Syracuse University vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Syracuse University and Southern Methodist University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Syracuse, nestled in the heart of New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. SMU, located in vibrant Dallas, Texas, offers a smaller, more intimate learning environment. Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Syracuse excelling in fields like engineering and public administration, while SMU shines in business and the arts. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Southern Methodist University	Syracuse University
Overview
Location	Dallas, Texas	Syracuse, New York
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
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%	90.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	53.1%	59.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1340 - 1510	1220 - 1400
ACT range	31 - 34	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	16.0%	25.0%
Students submitting ACT score	23.0%	13.0%
Total number of applicants	15,685	39,682
Total number of admissions given out	8,333	23,489
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,572	3,765
Yield rate	18.9%	16.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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	$72,336	$77,896
Average net price	$41,986	$43,545
Tuition	$53,464	$55,920
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,860 Meal plan: $6,578	Room/dormitory: $9,075 Meal plan: $7,820
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	74.0% Average amount $34,940	86.0% Average amount $31,590
Students receiving federal student loan	25.0% Average amount $5,241	37.0% Average amount $5,350
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $29,055	7.0% Average amount $26,377

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,908 Men 50.5% Women 49.5%	14,778 Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students	5,477 Men 52.4% Women 47.6%	6,994 Men 48.0% Women 52.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	59.4%	67.2%
International students	8.1%	16.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	3,403	8,291
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	New York New Jersey Mississippi California Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Education Legal Profession Computer and Information Science	Business Computer and Information Science Engineering Communication and Journalism Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.4%	82.4%
Dropout rate	4.7%	17.0%
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	Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,789 Year 2: $88,195 Year 3: $94,942 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,396 Year 2: $77,966 Year 3: $88,763 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,925 Year 2: $66,989 Year 3: $82,179 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,264 Year 2: $64,087 Year 3: $79,186 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,439 Year 2: $66,653 Year 3: $79,132 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,871 Year 2: $62,343 Year 3: $77,924 Business/Managerial Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $62,674 Year 3: $77,843 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,673 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $76,227 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $59,689 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $74,295 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,229 Year 2: $61,303 Year 3: $73,883

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