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 2021

Endowment (June 30, 2021) $2.1 billion
Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Budget $820 million
Total Staff and Administrators 1,630
Faculty

85% of full-time faculty members hold the doctorate or highest degree in their fields.
The student-faculty ratio is 12-to-1.

Total Fall 2021 Full-time Faculty – 723

Faculty Demographic Profile
Male – 58%
Female – 42%
Minority – 21%
Enrollment

Total Fall 2021 Enrollment – 12,385

Undergraduate students – 6,908 
Graduate students – 5,477
Total new first-year undergraduate students – 1,572
Undergraduate Enrollment by Gender Female – 50%
Male – 50%
Graduate Enrollment by Gender Male – 52%
Female – 48%
Average Age Undergraduate – 20
Graduate – 30
Diversity

Total Fall 2020 Identified Minority Enrollment – 4,023

Hispanic – 1,675 
Asian – 974 
Black/African American – 871 
American Indian/Alaska Native – 23 
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 10 
Two or more races –470
Minority percentage of total enrollment – 33%

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, Florida, Illinois and New York.

International – International enrollment of 999 students (8.1% of total enrollment) from 86 foreign countries. The largest international groups are from China, India and Mexico.

Religious – Among students reporting a religious preference, 22% are Catholic, and 8% are Methodist; 29% are from other Protestant denominations; and 17% 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 2020-21

Total –3,915

Bachelor’s – 1,877
Master’s – 1,704 
Doctoral-Professional (J.D.) – 220 
Doctoral-Research/Scholarship –114
Degrees Awarded by School in 2019-20

Cox School of Business – 1,216
Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences – 918
Lyle School of Engineering – 489
Meadows School of the Arts – 383
Dedman School of Law – 255
Simmons School of Education and Human Development – 457
Perkins School of Theology – 65
The Guildhall – 102
Research and Graduate Studies (M.S.D.S.) – 101