Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX
63.4%
Acceptance Rate
$67,040
Avg Cost (In-State)
$67,040
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
83.8%
Graduation Rate
7,277
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
January 15
Early Deadline
November 1 (Early Decision I), January 15 (Early Decision II)
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
1
Application Fee
$60
Interview
Not required
Essays: Common Application personal essay required (250-650 words). Optional supplemental essay available.
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$65,556
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$78,354
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
84%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services. | $83,159 | $133,852 | 121 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | $51,828 | $89,330 | 79 |
| Economics. | $71,630 | $91,701 | 78 |
| Mathematics. | $74,516 | $111,773 | 56 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. | $57,858 | $93,769 | 51 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | $45,519 | $62,838 | 47 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $79,280 | $90,649 | 39 |
| Computer Science. | $93,679 | $126,590 | 38 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Southern Methodist University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Southern Methodist University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Texas Top 6% Auto-Admit (UT Austin)
~$20k valueTexas high-schoolers in the top 6% of their graduating class get automatic admission to UT Austin (not necessarily to a specific major).
Who it helps: Texas residents at any in-state public or accredited private high school who can sustain top-6% class rank through the end of junior year.
How to use: Confirm your rank with your school counselor by the end of junior year. Apply to UT Austin via ApplyTexas by the December 1 priority deadline. Indicate intended major; have a backup major ready in case your first choice is full. Check your portal status under Bealert.
Source ↗Texas Top 10% Auto-Admit (other Texas publics)
~$15k valueTexas top 10% gets automatic admission to most other Texas public universities (not UT Austin, which uses a tighter threshold).
Who it helps: Texas residents in the top 10% of their class who didn't make UT Austin's tighter cutoff but want a flagship-level state school.
How to use: Apply via ApplyTexas by each school's priority deadline. Indicate auto-admit status; school will verify with your transcript.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗TEXAS Grant
~$12k valueNeed-based grant for Texas residents attending Texas public universities — up to in-state tuition + mandatory fees.
Who it helps: Texas residents with EFC under $5,000-$6,000 attending a Texas public university. Priority given to first-time freshmen within 16 months of high school graduation.
How to use: File FAFSA or TASFA by the school's priority deadline. The school awards automatically if you qualify.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Texas State Presidential Honors Scholarship
$8,000-$28,000 over 4 years
universityTX residents in top 10% with 1300+ SAT/29+ ACT. Renewable.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗UNT Presidential Honors Scholarship
Up to full tuition (~$12,000/year)
universityUNT incoming freshmen with 30+ ACT/1370+ SAT + 3.85 GPA.
Deadline: December 15
Learn more ↗Sam Houston Smith-Hutson Scholarship
Up to $20,000 over 4 years
universitySHSU top freshmen with 1200+ SAT/24+ ACT + 3.5 GPA.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗UTEP Top 10% Scholarship
Up to $4,000/year ($16,000 over 4 years) for Texas Top 10% high school graduates
universityIncoming freshmen graduating in the top 10% of a Texas high school class who enroll at UTEP; stackable with other UTEP merit awards; automatic consideration via admission application.
Deadline: March 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗UTEP Presidential Excellence Scholarship
$4,000-$8,000/year renewable up to 4 years for high-achieving incoming freshmen
universityCompetitive merit award for incoming freshmen with strong academic record (top 10%, ACT 24+/SAT 1160+); GPA maintenance required; automatic consideration via admission file.
Deadline: December 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗Coastal Bend Community Foundation Scholarships
$500-$5,000
localCorpus Christi / Coastal Bend TX area students.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗UTEP Cotton Memorial Scholarship
Tuition + fees for outstanding El Paso area residents
universityEl Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson county residents; demonstrated academic excellence and financial need; renewable with continued enrollment and GPA.
Deadline: February 15
Learn more ↗TX Public Educational Grant
Varies (institution-administered)
stateTX residents with financial need at TX public institutions; awarded from set-aside tuition revenues.
Deadline: Through institution
Learn more ↗UTEP Excellence Scholarship
Up to $2,000/year for entering freshmen with strong GPA
universityEntering freshmen with high GPA who do not qualify for Presidential Excellence; automatic consideration via admission application.
Deadline: Rolling with admission application
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $27,800 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $32,400 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $41,200 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $52,400 |
| $110,001+ | $64,100 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Southern Methodist University →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 63.4% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Early Decision I
50%
acceptance
Regular Decision
63.35%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Regular Decision
38%
acceptance
Overall ~41%.
Source ↗Early Decision II
40%
acceptance
Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
10.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
12.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
42.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
23.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
31.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
91.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
80.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Considered
Visiting, attending info sessions and opening admissions emails meaningfully helps your chances. Track your touchpoints.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL
63.4% acceptance
Both admit around 63% of applicants, with 14k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, NY
63.3% acceptance
Both admit around 63% of applicants, with 10k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY
64.4% acceptance
Both admit around 64% of applicants, with 13k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
Daytona Beach, FL
57.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (58% vs 63%) but out-of-state cost runs $12k — meaningfully less than $67k.
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
72% acceptance
Similar selectivity (72% vs 63%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $67k.
University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA
67.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (68% vs 63%) but out-of-state cost runs $17k — meaningfully less than $67k.
Reaches above this college
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
14% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (14% vs 63%) — a stretch target if Southern Methodist University is already on your list.
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
12.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (13% vs 63%) — a stretch target if Southern Methodist University is already on your list.
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
11% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (11% vs 63%) — a stretch target if Southern Methodist University is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
University of Houston
Houston, TX
73.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (74% vs 63%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
ECPI University
Virginia Beach, VA
74.5% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (75% vs 63%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
79.4% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (79% vs 63%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
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