Dallas, TX · private · 7,277 undergraduates
Southern Methodist University acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
SMU admitted 47.6% of applicants for fall 2025, and four out of five Early Decision applicants.
Net price per year at SMU
$33,477
Reach · admit rate 47.6%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 47.6% (1 in 2) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,360 to 1,470 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 21% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $96,388 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $33,477 |
| Share of the sticker price | 35% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: SMU net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: Southern Methodist University Common Data Set 2025-2026, Part C, C1 · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 47.6%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,360 to 1,470
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $96,388
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $24,152
Southern Methodist University admitted 11,459 of 24,053 first-year applicants for the class that entered in fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 47.6%, and 1,715 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. Early Decision admitted a far larger share, 424 of 528 applicants. SMU is fully test-optional, and so few enrolled students sent scores, 9% for the SAT, that the published range of 1,360 to 1,470 describes a small minority. The 2026-27 cost of attendance is $96,388, including $8,080 in fees. SMU's federal net prices are high for low incomes, and only 3 of the 110 universities on this site had a higher average in the lowest band: in 2023-24 aided families under $30,000 paid an average of $23,544, and families between $75,001 and $110,000 paid $33,477, after all grants and scholarships.
Early Decision changes the odds more than anywhere
SMU's Common Data Set reports 424 admits from 528 Early Decision applicants, a rate of about four in five, against 47.6% overall. Few universities show a gap this wide. The pool is small because SMU also offers a non-binding Early Action on the same November 1 date, and most students use it; Early Decision II and regular decision close on January 15. A student who is sure about SMU and comfortable with its price gains a lot by committing early.
Texans and everyone else
Texas and out-of-state applicants are close in number, but out-of-state applicants were admitted at a higher rate for fall 2025: 5,859 of 9,805, against 5,071 of 12,254 Texans. International applicants faced the lowest rate. Every first-year enters as a pre-major in Dedman College, whatever the intended major, except in art, film, dance, music and theatre, where an audition or portfolio decides. The waiting list moved too: a few thousand places were offered for fall 2025, about a thousand students accepted one, and 243 were admitted from it, so accepting a place and confirming interest is worth the effort.
SMU: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$24,152
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 28% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
Paying for SMU
SMU publishes no general full-need promise. Access SMU meets full need, with extra merit scholarships, for Pell-eligible Texas residents with family income of $100,000 or less who also earn an SMU academic scholarship. Outside that group, the federal averages show what aided families paid: $20,038 between $30,001 and $48,000, $24,152 between $48,001 and $75,000, and $58,213 above $110,000. The 2026-27 budget of $96,388 includes $63,736 in tuition and $8,080 in fees.
SMU: what your grants leave to pay
Left to pay for the year
$48,388
| Cost of attendance 2026-27 | $96,388 |
| Grants entered | $48,000 |
| Share covered by grants | 50% |
Loans and work-study are not grants: they are ways of paying what is left.
Comparisons in Texas
Families looking at SMU usually also look at TCU and Baylor, two other private universities in Texas with large merit programs, and at UT Austin or Texas A&M for resident prices. The comparison tool sets them side by side at your income.
From Southern Methodist University’s own documents
- Early Decision admitted 424 of 528 applicants (CDS 2025-26, C21), a far higher rate than the 11,459 admits from 24,053 applicants overall. source
- Texans and out-of-state applicants are close in number but not in admits: in fall 2025, 5,071 of 12,254 Texas applicants and 5,859 of 9,805 out-of-state applicants were admitted (437 of 1,767 international). source
- Very few enrolled students sent scores: only 9.4% of the fall 2025 first-years submitted the SAT and 8.6% the ACT, so the published score ranges describe a small minority. source
- All first-years are admitted as pre-majors in Dedman College regardless of intended major, except Art, Film (BFA), Dance, Music and Theatre, where an audition or portfolio is a critical factor. source
- Access SMU meets full need with extra merit scholarships for Pell-eligible Texas residents with family AGI of $100,000 or less who also earn an SMU academic scholarship. source
- The waiting list offered 4,249 places for fall 2025; 1,074 students accepted one and 243 were admitted. source
Net price at Southern Methodist University by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $23,544 | 28% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $20,038 | 23% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $24,152 | 28% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $33,477 | 39% |
| $110,001 and up | $58,213 | 68% |
| All aided students | $40,892 | 48% |
Cost of attendance at Southern Methodist University, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $63,736 | |
| Fees | $8,080 | |
| Housing and food | $20,950 | |
| Books and supplies | $888 | |
| Personal | $1,600 | |
| Travel | $1,134 | |
| Total | $96,388 |
Southern Methodist University admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 24,053 | 11,459 | 1,715 | 47.6% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 63.3% |
SAT and ACT scores at Southern Methodist University
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (161 SAT submitters, 148 ACT submitters)) | 1,360 | 1,410 | 1,470 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (161 SAT submitters, 148 ACT submitters))) | 31 | 32 | 34 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 670 + 670 | n/a | 740 + 750 |
Outcomes at Southern Methodist University
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 84% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 91% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $78,354 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $19,500 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 7,277 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 13% | 2023-24 |