National university
#4 Best colleges in TexasSouthern Methodist University
Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $40,892 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Lyle School of Engineering Academic SpotlightOctober 23, 2026 · 8:30 AMMore about Lyle School of Engineering Academic SpotlightAdd to calendar
- Meadows School of the Arts Academic SpotlightOctober 26, 2026 · 8:30 AMMore about Meadows School of the Arts Academic SpotlightAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#33 of 950
- Best colleges for accounting in America#44 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#35 of 834
- Best colleges for finance in America#37 of 744
- Best colleges for business in America#86 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#72 of 1,238
Show 20 more
- Best colleges for education in America#79 of 1,318
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#140 of 1,829
- Best colleges in America#142 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#117 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#127 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#119 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#118 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#121 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#117 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#122 of 1,215
- Best mid-size colleges in America#68 of 667
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#121 of 1,162
- Best colleges for computer science in America#81 of 750
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#121 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#117 of 1,063
- Best colleges for engineering in America#91 of 749
- Best colleges for economics in America#119 of 788
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#66 of 367
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#126 of 690
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#149 of 684
In Texas
- Best colleges for computer science in Texas#1 of 27
- Best colleges for education in Texas#3 of 65
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Texas#3 of 64
- Best colleges in Texas#4 of 85
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Texas#4 of 85
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Texas#3 of 63
Show 21 more
- Best colleges for accounting in Texas#3 of 61
- Best colleges for business in Texas#4 of 79
- Best colleges for finance in Texas#3 of 57
- Best colleges for marketing in Texas#3 of 54
- Best colleges for psychology in Texas#4 of 71
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Texas#4 of 68
- Best colleges for English in Texas#4 of 67
- Best colleges for history in Texas#4 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in Texas#4 of 67
- Best test-optional colleges in Texas#4 of 65
- Best colleges for chemistry in Texas#4 of 63
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Texas#4 of 62
- Best colleges for music in Texas#4 of 56
- Best colleges for art and design in Texas#4 of 54
- Best mid-size colleges in Texas#3 of 35
- Best colleges for engineering in Texas#4 of 46
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Texas#3 of 26
- Best colleges for economics in Texas#4 of 24
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Texas#4 of 20
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Texas#5 of 20
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Texas#5 of 20
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.91%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,428 · ACT 32
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$18,509
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $85,606 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 7,115 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 16% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 58% |
| Total students | 11,842 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $40,892 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $85,606 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 84% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 69% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 68% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 75% |
| First-year retention | 91% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $78,354 |
| Admission rate | 63% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $60 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 13% |
| Average SAT | 1428 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 670–740 |
| SAT math | 670–750 |
| ACT composite | 30–34 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Finance | |
| Computer science | |
| Mathematics | |
| Business administration | |
| Accounting | |
| Romance languages | |
| Economics | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Public relations | |
| Marketing | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Arts management, Biochemistry, Business (general), Chemistry, Civil engineering, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Computer engineering, Dance, Data Science, Design, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Education (general), Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), Engineering-Related Fields, English, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, Global studies, History, Insurance, Interdisciplinary studies, Journalism, Liberal arts, Management information systems, Management science, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Operations Research, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Pre-law and legal studies, Public Policy Analysis, Real Estate, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Secondary education, Social sciences, Sociology, Statistics, Sustainability Studies, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Social sciences | |
| Communication | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $19,064 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 69%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $196,346Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 46% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Dallas Love Field (DAL)About 4 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 1,307,9302020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | DallasAbout 4 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 48°F1991–2020 normal, from DALLAS LOVE FLD, TX US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 87°F1991–2020 normal, from DALLAS LOVE FLD, TX US, about 4 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.21 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.50 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1.49 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Southern Methodist University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 9% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Southern Methodist University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $40,892 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Southern Methodist University?
- Southern Methodist University admitted 63% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Southern Methodist University’s graduates do?
- 84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $78,354; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 228246
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): United Methodist
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