University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

When it comes to higher education, University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) offer distinct experiences for prospective students. UHCL, a public university, boasts an acceptance rate of 85%, making it more accessible to a wider range of students. SMU, a private university, has a more selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 52%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at UHCL including Business, Education, and Nursing, while SMU is known for its strengths in Business, Engineering, and the Arts. UHCL's student body is predominantly composed of undergraduate students, while SMU has a larger graduate student population. Additionally, UHCL has a higher graduation rate compared to SMU. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your
Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

University of Houston-Clear Lake logo

University of Houston-Clear Lake

Overview

Location Dallas, Texas Houston, Texas
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
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% 74.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 53.1% 91.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $45
SAT range 1340 - 1510 978 - 1170
ACT range 31 - 34 17 - 23
Students submitting SAT score 16.0% 62.0%
Students submitting ACT score 23.0% 7.0%
Total number of applicants 15,685 1,793
Total number of admissions given out 8,333 1,635
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,572 334
Yield rate 18.9% 20.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not 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
In state: $32,030

Out of state: $45,326
Average net price $41,986 $16,737
Tuition $53,464
In state: $6,024

Out of state: $19,320
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,860

Meal plan: $6,578
$12,909
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
73.0%
Average amount $12,458
Students receiving federal student loan 25.0%
Average amount $5,241
19.0%
Average amount $4,905
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $29,055
1.0%
Average amount $9,181

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,908
Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
6,764
Men 35.8% Women 64.2%
Graduate students 5,477
Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
2,515
Men 35.7% Women 64.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 59.4% 0.3%
International students 8.1% 6.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,403 559
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 Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 17:1
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% 53.1%
Dropout rate 4.7% 10.5%
Transferred out 12.4% 30.3%
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
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,431
  • Year 2: $78,343
  • Year 3: $82,653
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,173
  • Year 2: $78,343
  • Year 3: $77,443
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,972
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $70,684
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $61,814
  • Year 3: $70,167
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,428
  • Year 2: $60,128
  • Year 3: $64,014
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,816
  • Year 2: $59,666
  • Year 3: $61,322
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,334
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $61,262
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,787
  • Year 2: $49,631
  • Year 3: $61,250
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,015
  • Year 2: $51,356
  • Year 3: $58,484
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,087
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $56,129

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