Southern Methodist University (SMU) vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. SMU, nestled in the heart of Dallas, Texas, exudes a strong sense of community and offers a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs. In contrast, MIT, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its exceptional strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, attracting brilliant minds from around the world. While both universities boast impressive acceptance rates, SMU's larger student body and broader range of majors provide a more comprehensive educational experience, while MIT's rigorous curriculum and world-class faculty produce graduates who are highly sought after by top employers. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover the nuances that set these two prestigious institutions apart and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Southern Methodist University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Dallas, Texas
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	99.0%	91.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.1%	53.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75
SAT range	N/A	1340 - 1510
ACT range	N/A	31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		16.0%
Students submitting ACT score		23.0%
Total number of applicants	33,240	15,685
Total number of admissions given out	1,365	8,333
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,177	1,572
Yield rate	86.2%	18.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$58,920	$72,336
Average net price	$30,958	$41,986
Tuition	$55,510	$53,464
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,550 Meal plan: $6,550	Room/dormitory: $10,860 Meal plan: $6,578
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $32,562	74.0% Average amount $34,940
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,112	25.0% Average amount $5,241
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $17,891	5.0% Average amount $29,055

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,638 Men 51.9% Women 48.1%	6,908 Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
Graduate students	7,296 Men 62.0% Women 38.0%	5,477 Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	59.4%
International students	29.2%	8.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,280	3,403
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida New Jersey	Texas California Florida New York Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Architecture Mathematics and Statistics	Business Engineering Education Legal Profession Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.2%	82.4%
Dropout rate	3.0%	4.7%
Transferred out	N/A	12.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $144,716 Year 2: $150,045 Year 3: $183,153 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $170,089 Year 2: $165,236 Year 3: $182,183 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $118,191 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $163,496 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,796 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $155,540 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $133,685 Year 2: $137,214 Year 3: $155,079 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $104,229 Year 2: $121,226 Year 3: $139,548 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $141,603 Year 2: $126,504 Year 3: $132,987 Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $112,885 Year 3: $124,425 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,266 Year 2: $111,435 Year 3: $112,404 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,955 Year 2: $104,749 Year 3: $109,672	Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,915 Year 2: $111,196 Year 3: $127,135 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,537 Year 2: $120,363 Year 3: $120,106 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,239 Year 2: $101,558 Year 3: $116,891 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,021 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $112,196 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,842 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $107,302 Computer Systems Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,251 Year 2: $81,491 Year 3: $100,026 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,824 Year 2: $86,867 Year 3: $99,671 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $81,633 Year 2: $81,554 Year 3: $99,143 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,678 Year 2: $73,446 Year 3: $89,611 Operations Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $89,319

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