I have searched old threads on this topic & found a little info, but am wondering about any recent updates. My daughter loved her Furman visit, however, it is summer and there are no students on campus so it is a little hard to get a vibe on that. It seems from previous threads & other reviews elsewhere that the student body leans conservative. This would be fine, however, as it is a small school, if the majority of students are super conservative she doesn’t want to feel like a fish out of water. She is not super left wing liberal, but skews moderate to left leaning. Coming from a super conservative experience at her high school, she just wants out of that bubble and to meet others who might think differently. Again, it’s not a problem to have super conservative thinkers around, just wondering if in a smaller environment it would be harder to find like minded people. I know schools can change over time, so wondering what current or more recent students might say.
The student body at Furman is about 80% White. When I visited with my daughter a couple of years ago, I got more of a vibe about the students being upper-middle class; which may or may not correspond to a politically conservative student body.
I’m hard pressed to know what “conservative” even means these days. I’d keep visiting other colleges to give her a broader frame of reference.
Fair point.
@Bill_Marsh makes a good point: what does Conservative mean to you?
Fwiw, every Furman student that I know / have known in the last 7 years is white, wealthy, Christian, kind and tries very hard to be a good person: going to church, giving to charity, doing mission trips, etc. They are smart, self-motivated and intern for people like (now retired) Sen. Jim DeMint (real example).
I grew up near Furman. It definitely leans conservative. Greenville is becoming less conservative these days but I still think you will find the majority will lean right of center.
Here is what Niche says (take as just one datapoint):
How students self-identify-33% Republican, 33% Democrat, 7% Independent
How students characterize political beliefs on campus:
14% Very conservative
35% Conservative
19% Moderate
17% Liberal
8% Progressive
https://www.niche.com/colleges/furman-university/students/
Here’s a recent analysis by The Paladin (student newspaper) on campus socioeconomic breakdown: Kappa Alpha Suspended; 53 Students in Quarantine - The Paladin
I would also take a look at the student newspaper for more info on political climate. This article says 63% of 260 surveyed students were planning to vote for Biden, 27% for Trump in Nov 2020. A Closer Look at Socioeconomic Diversity at Furman - The Paladin
Thanks! I had seen the Niche one, but it was based on only 15 responses so I didn’t put much stock in it. Thank you for the other two articles!