American vs Southern Methodist
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
A-Compass Score: Excellent (grade A-): the top 20% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.American UniversityWashington, DCCompass Score: Excellent · Top 12%ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TXCompass Score: Exceptional · Top 9%
At a glance
- Southern Methodist has the higher graduation rate: 84% against 75% at American.
- Median debt is lower at Southern Methodist: $19,500, against $22,750 at American.
Scores
Compass Score
A-Compass Score: Excellent (grade A-): the top 20% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 12%
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 9%
Academic Excellence
AAcademic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 8%
AAcademic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges. Top 5%
Value
C+Value: Solid (grade C+): below the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.
C+Value: Solid (grade C+): below the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank among rated colleges.
The college
Category
National universities
National universities
Location
Washington, DC
Dallas, TX
Setting
City
Suburb
Students
13,019
11,842
Sports
NCAA Division I · Patriot League
NCAA Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference
Admission
Admission rate
62%
63%
Average SAT
1381
1428
ACT middle 50%
29–32
30–34
Outcomes
Graduation rate
75%
84%
First-year retention
88%
91%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$77,370
$78,354
Median debt
$22,750
$19,500
Cost
Average price after aid
$41,943
$40,892
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$23,233
$23,544
$30,001–$48,000
$20,444
$20,038
$48,001–$75,000
$26,035
$24,152
$75,001–$110,000
$30,063
$33,477
Over $110,000
$53,673
$58,213
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Finance $134,332
- Accounting $119,020
- Computer science $117,293
- Business administration $88,359
- Economics $85,016
- Finance $133,852
- Computer science $126,590
- Mathematics $111,773
- Business administration $106,799
- Accounting $103,675
Compare with another college
The Compass Score and grades are College Compass Guide’s own ratings. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt are federal data. This comparison doesn’t rank the two colleges; the figures are shown as published.