Southern Methodist University
University Park, Texas · Private, a large suburb · 7,277 undergraduates
Affiliated with United Methodist.
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Is it hard to get into SMU?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
63.3%
15,092 applied
SAT, middle half
1340 to 1490
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
30 to 34
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
17% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsRequired
- EssayRequired
- PortfolioConsidered
How much does SMU cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees
$69,722
A full year, sticker price
$88,892
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$39,816
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $31,728 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $18,708 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $23,206 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $28,047 |
| Over $110,000 | $57,328 |
- Room and board on campus
- $19,794 a year; $14,260 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $800 a year
- The school's own grants
- 69% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $35,291
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do SMU students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$18,750
About $213 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
22.8%
Get a Pell Grant
17.8%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
1.9%
What do SMU graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$77,754
Ten years after starting
$90,037
Middle half: $56,714 to $141,382
Best-paid program, five years out
$152,428
Finance and Financial Management Services
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$48,335
Fine and Studio Arts
Do SMU students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
90.5%
Graduate in six years
82.7%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
82% graduated
12% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to SMU?
Women
51.2%
First in their family at college
15.7%
Part-time
1.8%
Students per teacher
11
- Background
- White 56%, Hispanic 18%, Black 6%, Asian 8%, Two or more 5%, International 4%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 3,251 beds
What do SMU graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 180 | $97,568 | $146,681 | $20,500 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | 28 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Computer Engineering | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 33 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, General | 0 | Hidden | $146,126 | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mechanical Engineering | 99 | $82,252 | $110,605 | $25,000 |
| Operations Research | 67 | $80,235 | Hidden | Hidden |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 118 | Hidden | $105,322 | $18,406 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 144 | $70,326 | $114,171 | $18,125 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | $15,750 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 606 | $93,440 | $152,428 | $17,250 |
| Insurance | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 47 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Marketing | 160 | $58,100 | $96,532 | $19,500 |
| Real Estate | 87 | $63,536 | Hidden | Hidden |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 49 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 229 | $53,477 | $83,115 | $17,750 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Biology, General | 181 | $36,133 | $85,486 | $18,010 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | $19,500 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 19 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 16 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 69 | $82,076 | $137,857 | $19,500 |
| Physics | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 79 | $80,552 | Hidden | $12,000 |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 33 | $45,378 | Hidden | $19,500 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 49 | $54,915 | $80,388 | $19,500 |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 47 | $51,080 | $66,651 | $20,500 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 72 | $59,270 | $85,785 | $20,500 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, General | 25 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Dance | 35 | Hidden | Hidden | $20,500 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 23 | $60,893 | Hidden | $14,000 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 45 | $44,127 | Hidden | $21,500 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 76 | $30,199 | Hidden | $21,500 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 39 | $50,693 | $48,335 | Hidden |
| Music | 54 | Hidden | Hidden | $20,500 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Science | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Data Science | 68 | Hidden | Hidden | $19,000 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 29 | Hidden | $90,685 | $19,500 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 77 | $63,405 | $97,170 | Hidden |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Compare SMU with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with Southern Methodist University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences