Furman's Annual Tuition Has Increased More Than %10,000 Since 1960
How has Furman's tuition changed since 1960?
Welcome to the Data Din. A sharp, visual snapshot of key data about Furman University
This week, we are looking forward to seeing many of you at Furman’s homecoming celebration this Saturday. As a reminder, the Furman Free Speech Alliance will have a tent on Furman’s rugby field and be serving Henry’s BBQ to our fellow Paladins. All are welcome!
As we all head back to our old alma mater, we thought it would be fun to consider how Furman’s cost of annual tuition has changed over time. So, we dug through the old archives and university bulletins to find out.
Here are the resutlts!
Furman’s tuition cost $550 per year in 1960. It was $1,256 in 1970. In 1980, it ran you $3,008. By 1990, it reached $9,024. It had increased to $17,888 by 2000. In 2010 it came out to $36,296. And by 2020 it hit $51,712. Today, it is $61,034.
This is a dramtic increase, even when compared to the average cost of other private colleges’ tuition and fees.
It is also a much more drastic percentage increase in price than almost any other service or product over that same time period. Consider:
A Big Mac cost 45 cents in 1960. Now, it costs $5.79. That’s a %1,187 increase.
A gallon of gas cost .31 cents in 1960. Now, it costs $3.30. That’s a %965 increase.
A gallon of milk cost $1.00 in 1960. Now, it costs $4.17. That’s a %317 increase.
But Furman tops them all. It has increased in price %10,997 since 1960.
What year(s) did you go to Furman and how much did tuition cost? Let us know in the comments!
Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday. Go Dins!
 | A guest post by
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Good post, no doubt higher ed inflation is a serious national issue. However, I would question whether all private schools is the proper peer group for comparison.
When looking at what I perceive to be Furman's direct competition and/or peers, i.e. Southern SLACs, the tuition spreads aren't that dramatic:
W&L - $68,045
Richmond - $67,840
Davidson - $64,160
Furman - $61,034
Rhodes - $58,272
Sewanee - $57,916
Wofford - $56,005
Centre - $54,890
This isn't taking into account the average net price, as all of these schools discount to some extent.
Consultants have been telling schools to raise their tuition, see https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/business/college-tuition-price-consultants.html
Schools are advised to set high tuition prices, creating the perception and appearance of value and to then make prospects feel special by offering them a significant discount in the form of an "academic scholarship"...that playbook is working for some schools better than others.
When looking nationally, a 40-college sample of Furman’s top ranked peers shows 36 of those peers with higher tuition than Furman. Creighton Lynes’ comments explain a lot about how private college tuition works in the marketplace.