Study in Greenville, The United States

About Greenville

Greenville is a city in the northwest of South Carolina, a state in the southeastern United States, near the Blue Ridge Mountains. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates its population at 74,371 (1 July 2024), up from 71,110 in 2020.

Students come to Greenville for a small private university with a residential campus, for a technical college that leads to work or to university transfer, and for English courses. Families also look at the county's public middle and high schools, several of which run magnet or International Baccalaureate programmes.

Studying in Greenville

Our directory lists 12 schools in Greenville: one university, one college, one language school and nine public middle and high schools.

Furman University was founded in 1826 and is the oldest private university in South Carolina. Its campus arrived in downtown Greenville in 1851 and later moved to the current 940-acre site at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Furman has 2,482 students from 57 countries, over 75 areas of study in 27 academic departments, a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 and an average class size of 14. Students live on campus for all four years.

Greenville Technical College is a multi-campus college covering Greenville County; its main Barton Campus is near downtown, at 506 South Pleasantburg Drive. It offers more than 100 programmes that lead to the job market in two years or less or on to a four-year college. Colleges of this kind typically provide the first two years of a four-year undergraduate degree, according to EducationUSA.

For English, the Agape English Language Institute (AELI) has offered classes in Greenville since June 1998 and has been authorised to issue I-20 forms for its Greenville programme since August 2004. Its office is at 3D Cleveland Court. Courses run in 9-week sessions, full-time or part-time, at six levels from beginner to proficient. A homestay with an American family can be requested, but places are very limited.

School-age students will find nine Greenville County Schools institutions in our list. They include the middle schools League Academy, Hughes Academy and Beck Academy, and high schools such as Southside High School, Wade Hampton High School and Greenville High Academy. The district has its offices in the city, runs magnet academies and International Baccalaureate programmes (Southside High School has an IB programme) and publishes its own guidelines for foreign exchange students.

Teaching is in English. The US academic year usually runs from August to May.

Student visa

University students and students on English courses at a language institute normally need an F student visa. After admission, the school's international student office issues a Form I-20 to present when applying for the visa. Exchange programmes, including high school exchanges, use the J visa and a Form DS-2019. With the international student office's permission, international students may work on campus for up to 20 hours a week in their first year.

Cost of living for students

Furman publishes a full cost breakdown. For the 2026-27 academic year, tuition is $62,878, housing (weighted average) $10,440 and the unlimited meal plan $7,548. Direct costs total $81,276, and the total estimated annual cost, with books, transport and personal expenses, is $84,926.

Greenville Technical College states that students save thousands of dollars a year compared with four-year public colleges. At AELI, a 9-week session in 2026 costs $2,600 for all three classes (21 hours a week), $1,950 for two classes and $1,150 for one. All prices change yearly, so check them before you apply.

Getting around and daily life

The city's public transport is Greenlink, which runs bus and trolley services. Greenville Technical College's campuses are spread across the county, so check which campus your programme uses. At Furman, daily life centres on the residential campus, which has a lake and miles of wooded trails.

Summers are hot and winters mild. NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Greenville's downtown airport give an average temperature of 44.1 °F (about 7 °C) in January and 81.3 °F (about 27 °C) in July.

Frequently asked questions

Which universities and colleges are in Greenville, South Carolina?

Our directory lists Furman University, a private university founded in 1826, and Greenville Technical College, a multi-campus technical college.

Can I learn English in Greenville?

Yes. The Agape English Language Institute teaches English in 9-week sessions at six levels and can issue the I-20 form needed for a student visa.

How much does it cost to study at Furman University?

Furman estimates the total annual cost for 2026-27 at $84,926, of which $62,878 is tuition.

Can a foreign exchange student attend a public high school in Greenville?

Greenville County Schools publishes its own guidelines for foreign exchange students, so contact the district before making plans. High school exchanges use the J visa.