Southern Methodist University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Dallas, Texas. It enrolls 7,277 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
65/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes90
Value17
Affordability4
Selectivity82
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Southern Methodist University admits 63.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
63.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1340 – 1490
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
30 – 34
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Southern Methodist University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
13.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $40,892 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$67,040
Room & Board (on-campus)
$19,064
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,314
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,698
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,698
Total Cost of Attendance
$85,606
Application fee: $60 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$23,544
$30,001 – $48,000
$20,038
$48,001 – $75,000
$24,152
$75,001 – $110,000
$33,477
Over $110,000
$58,213
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$8,25025%percentile
$19,500Medianpercentile
$26,00075%percentile
$31,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $18,000
↓ $1,500
No Pell $13,000
↓ $6,500
Dependent students $15,000
↓ $4,500
Independent students $17,845
↓ $1,655
Female students $16,000
↓ $3,500
Male students $14,500
↓ $5,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,000, less than completers ($19,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
70% of students who start here finish within six years, and 90% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
70%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
90%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $78,354 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$78,354
Earning > $25K
86%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$69,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$87,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$82,400
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$71,600
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$78,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $17,900, about 20% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 7,277 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
7,277
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
16%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 56.2%4,087
Hispanic 17.7%1,291
Asian 8.3%603
Black 5.5%398
Other 5.1%372
International 3.8%279
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Southern Methodist University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Southern Methodist University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
132 distinct programs across
26 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$3.3B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$128,912
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
750 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
206
27%
$187,224
Associate Professors
140
19%
$129,517
Assistant Professors
88
12%
$138,027
Instructors
156
21%
$108,869
Lecturers
150
20%
$65,864
No Rank
10
1%
$97,387
Pros & Cons of Southern Methodist University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southern Methodist University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Southern Methodist University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Methodist University
The questions families ask most about Southern Methodist University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Southern Methodist University hard to get into?
Admissions at Southern Methodist University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 63.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Methodist University?
63.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Southern Methodist University?
Aim for 1490 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1340 and 1490 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Southern Methodist University?
Aim for 34 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 30 and 34 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Southern Methodist University cost?
Budget around $40,892 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Methodist University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $78,354 a year against a net price of $40,892, about 1.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southern Methodist University known for?
Mostly Management Sciences, Finance, Law. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Southern Methodist University graduates earn?
About $78,354 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Methodist University accredited?
Yes. Southern Methodist University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Southern Methodist University?
7,277 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Methodist University?
70% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southern Methodist University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Southern Methodist University located?
Southern Methodist University is located in Dallas, Texas.
What programs does Southern Methodist University offer?
132 different programs, most commonly Management Sciences, Finance, Law. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southern Methodist University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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