About
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in University Park, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South—now part of the United Methodist Church—in partnership with Dallas civic leaders. It is currently non-sectarian in its teaching and enrolls students of all religious affiliations. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production".
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 10.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 192 Title IV programs, 33 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 158 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing33 · 17.2%
- No Data158 · 82.3%
- Failing1 · 0.5%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 7
Action history · 16
- Nov 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Mar 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Feb 2022Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Dec 2021Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,359 students received $8.3M in Pell grants, alongside $73.8M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,478 borrowers who entered repayment, 17 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Southern Methodist
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus58
Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon House3 firesOpen flame - A student lit a candle which ignited papers.Damage $100-$999
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon House3 firesOpen flame - A student ignited papers outside a residence door in the hallway.Damage $0-$99
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon House3 firesOpen flamesDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 3 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Southern Methodist vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Southern Methodist selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSouthern Methodist University | 84% | — | 12,116 | $40,892 | R2 Research |
| 75% | 62.0% | 12,321 | $41,943 | R2 Research | |
| 80% | 51.3% | 20,626 | $41,104 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 16.4% | 15,432 | $41,704 | R1 Research | |
| 89% | 11.1% | 37,737 | $24,402 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 40.5% | 5,205 | $35,736 | R1 Research | |
| 94% | 11.7% | 15,888 | $31,944 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 10.6% | 15,175 | $22,585 | R1 Research | |
| 82% | 59.3% | 16,150 | $44,338 | R2 Research | |
| 84% | 47.1% | 25,374 | $36,586 | R1 Research | |
| 88% | 25.9% | 7,692 | $36,931 | R2 Research | |
| 91% | 5.2% | 32,553 | $30,915 | R1 Research | |
| 83% | 62.9% | 8,976 | $58,098 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 84% | 45.9% | 22,589 | $38,793 | R1 Research | |
| 85% | 44.5% | 12,938 | $36,660 | R2 Research | |
| 94% | 11.5% | 13,599 | $39,998 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 14.0% | 13,310 | $39,949 | R1 Research | |
| 76% | 77.8% | 12,813 | $36,131 | R1 Research | |
| 84% | 18.9% | 19,852 | $37,244 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 11.3% | 13,042 | $26,780 | R1 Research | |
| 85% | 40.1% | 11,946 | $29,278 | R1 Research | |
| 92% | 9.8% | 46,566 | $32,740 | R1 Research | |
| 72% | 61.5% | 3,914 | $15,000 | R2 Research | |
| 92% | 27.0% | 10,041 | $43,756 | R2 Research | |
| 89% | 21.7% | 9,322 | $28,719 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 86% | 26.5% | 13,310 | $36,660 |
Institutions like Southern Methodist
Explore the federal data for institutions in Southern Methodist's comparison group.
- R2 ResearchDistrict of Columbia
American University
Grad rate75%Admit rate62.0%Enrollment12,321Net price$41,943View data - R1 ResearchTexas
Baylor University
Grad rate80%Admit rate51.3%Enrollment20,626Net price$41,104View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Boston College
Grad rate91%Admit rate16.4%Enrollment15,432Net price$41,704View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Boston University
Grad rate89%Admit rate11.1%Enrollment37,737Net price$24,402View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Brandeis University
Grad rate86%Admit rate40.5%Enrollment5,205Net price$35,736View data - R1 ResearchPennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.7%Enrollment15,888Net price$31,944View data - R1 ResearchGeorgia
Emory University
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.6%Enrollment15,175Net price$22,585View data - R2 ResearchNew York
Fordham University
Grad rate82%Admit rate59.3%Enrollment16,150Net price$44,338View data - R1 ResearchDistrict of Columbia
George Washington University
Grad rate84%Admit rate47.1%Enrollment25,374Net price$36,586View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Lehigh University
Grad rate88%Admit rate25.9%Enrollment7,692Net price$36,931View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Northeastern University
Grad rate91%Admit rate5.2%Enrollment32,553Net price$30,915View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Pepperdine University
Grad rate83%Admit rate62.9%Enrollment8,976Net price$58,098View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Syracuse University
Grad rate84%Admit rate45.9%Enrollment22,589Net price$38,793View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Texas Christian University
Grad rate85%Admit rate44.5%Enrollment12,938Net price$36,660View data - R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Tufts University
Grad rate94%Admit rate11.5%Enrollment13,599Net price$39,998View data - R1 ResearchLouisiana
Tulane University of Louisiana
Grad rate86%Admit rate14.0%Enrollment13,310Net price$39,949View data - R1 ResearchColorado
University of Denver
Grad rate76%Admit rate77.8%Enrollment12,813Net price$36,131View data - R1 ResearchFlorida
University of Miami
Grad rate84%Admit rate18.9%Enrollment19,852Net price$37,244View data - R1 ResearchIndiana
University of Notre Dame
Grad rate95%Admit rate11.3%Enrollment13,042Net price$26,780View data - R1 ResearchNew York
University of Rochester
Grad rate85%Admit rate40.1%Enrollment11,946Net price$29,278View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of Southern California
Grad rate92%Admit rate9.8%Enrollment46,566Net price$32,740View data - R2 ResearchOklahoma
University of Tulsa
Grad rate72%Admit rate61.5%Enrollment3,914Net price$15,000View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Villanova University
Grad rate92%Admit rate27.0%Enrollment10,041Net price$43,756View data - R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
Wake Forest University
Grad rate89%Admit rate21.7%Enrollment9,322Net price$28,719View data
Southern Methodist Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
University Decision Support (UDS) serves the central decision-making authorities of the University by providing data, information, and analytics for planning, evaluation, policy formulation, strategic planning, and related data and information informed issues and/or initiatives.
Visit IR office page- Michael David TumeoChief Institutional Research Officer
- Tristen Watkins, M.S.B.A.Coordinator for Institutional Effectiveness
- Susana Solera Adoboe, Ph.D.Provost Faculty Fellow for Institutional Effectiveness
- Dayna Oscherwitz, Ph.D.Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
Southern Methodist's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryData Glossary - SMU University Decision SupportThe SMU Data Glossary is an enterprise-wide resource developed to standardize definitions and clarify terminology across Southern Methodist University's business units. It contains 115 defined terms, focusing on aspects of academic guidance, student classifications, athletics, student conduct, financial aid, grade point averages, Greek life membership, major fields of study, housing, admissions, career progression, student organizations, study abroad programs, and other elements pertinent to the operations and categorization of student data at SMU.smu.edu
- Strategic planStrategic Plan, 2016 - 20252015Southern Methodist University aims to foster a global society through teaching, research, and service. The strategic plan focuses on creating principled thought leaders and promotes an environment of dignity. It reaffirms SMU's commitment to academic freedom, ethical values, and its United Methodist heritage.smu.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of Southern Methodist (29)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Laura BushPolitics
- Rick ScottPolitics
- Jo JorgensenPolitics
- John TowerPolitics
- Lamar HuntBusiness
- Gerald J. FordBusiness
- Kathy BatesFilm and Television
- Amy AckerFilm and Television
- Brian BaumgartnerFilm and Television
- Eddie Bernice JohnsonPolitics
- Jeffrey SkillingBusiness
- Robert H. Dedman Sr.Business
Frequently asked questions about Southern Methodist University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Southern Methodist.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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