Private research university in Dallas blending rigorous academics with hands-on experience and global opportunity.
SMU operates eight degree-granting schools: Cox School of Business, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman School of Law, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Perkins School of Theology, and Simmons School of Education and Human Development. The university offers over 100 majors and 85 minors, with an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio fostering strong faculty-student relationships. In 2020, SMU granted 3,827 degrees including 315 doctorates, 1,659 master's degrees, and 1,853 bachelor's degrees.
SMU is classified as an R1 Doctoral University with very high research spending and doctorate production. The university operates numerous research centers and institutes including the AT&T Center for Virtualization, Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security, and SMU Guildhall (ranked #1 graduate program for game design by Princeton Review). Faculty and students collaborate as co-creators of knowledge spanning arts, sciences, engineering, business, and humanities.
The main 234-acre campus in University Park features Dallas Hall, the iconic centerpiece built in 1915, and hosts the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The campus was ranked most beautiful in America by Condé Nast Traveler in 2016. SMU maintains a satellite campus in Taos, New Mexico (423 acres at Fort Burgwin) offering intersession and summer classes. The university supports extensive student organizations, Greek life, athletics (NCAA Division I FBS – ACC), and spiritual life programming.
For fall 2020 entry, SMU received 14,010 applications with a 52.7% admission rate and 20.7% yield. Middle 50% SAT range was 630–710 (EBRW) and 620–740 (Math); ACT Composite 29–33. First-year students are automatically reviewed for the highly selective University Honors Program (top 10% of class). The university reports 92% one-year retention rate and emphasizes financial aid accessibility, with 73% of students graduating without student debt.
SMU ranks 88th (tie) in U.S. News & World Report national universities (2025) and 103rd by Forbes (2025). Graduate programs rank highly: Law 43rd (tie), Business 34th, Statistics 54th (tie), and Education 49th (tie). The university's endowment of $2.48 billion (2024) ranks among the largest in U.S. higher education, having surpassed $2 billion for the first time in 2021.