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Southern Methodist University (SMU) vs Vanderbilt

Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Vanderbilt University, two prestigious private research universities located in vibrant cities, offer distinct educational experiences. SMU, situated in the heart of Dallas, Texas, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on experiential learning, while Vanderbilt, nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, is renowned for its rigorous academics and commitment to research. With acceptance rates of 48% and 10%, respectively, both universities are highly selective, attracting top students from across the nation. While SMU's popular majors include business, engineering, and communication, Vanderbilt excels in fields such as medicine, engineering, and social sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

 		Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Dallas, Texas Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 53.1% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60
Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $50
Graduate: $95
SAT range 1340 - 1510 1480 - 1570
ACT range 31 - 34 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 16.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 23.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 15,685 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 8,333 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,572 1,626
Yield rate 18.9% 48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $72,336 $79,538
Average net price $41,986 $27,553
Tuition $53,464 $54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,860
Meal plan: $6,578
Room/dormitory: $12,000
Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

 74.0%
Average amount $34,940 		64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 25.0%
Average amount $5,241 		10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $29,055 		2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students 6,908
Men 50.5% Women 49.5% 		7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 5,477
Men 52.4% Women 47.6% 		6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 59.4% 89.5%
International students 8.1% 11.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,403 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Texas California Florida New York Illinois Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.4% 93.4%
Dropout rate 4.7% 6.4%
Transferred out 12.4% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754

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The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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