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A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A+
  2. Value
    A
  3. Diversity
    A-
  4. Campus
    A
  5. Athletics
    A+
  6. Party Scene
    A+
  7. Professors
    A+
  8. Location
    A
  9. Dorms
    B+
  10. Campus Food
    B+
  11. Student Life
    A
  12. Safety
    B-
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Southern Methodist University is ...
Private not-for-profit, Methodist
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FBS
Athletic Conference
American Athletic Conference
Address
6425 Boaz St
Dallas, TX 75275
Website
smu.edu
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Southern Methodist University Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
49%
Application Deadline
January 15
SAT Range
1220-1410
ACT Range
28-32
Application Fee
$60
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes
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Cost

Net Price
$37,499/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $16,072/ year
  • $30-48k
    $20,784/ year
  • $49-75k
    $25,405/ year
  • $76-110k
    $31,567/ year
  • $110k+
    $43,860/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
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  • Affordable fixed or variable rates
  • No application, origination or disbursement fees
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  • Loans from community lenders that put people before profits
  • Easy, online app with ability to add a cosigner in minutes
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  • Simple, straightforward student loans with an easy application
  • Flexible repayment options, and strong borrower protections

Academics

Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
11:1
Evening Degree Programs
Yes
89%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.72 responses
60%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.84 responses
63%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.84 responses
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Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Economics
    188 Graduates
  • Finance
    164 Graduates
  • Accounting
    109 Graduates
  • Psychology
    96 Graduates
  • Sport and Fitness Management
    92 Graduates
  • Marketing
    79 Graduates
  • Mathematics & Statistics
    79 Graduates
  • Advertising
    78 Graduates
  • Communications
    70 Graduates
  • Biology
    62 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
6,296Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
3%
Pell Grant
9%
Varsity Athletes
7%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 55 responses
Report
  • Work hard Play hard
    27%
  • Rich
    20%
  • Hot, smart, rich, rude, work hard play hard
    13%
  • High acheiving
    9%
  • High achievers & entitled
    9%
  • White, upper-middle class, not street-smart at all
    7%
  • Cold
    4%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
99%
Poll
63%
of students say that Greek life is pretty big.112 responses
Poll
53%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.120 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 59 responses
Report
  • Work hard, play hard
    36%
  • Growing
    19%
  • Fratty
    17%
  • Lavish
    8%
  • A lot of cliques
    7%
  • Engage yourself
    5%
  • Interesting
    3%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$57,300/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
79%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
93%
National
83%
88%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.50 responses
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Southern Methodist University Reviews

1,392 reviews
All Categories
SMU has provided a unique establishment of community in order for all students to feel welcome! However, the diversity presented within the school is quite low. There are sparse percentages of Latinos, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians. Even though this is the case, the gradual enrollment of multiple international students does decrease the evident ethnic gap among students. Additonally, many of the teachers and remainder of the faculty are friendly and supportive for all students to succeed. With constant reminders regarding the A-LEC center and its workshops, students are free to ask questions from a variety of multiple disciplines to tutors who are readily available! Without a doubt, the student life at SMU is the best!
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I am a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University. It was an amazing experience from start to finish. Knowledgable professors with real world experience, a well-connected student body, and up-and-coming athletics. Everything is growing at SMU in a great way. I would recommend the school to anyone looking!
After my first year at SMU, there were specific qualities that I loved, while also some that I did not favor. Something I feel the university is exceptional at is providing a superior education. The school accomplishes this by having small class room sizes, and dedicated professors. These two aspects enhance student's learning capabilities and promote relationships. Student life is very prominent at SMU, with hundreds of organizations/clubs, it is hard to not find somewhere you belong, or something you enjoy doing.
I believe that this university helped me grow both personally and intellectually. SMU is a smaller school with significantly less students than most known colleges. This can be good or bad depending on what you prefer. However, I have always succeeded better in smaller education environments, and that is a reason I feel contributes to my overall success at SMU.