Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas · Also known as SMU · Website
$78,354
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$78,354
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Southern Methodist University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Dallas, Texas with 7,277 undergraduates and 4,831 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $40,892 a year (tuition and fees $67,040). It admits 63% of applicants and 84% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $78,354 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $19,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$40,892
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$67,040
US median $11,837
Admission rate
63%
US median 78%
Completion rate
84%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$19,500
About $207 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$78,354
Rank 218 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $40,892
- Tuition and fees
- $67,040
- Cost of attendance
- $85,606
- Students with a need-based grant
- 13%
- Students with federal loans
- 21%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $23,544
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $20,038
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $24,152
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $33,477
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $58,213
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $48,190 in 2015-16 to $67,040 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 63%
- Average SAT
- 1,428
- SAT reading, middle
- 700
- SAT math, middle
- 725
- ACT, middle
- 33
- Undergraduates
- 7,277
- Graduate students
- 4,831
- Part-time students
- 1.8%
- Women
- 51%
- Students per teacher
- 11
- Completion rate
- 84%
- Retention rate
- 91%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 182
- Endowment
- $2.2B
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 218 of 5,094 US colleges and 12 of 324 in Texas (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | TX median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $40,892 | $18,447 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $67,040 | $9,940 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 63% | 84% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 84% | 59% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 91% | 74% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $10,667 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $65,556 | $32,765 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $78,354 | $38,474 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 75% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 81% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
182 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 690 | $50,500 | $87,906 | $140,799 | $124,807 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 326 | $19,439 | $83,159 | $133,852 | $83,343 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 221 | $145,569 | $101,456 | $153,614 | $107,773 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 139 | $18,625 | $71,630 | $91,701 | $82,686 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 123 | $23,250 | $38,115 | $72,136 | $50,706 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 107 | $19,500 | $51,828 | $89,330 | $63,560 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 101 | $20,500 | $39,087 | $78,466 | $57,214 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 99 | $22,581 | $45,519 | $62,838 | $54,562 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 95 | $25,625 | $93,679 | $126,590 | $107,009 |
| Data ScienceOnlineMaster's | Master's | 91 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Education, OtherMaster's | Master's | 88 | $20,500 | $63,006 | $73,179 | $65,348 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 88 | $19,000 | $50,790 | $88,627 | $69,303 |
| Applied MathematicsMaster's | Master's | 78 | $60,500 | $80,690 | $144,761 | $116,060 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 78 | $36,500 | $67,365 | $112,268 | $95,833 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 71 | $19,500 | $60,659 | $106,799 | $68,257 |
| Systems EngineeringOnlineMaster's | Master's | 63 | Withheld | $115,443 | $163,769 | $144,565 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $19,500 | $52,160 | Withheld | $63,293 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 62 | $71,062 | $42,474 | $62,718 | $59,571 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $16,200 | $68,643 | $103,675 | $76,194 |
| Real EstateBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $84,821 |
| Engineering-Related FieldsMaster's | Master's | 53 | Withheld | $111,319 | Withheld | $125,651 |
| Theological and Ministerial StudiesMaster's | Master's | 53 | $66,844 | $54,351 | $55,347 | $61,300 |
| Graphic CommunicationsGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 52 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 51 | $98,182 | $135,130 | $188,716 | $103,485 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 50 | $28,136 | $74,035 | Withheld | $71,685 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Texas on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Texas
- Homes: Homes for sale in Texas
Questions and answers
How much does Southern Methodist University cost?
$40,892 a year is the average net price at Southern Methodist University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $67,040, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $85,606. Families earning under $30,000 pay $23,544 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Methodist University?
63% of applicants are admitted to Southern Methodist University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,428 and the middle ACT score is 33. The median admission rate of colleges in Texas is 84%.
How much do Southern Methodist University graduates earn?
$78,354 a year is the median pay of former Southern Methodist University students who work, 10 years after they started ($65,556 after 6 years). That ranks 218 of 5,094 US colleges and 12 of 324 in Texas. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $135,130.
How much student debt do Southern Methodist University graduates have?
$19,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Southern Methodist University graduates, about $207 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 21% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Methodist University?
84% of first-time, full-time students at Southern Methodist University finish within 6 years. 91% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Southern Methodist University?
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (690 master's graduates), Finance and Financial Management Services (326 bachelor's graduates), Law (221 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 182 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.