Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Furman University

Furman charges more than you'd expect for teacher education outcomes that, based on comparable South Carolina programs, land squarely at the state median. While the estimated $23,136 debt is actually lower than the typical $27,000 for teacher prep programs statewide, it's paired with projected first-year earnings around $40,400—putting graduates about $3,000 behind the national median for this field. For a selective university with a 1364 average SAT, those numbers suggest something important: even strong academic environments can't materially boost starting teacher salaries, which are largely determined by state pay scales rather than institutional prestige.

The 0.57 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable by education standards, but consider what this means practically. Similar programs across South Carolina—including public options like Clemson and USC Columbia—produce nearly identical outcomes at potentially lower total costs. The only program in the state showing meaningfully higher returns is North Greenville at $43,644, though that's still modest in absolute terms. Your child will likely start around $40,000 regardless of where they study education in South Carolina.

If teaching is the goal and Furman offers other compelling advantages—small classes, mentorship, campus culture—those factors matter since salary outcomes appear fairly uniform. But from a pure return-on-investment standpoint, this expensive private option doesn't buy higher earning power in a field where state certification, not institutional reputation, determines your paycheck.