Carnegie Mellon vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Carnegie Mellon University and Southern Methodist University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Carnegie Mellon, located in the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is renowned for its rigorous academics, particularly in the fields of computer science, engineering, and business. Southern Methodist University, situated in the vibrant city of Dallas, Texas, emphasizes a well-rounded education with strengths in business, engineering, and the arts. While both universities boast impressive acceptance rates, Carnegie Mellon's is slightly lower, indicating a more selective admissions process. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Carnegie Mellon University logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

Overview

Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Dallas, Texas
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: 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 97.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 13.5% 53.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1480 - 1560 1340 - 1510
ACT range 33 - 35 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 48.0% 16.0%
Students submitting ACT score 22.0% 23.0%
Total number of applicants 32,896 15,685
Total number of admissions given out 4,453 8,333
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,896 1,572
Yield rate 42.6% 18.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,664 $72,336
Average net price $37,450 $41,986
Tuition $57,560 $53,464
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,614

Meal plan: $6,536
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)

50.0%
Average amount $39,421
74.0%
Average amount $34,940
Students receiving federal student loan 37.0%
Average amount $4,672
25.0%
Average amount $5,241
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $29,079
5.0%
Average amount $29,055

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,932
Men 50.2% Women 49.8%
6,908
Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
Graduate students 8,125
Men 62.3% Women 37.7%
5,477
Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 85.0% 59.4%
International students 40.0% 8.1%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,754 3,403
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Virginia Texas California Florida New York Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Physical Science
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 82.4%
Dropout rate 3.5% 4.7%
Transferred out 2.8% 12.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $161,723
  • Year 2: $160,116
  • Year 3: $201,541
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $139,390
  • Year 2: $133,383
  • Year 3: $150,136
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,615
  • Year 2: $107,758
  • Year 3: $132,201
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,935
  • Year 2: $114,223
  • Year 3: $129,112
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,283
  • Year 2: $120,549
  • Year 3: $122,667
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $95,295
  • Year 3: $112,628
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,041
  • Year 2: $89,859
  • Year 3: $106,086
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,653
  • Year 2: $94,940
  • Year 3: $104,312
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,636
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $103,853
Systems Science and Theory (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,123
  • Year 2: $84,393
  • Year 3: $103,805
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

Compare Similar Colleges

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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