earning more than peers at larger state universities while carrying manageable debt—a solid foundation for graduate school or early career advancement.