by our College Data Analytics TeamWant the scoop on Southern Methodist University Graduate School? We’ve put together a comprehensive report on the school that covers what degree programs SMU offers, if the school is ranked, how diverse it is, and much more. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
College Factual produces its Best Quality Schools rankings on a yearly basis to recognize those graduate schools that provide an excellent educational experience and are dedicated to helping their students succeed.Factors that go into these rankings include how much money students make after graduation, the number of FTE students per instructor, and how much debt students take on to attend the school.
Southern Methodist University landed the #35 spot in College Factual’s 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking out of a pool of 4,630 colleges and universities that were eligible for this year’s ranking.For the Best Master’s Degree Schools in Texas, SMU came in at #4.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingIn College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, SMU took the #35 spot out of 4,630 schools. In addition, SMU took the #4 spot for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Texas.
In College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, SMU took the #35 spot out of 4,630 schools. SMU also ranked #4 for Best Graduate Schools in Texas.
For the last year in which we have data, 4,831 graduate students decided that Southern Methodist University was the best place for them.College Factual looked at the demographics of these students to determine how diverse the population is.Keep reading to learn more.
Women make up 48.4% of the total graduate student body at SMU while men make up 51.6%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
Racial-ethnic minorities* make up 36.4% of the graduate student population at SMU.Americans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the graduate programs at SMU. Around 17.3% of graduate students are international.The chart below shows the breakdown of graduate student demographics at the school. You can click on it for a more detailed view.
The average graduate full-time tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $43,878 | $43,878 |
| Fees | $5,688 | $5,688 |
The typical graduate student at SMU who borrowed carries a median debt of $20,712.
Graduate students who earn their master’s degree at SMU enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $109,213.
Graduate students who earn their graduate certificate at SMU enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $81,613.
Professional degree recipients from SMU earn an average early-career salary of $146,572.
The average early-career salary for post-master’s certificate recipients from SMU is $95,731.
Early-career pay varies by field of study. The following table shows the graduate fields of study at SMU with the highest average early-career salaries for recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations. | $159,581 |
| Business Administration & Management | $155,390 |
| Finance & Financial Management | $150,080 |
| Law | $146,572 |
| Marketing | $140,280 |
| Systems Engineering | $137,839 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $137,458 |
| Computer Systems Analysis. | $133,925 |
| Computer Engineering | $130,488 |
| Information Science/Studies. | $127,788 |
Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas.SMU is located in a safe and convenient suburb. Get more details about the location of Southern Methodist University.
Contact details for SMU are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 6425 Boaz St, Dallas, TX 75275-0221 |
| Phone: | 214-768-2000 |
| Website: | www.smu.edu |
| Facebook: | facebook.com/smudallas |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/smu |
24.4% of the graduate students at SMU took at least one online course.Approximately 13.8% of grad students took all their classes online during that same time period.
Only the degree programs in which master’s degrees were awarded are listed here.
Just like the master’s degree programs, only programs that had doctorate degrees awarded are shown here.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | 1 | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 4 | — |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | 3 | — |
| Chemistry | 4 | — |
| Child Development & Psychology | 6 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 6 | — |
| Computer Engineering | 1 | — |
| Computer Science | 3 | — |
| Economics | 2 | — |
| Educational Administration | 33 | — |
| Electrical Engineering | 10 | — |
| General Biology | 4 | — |
| General English Literature | 2 | — |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 2 | — |
| History | 2 | — |
| Legal Research | 5 | — |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 17 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 2 | — |
| Operations Research | 1 | — |
| Other Education | 7 | — |
| Physics | 2 | — |
| Religious Studies | 2 | — |
| Sacred Music | 7 | — |
| Statistics | 3 | — |
| Theological & Ministerial Studies | 7 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which Southern Methodist University awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic Communications | 38 | $81,613 |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 3 | — |
| Music | 10 | — |
Only the programs in which a professional degree was awarded are shown here.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Law | 246 | $146,572 |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References