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 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 4 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 2020-21	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