Southern Methodist University
Admissions

Interested in attending Southern Methodist University?

On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Southern Methodist University, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.

61
%
Acceptance rate
3.72
Average High School GPA
1436
SAT Midpoint
January 15
Regular admission deadline
Test Required
Testing

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into Southern Methodist University?

61%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, SMU accepted 61% of applicants. We classify this as somewhat selective.

In the most recent year, 15,092 people applied and 9,240 were accepted.

Applied/Accepted
Women
5078 / 7992 (64%)
Men
4162 / 7100 (59%)

Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 2 years at Southern Methodist University:

100%
88.0
76.0
64.0
52.0
40.0
2023
2024

Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.

17%
Enrollment of those accepted
Medium
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 17% ended up enrolling at Southern Methodist University, making their yield rate Medium. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.

Application Factors

You can increase your chances of getting into Southern Methodist University by looking at what the school considers during the application process.

Here are the things SMU considers:

Very Important

  • Academic GPA
  • Application Essay
  • Recommendation(s)
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record

Important

  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Class Rank
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • Talent/Ability

Considered

  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • First Generation
  • Level of Applicant's Interest
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Not Considered

  • Geographical Residence
  • Interview
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment
  • State Residency

Grades & Testing

Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Southern Methodist University?

3.72
Average High School GPA
1436
SAT Midpoint
Test Required
Testing

Grades

Students who recently attended Southern Methodist University as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.72. 46% of freshmen who attended SMU were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 74% were in the top 25% of their graduating high school class.

These are the high school grade point averages (unweighted) of students who enroll:

High School GPAs
4.00
21%
3.75-3.99
33%
3.50-3.74
23%
3.25-3.49
13%
3.00-3.24
8%
2.50-2.99
3%
)

SMU is Test Required. This school requires test scores to be submitted in order to be considered for admission.

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

17%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

21%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
660
Math Mean
727
75th Percentile
750
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
660
Verbal Mean
709
75th Percentile
730
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1340
Composite Mean
1436
75th Percentile
1470

Application Deadlines

These are the deadlines for applying to Southern Methodist University. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.

Regular Admissions

January 15
Regular admission deadline
April 1
Application notification

Early Decision

Early Decision is a program in which students commit to attend a school if they are accepted. Some schools have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision than regular decision. SMU's Early Decision acceptance rate is 74%, compared to 61% overall. If you’re sure you want to attend Southern Methodist University, you might consider applying Early Decision.

November 1
Applications Due
December 31
Notification Date
74%
Early Decision Acceptance Rate

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