Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 63.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 79/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Southern Methodist University earns an overall ROI score of 79, in the Strong Value (teal) tier. SMU is a high-cost, high-quality private research university with strong professional placement, particularly in business and engineering. Sticker tuition is $67,040 and net price runs $40,892, putting four-year cost at $163,568. What makes the math work is the combination of strong outcomes and disciplined borrowing. The 7-year payback period is fast for a private of this stature. Ten-year earnings are $78,354. Completion rate is the strongest metric at 84.3%, reflecting both selective admissions and substantial student-success investment. Repayment behavior is solid at 81% reducing principal three years out. The school's value proposition is genuine but conditional: students who arrive academically prepared and choose business, finance, engineering, or computer science see exceptional outcomes; humanities and arts graduates face the same constraints they would anywhere.
Southern Methodist University scores in the top 14% of the schools we score, with strong earnings outcomes relative to cost.
Southern Methodist University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $67,040/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $67,040/yr |
| Average net price | $40,892/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $163,568 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $78,354 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $68,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $19,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $207 |
| Estimated payback period | 7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 84.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,277 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $67,040/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $40,892/year, or roughly $163,568 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $23,544/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $58,213/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $19,500, which works out to about $207 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($68,100) and comes to 0.29, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $23,544 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,038 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,152 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $33,477 |
| $110,001+ | $58,213 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $23,544 per year and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $20,038 - notably less, an inverted bracket worth flagging. SMU does deliver meaningful aid at the bottom of the income distribution, with four-year cost around $80,000-$94,000 for the lowest-income families. Combined with low typical debt of $19,500, the ROI math works for prepared low-income students who match into business, finance, or engineering programs.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $24,152 to $33,477 per year. Four-year cost ranges from $97,000 to $134,000, a wide spread that depends critically on FAFSA bracket. The math is workable but tight; this is the income range where SMU's institutional aid is least generous relative to remaining cost burden.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $58,213 per year - close to full sticker. Four-year cost for the highest income bracket approaches $233,000. The decision is whether SMU's specific Dallas business-network advantage justifies a premium of roughly $100,000+.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Southern Methodist University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management | $133,852 | A |
| Economics | $91,701 | B+ |
| Psychology | $72,136 | C |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $89,330 | B |
| Biology | $78,466 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $62,838 | C+ |
| Computer Science | $126,590 | B+ |
| Marketing | $88,627 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $106,799 | B+ |
| Accounting | $103,675 | A |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance is SMU's flagship outcome program with 326 graduates yearly - the largest cohort by a wide margin. Median first-year earnings of $83,159 and four-year earnings of $133,852 are exceptional, reflecting Dallas's role as a major southern financial center and SMU's deep alumni network. Median debt of $19,500 against this earnings level produces a 0.234 ratio and an A grade. This program is the single best ROI play on the campus.
Computer Science
Computer science produces 95 graduates yearly with $93,679 first-year and $126,590 four-year earnings - the highest first-year wages on campus. Median debt of $26,000 yields a 0.278 ratio and a B+ grade. The program feeds into the booming Dallas-Fort Worth tech market (AT&T, Texas Instruments, JPMorgan tech) plus relocation pipelines to Austin and the Bay Area.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration graduates 71 students yearly with $60,659 first-year and $106,799 four-year earnings on $19,500 of debt - a 0.321 ratio and B+ grade.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering produces 49 graduates yearly with $79,280 first-year and $90,649 four-year earnings on just $17,708 of debt - a 0.223 ratio earning an A. Career outcomes feed into Texas energy companies, aerospace contractors (Lockheed Martin Fort Worth), and DFW manufacturing. The relatively low debt level makes this one of the cleanest ROI plays on the campus.
Economics
Economics graduates 139 students yearly with $71,630 first-year and $91,701 four-year earnings on $19,500 of debt - a 0.272 ratio and B+ grade. The major is functioning as a finance and consulting feeder. Career outcomes cluster in investment banking, management consulting, and corporate strategy roles in Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 78.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 81.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 80.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 81.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Southern Methodist University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 63.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 670-750 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 670-740 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 30-34 |
| Enrollment | 7,277 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 12.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $14,916 |
SMU admits 63.4% of applicants - moderately selective. SAT mid-ranges are 670-750 Math and 670-740 Reading, with ACT 30-34. The combination of moderate selectivity with high test scores and the 84% completion rate signals a self-selected applicant pool of college-ready students who arrive with the skills to graduate. SMU's selectivity is doing real work in the data even though the admit rate is not headline-low.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Methodist University (this school) | 79 | $40,892 | $78,354 |
| University of Dayton | 83 | $29,533 | $75,537 |
| American University | 74 | $41,943 | $77,370 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | 74 | $41,272 | $84,131 |
| Abilene Christian University | 51 | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
Who Thrives Here
SMU fits academically prepared, often affluent students seeking a Dallas-based private research university with very strong business, engineering, and economics pipelines. Pell rate is just 12.8%, reflecting a student body that skews high-income. Enrollment is 7,277. Outcomes are strongest for finance (326 graduates with $83,159 first-year and $133,852 four-year earnings), economics, computer science, and accounting graduates. Social-mobility students should be aware that the institutional culture is wealthy and Greek-life-heavy, which affects both fit and total cost-of-attendance.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Southern Methodist University pays off. You'd pay about $40,892 a year after aid ($163,568 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $78,354 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 7 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: its 84.3% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings.
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. Median debt of $19,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $68,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
Southern Methodist University: Common Questions
Is Southern Methodist University worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Southern Methodist University pays off. It scores 79/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $40,892 a year after aid ($163,568 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $78,354 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 7 years to earn back.
How much does Southern Methodist University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $40,892 a year, or roughly $163,568 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Southern Methodist University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $78,354 ten years after enrolling, roughly $36,554 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Southern Methodist University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 7 years for Southern Methodist University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Southern Methodist University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $19,500, against average earnings of $68,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29. In our view that is very manageable: well under 1.0, the point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Methodist University?
The six-year graduation rate is 84.3%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.