Furman listed in 200 Colleges “That Pay You Back”

Last updated January 13, 2018

By Tina Underwood

Furman University is among the colleges and universities featured in the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review’s Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck.

In ranking the 200 schools, The Princeton Review established seven categories, one of which was “Best Schools for Making an Impact,” where Furman placed No. 4 among the nation’s 25 best.

Furman climbed 20 places from its No. 24 rank in last year’s edition. Inclusion in the “Best Schools for Making an Impact” is based on student responses to questions about community service, student government, sustainability and student engagement on campus. The Princeton Review also analyzed PayScale.com’s percentage of alumni from each school that reported having high job meaning.

“Only seven percent of the nation’s four-year colleges made it into this book,” said Robert Franek, lead author and The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “These schools were bona fide standouts for the return they deliver on one’s college investment. They offer stellar academics, generous aid awards to students with need and/or merit, and provide their undergrads with career services from day one plus a lifetime of alumni connections.”

Furman is widely recognized for its excellent academic program and commitment to community service, student engagement and sustainability. The university recently unveiled The Furman Advantage, a strategic plan that combines learning with immersive experiences outside the classroom, creating a personalized pathway that prepares students for lives of purpose, successful careers and community benefit.

The Princeton Review chose the 200 schools for the 2018 edition based on a comprehensive analysis of data from its surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges in 2016-17. Survey topics broadly covered academics, cost, financial aid, career services, graduation rates, student debt, and alumni support.

The company also factored in data from PayScale.com surveys of alumni of the schools about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction. In all, more than 40 data points were weighted to select the 200 schools for the book and tally its seven ranking lists.

Furman was also included in the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review’s college guide, The Best 382 Colleges. The guide listed the top 20 schools in 62 different categories, and Furman was ranked in the following areas: