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 2022

Endowment (June 30, 2022) $1.96 billion
Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget $843 million
Total Staff and Administrators 1,575
Faculty

85% of full-time faculty members hold the doctorate or highest degree in their fields.
The student-faculty ratio is 11-to-1.

Total Fall 2022 Full-time Faculty – 743

Faculty Demographic Profile
Female – 44%
Male – 56%
Minority – 24%
Enrollment

Total Fall 2022 enrollment – 12,053

Undergraduate students – 7,056
Graduate students – 4,997
Total new first-year undergraduate students – 1,639
Undergraduate Enrollment by Gender Female – 51%
Male – 49%
Graduate Enrollment by Gender Female – 49%
Male – 51%
Average Age Undergraduate – 20
Graduate – 30
Diversity

Total Fall 2022 identified minority enrollment – 3,987

Hispanic – 1,680 
Asian – 960 
Black/African American – 846 
American Indian/Alaska Native – 27 
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 8 
Two or more races – 466
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 1,007 students (8.3% of total enrollment) from 88 foreign countries. The largest international groups are from China, Mexico and Canada.

Religious – Among students reporting a religious preference, 28% are Catholic, and 12% are Methodist; 40% are from other Protestant denominations; and 14% 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 2022-23

Total – 4,079

Bachelor’s – 1,909
Master’s – 1,776 
Doctoral-Professional (J.D.) – 268 
Doctoral-Research/Scholarship – 126
Degrees Awarded by School in 2022-23

Cox School of Business – 1,376
Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences – 842
Lyle School of Engineering – 522
Meadows School of the Arts – 372
Dedman School of Law – 327
Simmons School of Education and Human Development – 508
Perkins School of Theology – 92
The Guildhall – 80
Research and Graduate Studies (M.S.D.S.) – 93