Sul Ross State vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Sul Ross State University and Southern Methodist University, two distinct institutions of higher learning in Texas, offer contrasting educational experiences. Sul Ross, a public university in Alpine, boasts an acceptance rate of 88%, making it more accessible to a wider range of students. Its popular majors include Education, Business, and Agriculture, catering to those seeking careers in these fields. In contrast, Southern Methodist University, a private research university in Dallas, has a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 48%. It excels in majors such as Business, Engineering, and the Arts, attracting students with diverse academic interests. While Sul Ross fosters a close-knit community with a student body of around 2,000, SMU's larger student population of over 11,000 creates a vibrant and diverse campus environment. Both universities offer excellent graduation rates, with Sul Ross at 58% and SMU at 84%, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their

	Southern Methodist University	Sul Ross State University
Overview
Location	Dallas, Texas	Alpine, Texas
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	51.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	53.1%	100.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1340 - 1510	905 - 1050
ACT range	31 - 34	14 - 17
Students submitting SAT score	16.0%	22.0%
Students submitting ACT score	23.0%	14.0%
Total number of applicants	15,685	549
Total number of admissions given out	8,333	549
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,572	195
Yield rate	18.9%	35.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$72,336	In state: $25,004 Out of state: $37,244
Average net price	$41,986	$15,580
Tuition	$53,464	In state: $6,774 Out of state: $19,014
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,860 Meal plan: $6,578	Room/dormitory: $5,396 Meal plan: $3,328
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	74.0% Average amount $34,940	84.0% Average amount $8,877
Students receiving federal student loan	25.0% Average amount $5,241	59.0% Average amount $5,109
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $29,055	5.0% Average amount $14,577

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,908 Men 50.5% Women 49.5%	1,608 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students	5,477 Men 52.4% Women 47.6%	492 Men 31.7% Women 68.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	59.4%	1.5%
International students	8.1%	0.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	3,403	758
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Texas California Florida New York Illinois	Texas Colorado New Mexico Oklahoma

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Education Legal Profession Computer and Information Science	Education Business Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
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%	28.8%
Dropout rate	4.7%	33.2%
Transferred out	12.4%	35.5%
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	N/A

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Sul Ross State vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Southern Methodist University

Sul Ross State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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