Southern Methodist University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Southern Methodist University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

11:1
Student to faculty ratio
26
Average class size
76%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

SMU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
246
10-19
533
20-29
217
30-39
177
40-49
94
50-99
124
100+
17

Honors Programs

Southern Methodist University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on SMU's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Southern Methodist University:

90%
First-year retention rate
76%
4-year grad rate
83%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Southern Methodist University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Finance, General
Economics, General
Psychology, General
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
53.8
108.04
162.28
216.52
270.76
325

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • French Studies 1
  • Latin American Studies 0
  • Italian Studies 0
  • African-American/Black Studies 0
  • Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 99
  • Biochemistry 6
  • Biophysics 0
Business
  • Finance, General 325
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 88
  • Accounting 62
  • Real Estate 55
  • Office Management and Supervision 51
  • Management Science 23
  • Business Administration and Management, General 20
  • Financial Planning and Services 1
  • Insurance 0
  • Management Information Systems, General 0
Communication
  • Advertising 41
  • Journalism 32
  • Public Relations/Image Management 30
  • Communication and Media Studies, Other 30
  • Organizational Communication, General 23
  • Communication and Media Studies 0
  • Communication, General 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 95
Education
  • Education, General 9
  • Music Teacher Education 3
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 49
  • Operations Research 44
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 21
  • Civil Engineering, General 13
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 6
  • Computer Engineering, General 3
  • Engineering, General 0
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Engineering/Industrial Management 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 16
  • Creative Writing 12
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 16
  • French Language and Literature 8
  • Chinese Language and Literature 3
  • Italian Language and Literature 1
  • German Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 12
  • Music Therapy/Therapist 2
History
  • History, General 20
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 37
  • General Studies 0
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 45
  • Statistics, General 33
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • International/Globalization Studies 11
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies 0
  • Data Science, General 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 1
  • Environmental Studies 0
Parks
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 99
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 14
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 11
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 4
  • Physics, General 3
  • Geophysics and Seismology 0
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 115
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 17
  • International Policy Analysis 14
Social Sciences
  • Economics, General 126
  • Political Science and Government, General 55
  • Anthropology, General 9
  • Sociology, General 6
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 0
  • Social Sciences, General 0
  • Applied Economics 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 34
  • Dance, General 22
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 14
  • Music, General 13
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 12
  • Design and Applied Arts, Other 8
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 7
  • Voice and Opera 4
  • Music Performance, General 4
  • Music Theory and Composition 2
  • Keyboard Instruments 1
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 0

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