Admission Requirements
Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, SMU is the flagship institution of the Southern Methodist University system. SMU is classified as an R1 doctoral research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and ranked as the 53rd best national university and the 15th best value school in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
SMU offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs through seven schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Meadows School of the Arts, Cox School of Business, Perkins School of Theology, Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Lyle School of Engineering, and the Dedman School of Law. The university is also home to SMU-in-Taos, a semester-long program in Taos, New Mexico.
SMU is a member of the Association of American Universities, a select group of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. The university is also a member of the five-campus University of Texas System.
SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church. The university's founding president, Robert S. Hyer, was a former president of Northwestern University. The first class of students enrolled in 1912, and SMU began offering graduate education in 1918.
SMU's location in Dallas, Texas, put it in close proximity to the city's business and financial leaders. This helped the university attract some of the nation's top students and faculty. In 1925, SMU's School of Business was the first in Texas to be accredited by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business.
The university experienced rapid growth in the 1920s and 1930s, adding new schools and programs and expanding its facilities. The Second World War put a temporary halt to the university's growth, but after the war, SMU once again began to grow, adding new schools and programs and expanding its facilities.
In the 1950s, SMU became a founding member of the Southwest Conference, a college athletic conference that also included Baylor University, Rice University, the University of Texas, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Oklahoma. The conference was dissolved in 1996, and SMU is now a member of the American Athletic Conference.
In the 1960s, SMU was the site of two major protests against racial segregation. The first, in May 1961, was
Test Scoring
|
25th Percentile* |
75th Percentile* |
SAT Reading and Writing |
630 |
710 |
SAT Math |
620 |
740 |
ACT Composite |
29 |
33 |
ACT English |
29 |
35 |
ACT Math |
26 |
31 |
Financial Aid
State Aid |
|
Percentage of students receiving state aid |
10% |
Average state aid |
$3505 |
Institutional Aid |
|
Percentage of students receiving institutional aid |
75% |
Average institutional aid |
$33872 |
Student Loans |
|
Percentage of students receiving a student loan |
23% |
Average student loan |
$11378 |
Degrees Offered
- Associate's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Master's degree
- Doctor's degree-research/scholarship
- Doctor's degree-professional practice
- Postbaccalaureate certificate
- Post-master's certificate
Majors Offered
-
- Accounting
- American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence
- Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
- Anthropology, General
- Applied Economics
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- Biochemistry
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- Biophysics
- Biostatistics
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Chemistry, General
- Chinese Language and Literature
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- Civil Engineering, General
- Clinical Psychology
- Computational Mathematics
- Computational and Applied Mathematics
- Computer Engineering, General
- Computer Science
- Computer Software Engineering
- Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
- Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
- Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other
- Conducting
- Creative Writing
- Dance, General
- Design and Applied Arts, Other
- Divinity/Ministry
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
- Economics, General
- Education, General
- Education, Other
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Engineering Science
- Engineering, General
- Engineering, Other
- Engineering-Related Fields, Other
- Engineering/Industrial Management
- English Language and Literature, General
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
- Facilities Planning and Management
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies
- Finance, General
- Financial Mathematics
- Financial Planning and Services
- Fine and Studio Arts Management
- Fine/Studio Arts, General
- French Language and Literature
- General Studies
- Geology/Earth Science, General
- Geophysics and Seismology
- German Language and Literature
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
- Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other
- Health and Wellness, General
- Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
- History, General
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Information Science/Studies
- Insurance
- International Policy Analysis
- International/Globalization Studies
- Italian Language and Literature
- Keyboard Instruments
- Law
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
- Management Information Systems, General
- Management Science
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- Mathematics, General
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
- Music History, Literature, and Theory
- Music Pedagogy
- Music Performance, General
- Music Teacher Education
- Music Theory and Composition
- Music Therapy/Therapist
- Music, General
- Office Management and Supervision
- Operations Research
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
- Philosophy
- Physics, General
- Political Science and Government, General
- Programs for Foreign Lawyers
- Psychology, General
- Public Policy Analysis, General
- Real Estate
- Religion/Religious Studies
- Religious/Sacred Music
- Social Sciences, General
- Sociology, General
- Spanish Language and Literature
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
- Statistics, General
- Superintendency and Educational System Administration
- Sustainability Studies
- Systems Engineering
- Tax Law/Taxation
- Taxation
- Telecommunications Technology/Technician
- Theology/Theological Studies
- Theoretical Chemistry
- Voice and Opera