Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in University Park, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South—now part of the United Methodist Church—in partnership with Dallas civic leaders. It is currently non-sectarian in its teaching and enrolls students of all religious affiliations. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
At a glance
- Acceptance rate: 63%
- Average net price: $40,892
- Undergraduate enrollment: 7,491
- Graduation rate (150%): 84%
- Graduation rate (200%): 83%
- 8-year Outcome Measures award rate: 82%
- Student to faculty ratio: 11:1
- Median earnings (10 years): $78,354
- Median earnings (8 years): $77,799
- Median earnings (6 years): $65,556
- Control: Private nonprofit
- Locale: Suburb, large
- Calendar: Semester
- City: Dallas, TX
Majors and programs
The most common programs at SMU include Finance, Economics, Sport and Fitness Administration.
- Finance (280 bachelor's) · median earnings $133,852 4 years after graduation · median debt $19,439
- Economics (172 bachelor's) · median earnings $91,701 4 years after graduation · median debt $18,625
- Sport and Fitness Administration (130 bachelor's) · median earnings $62,838 4 years after graduation · median debt $22,581
- Psychology (130 bachelor's) · median earnings $72,136 4 years after graduation · median debt $23,250
- Computer Science (85 bachelor's) · median earnings $126,590 4 years after graduation · median debt $25,625
- Biology (77 bachelor's) · median earnings $78,466 4 years after graduation · median debt $20,500
- Marketing (72 bachelor's) · median earnings $88,627 4 years after graduation · median debt $19,000
- Accounting (56 bachelor's) · median earnings $103,675 4 years after graduation · median debt $16,200
- Political Science (55 bachelor's) · median earnings $52,160 1 year after graduation · median debt $19,500
- Advertising (50 bachelor's) · median earnings $89,330 4 years after graduation · median debt $19,500
Degree mix: Business 55%, Engineering 12%, Computer Science 7%, Health 4%, Biological Sciences 5%, Psychology 7%, Communication 9%, Other 1%.
Award levels offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral.
Cost
SMU students from families earning $0 to $30,000 pay about $30,165 a year after aid.
- Net price, $0 to $30,000: $30,165
- Net price, $30,001 to $48,000: $16,581
- Net price, $48,001 to $75,000: $24,746
- Net price, $75,001 to $110,000: $37,145
- Net price, $110,001 and above: $57,595
- In-state tuition and fees: $67,040
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: $67,040
- Books and supplies: $800
- On-campus room and board: $19,064
- Off-campus room and board: $11,314
- Off-campus with family: $2,698
- Typical cost of attendance: $86,904
- Sticker vs net gap: 53%
- Students receiving any aid: 100%
- Pell Grant recipients: 13%
- Federal loan recipients: 21%
- Average institutional grant: $35,554
- Average federal loan: $5,982
- Median debt at graduation: $19,500
Admissions
SMU admits 63% of applicants. Of students admitted, 18% enrolled.
- Applications: 15,245
- Admitted: 9,657
- Enrolled: 1,716
- Yield (first-choice signal): 18%
Who actually goes here
- Undergraduates: 7,491
- Women: 50%
- Commuter share (estimated): 54%
- Part-time undergraduates: 2%
- Age 25 and older: 2%
- Graduate students: 3,036
- Graduation rate: 84%
- Come back after freshman year: 91%
- First-generation: 16%
Faculty and campus
- Full-time faculty: 45%
- Student to faculty: 11:1
- Professor salary: $195,309
- Associate professor salary: $134,707
- Assistant professor salary: $137,567
- On-campus housing capacity: 3,449
- Average SAT: 1,420
- Average ACT: 32
- Study abroad: Available
- Online programs: Available
Common questions
What is the SMU acceptance rate? SMU admits 63% of applicants, based on the latest IPEDS admissions file.
How much does SMU cost? Students from families earning $0 to $30,000 pay about $30,165 a year after aid. Average net price is $40,892.
What majors does SMU offer? Popular programs include Finance, Economics, Sport and Fitness Administration, Psychology, Computer Science.
What is the average salary after SMU? Median earnings 10 years after entry are $78,354 for Title IV aid recipients in College Scorecard.
What is the SMU graduation rate? In the IPEDS Outcome Measures cohort, 82% earned an award within eight years. The first-time, full-time 150% graduation rate is 84%.
Scorecard earnings and debt cover Title IV aid recipients, not cash-pay or private-loan students. Southern Methodist University official site: https://smu.edu.