SMU Facts

Campus Profile

The optimistic outlook of Dallas is at the heart of SMU. For more than a century, SMU’s enterprising spirit has helped shape Dallas into a global gateway for people of all backgrounds who want to change the world. SMU was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to promote higher education and freedom of inquiry and remains secular in its teaching. This comprehensive research university joined with an energetic city creates an opportunity powerhouse where more than 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students forge their success in a rigorous academic environment and own their future. Eight degree-granting schools elevate SMU to the top tier of national universities. SMU prepares Mustangs for the demands of a rapidly changing world, and jobs that don’t yet exist. SMU’s innovative, flexible Common Curriculum builds a solid liberal arts foundation that allows students to pursue multiple majors and experience different cultures, and delivers what employers want. SMU graduates greet the workforce with multiple competencies and global savvy.

Fall 2020

Endowment (May 31, 2020)	$1.6 billion
Fiscal Year 2019 Operating Budget	$774 million
Total Staff and Administrators	1,579
Faculty	84.7% of full-time faculty members hold the doctorate or highest degree in their fields. The student-faculty ratio is 11-to-1. Total Fall 2020 Full-time Faculty – 767 Faculty Demographic Proﬁle Male – 59% Female – 41% Minority – 19%
Enrollment	Total Fall 2020 Enrollment – 12,373 Undergraduate students – 6,827 Graduate students – 5,546 Total new ﬁrst-year undergraduate students – 1,531
Undergraduate Enrollment by Gender	Female – 49% Male – 51%
Graduate Enrollment by Gender	Male – 52% Female – 48%
Average Age	Undergraduate – 20 Graduate – 30
Diversity	Total Fall 2020 Identified Minority Enrollment – 3,887 Hispanic – 1,618 Asian – 929 Black/African American – 855 American Indian/Alaska Native – 24 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 9 Two or more races –452 Minority percentage of total enrollment – 31% Socioeconomic – Three out of four SMU students receive scholarships and/or financial aid, including academic and need-based. National – More than half of undergraduates come from outside Texas, with students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Following Texas, the leading home states for first-year students are California, Illinois, Florida and Connecticut. International – International enrollment of 1,117 students (9% of total enrollment) from 83 foreign countries. The largest international groups are from China, India and Mexico. Religious – Among students reporting a religious preference, 28% are Catholic, and 14% are Methodist; 46% are from other Protestant denominations; and 11% represent other religions (including Judaism, Islam and Hinduism). Diverse Campus Ministries organizations support and nurture students in the development of faith and ethics.
Degrees Conferred in 2019-20	Total –3,827 Bachelor’s – 1,853 Master’s – 1,659 Doctoral-Professional (J.D.) – 215 Doctoral-Research/Scholarship –100
Degrees Awarded by School in 2019-20	Cox School of Business – 1,158 Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences – 872 Lyle School of Engineering –566 Meadows School of the Arts – 363 Dedman School of Law – 253 Simmons School of Education and Human Development – 446 Perkins School of Theology –60 The Guildhall –67 Research and Graduate Studies (M.S.D.S.) –135