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Private Institution

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX smu.edu 7,106 students

Southern Methodist University's main campus is located in the suburban city of University Park, near Dallas. The campus offers a traditional college atmosphere with Georgian Revival architecture. Beyond its strong business, law, and arts programs, SMU maintains a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico, for unique study opportunities. The university maintains ties to the United Methodist Church, though its teaching is non-sectarian.

Programs
26
Analyzed in dataset
Earnings
$53,876
Average graduate, 1 yr after
Tuition
$64,460
Sticker price (est.)

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. Southern Methodist University's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 12% of students receive Pell Grants; 22% take federal loans.

Key Insight

Average net price across income brackets is $33,246, roughly 48% lower than the published tuition.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025
Income Bracket Avg Net Price 4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K $30,165 $120,660
$30K – $48K $16,581 $66,324
$48K – $75K $24,746 $98,984
$75K – $110K $37,145 $148,580
$110K+ $57,595 $230,380
Sticker price (no aid) $64,460 $257,840
Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at Southern Methodist University

26 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program DW Score 1-yr Earnings AI Risk ROI
Finance
Finance and Financial Management Services Compare across schools →
78
$83,159/yr Very High 4.1x
Computer Science Compare across schools →
76
$93,679/yr Very High 3.5x
Accounting
Accounting and Related Services Compare across schools →
70
$68,643/yr Very High 2.7x
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare across schools →
70
$60,659/yr High 3.5x
Economics Compare across schools →
67
$71,630/yr Very High 2.8x
Operations Research Compare across schools →
61
$72,658/yr Very High 3.8x
Mechanical Engineering Compare across schools →
60
$79,280/yr Very High 2.7x
Mathematics Compare across schools →
59
$74,516/yr Very High 2.5x
Marketing Compare across schools →
57
$50,790/yr Very High 2.7x
Political Science
Political Science and Government Compare across schools →
54
$52,160/yr Very High 2.3x
Public Relations & Advertising
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Compare across schools →
52
$51,828/yr High 2.0x
Health & Physical Education
Health and Physical Education/Fitness Compare across schools →
48
$45,519/yr Moderate 2.1x
Statistics Compare across schools →
47
$76,759/yr Very High 2.0x
Anthropology Compare across schools →
44
$56,550/yr High 1.6x
Romance Languages
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Compare across schools →
42
$57,858/yr Very High 1.9x
Public Policy Analysis Compare across schools →
41
$40,434/yr High 2.0x
History Compare across schools →
40
$33,550/yr High 2.1x
English
English Language and Literature, General Compare across schools →
39
$47,019/yr Very High 1.9x
Chemistry Compare across schools →
38
$38,919/yr High 0.5x
Psychology
Psychology, General Compare across schools →
34
$38,115/yr High 1.5x
Fine Arts
Fine and Studio Arts Compare across schools →
33
$38,154/yr Moderate 1.4x
Journalism Compare across schools →
31
$40,502/yr Very High 1.6x
Biology
Biology, General Compare across schools →
31
$39,087/yr High 1.3x
Philosophy Compare across schools →
30
$42,334/yr Very High 0.6x
Music Compare across schools →
17
$23,159/yr High 0.4x
Theater & Drama
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Compare across schools →
16
$23,831/yr Moderate 0.3x

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