University of Saint Mary vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

When it comes to higher education, University of Saint Mary and Southern Methodist University stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. With an acceptance rate of 80%, University of Saint Mary welcomes a diverse student body, fostering a close-knit community. In contrast, Southern Methodist University, with a more selective acceptance rate of 48%, attracts a larger and more diverse student population. While both universities offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, University of Saint Mary excels in nursing, education, and social work, while Southern Methodist University is renowned for its business, engineering, and law programs. Discover more key differences between these two esteemed universities by exploring the comprehensive comparison table provided on this page, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

University of Saint Mary logo

University of Saint Mary

Overview

Location Dallas, Texas Leavenworth, Kansas
Campus setting Suburb: Large Town: Fringe
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% 52.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Methodism Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 53.1% 80.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $25
SAT range 1340 - 1510 N/A
ACT range 31 - 34 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 16.0%
Students submitting ACT score 23.0%
Total number of applicants 15,685 1,805
Total number of admissions given out 8,333 1,461
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,572 242
Yield rate 18.9% 16.6%
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 Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $72,336 $44,190
Average net price $41,986 $23,801
Tuition $53,464 $30,580
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,860

Meal plan: $6,578
Room/dormitory: $4,325

Meal plan: $4,390
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

74.0%
Average amount $34,940
99.0%
Average amount $19,936
Students receiving federal student loan 25.0%
Average amount $5,241
96.0%
Average amount $5,064
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $29,055
11.0%
Average amount $11,369

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,908
Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
858
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
Graduate students 5,477
Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
422
Men 36.0% Women 64.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 59.4% 60.6%
International students 8.1% 0.6%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 3,403 360
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 Kansas Missouri Texas California Colorado

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.4% 46.7%
Dropout rate 4.7% 13.3%
Transferred out 12.4% 40.0%
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
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,712
  • Year 2: $68,101
  • Year 3: $70,710
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $70,356
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,076
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $69,179
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,444
  • Year 2: $61,764
  • Year 3: $66,624
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,984
  • Year 3: $59,211
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,904
  • Year 2: $40,896
  • Year 3: $33,995
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,138
  • Year 3: $30,738
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $40,281
  • Year 3: N/A
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $50,439
  • Year 3: N/A

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