Rochester vs Southern Methodist University (SMU)

Nestled in the heart of New York, the University of Rochester (UR) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, stand as two distinct academic powerhouses. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer unique experiences shaped by their diverse locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. UR boasts a highly selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 32%, while SMU offers a slightly more accessible pathway, accepting 53% of applicants. In terms of student body composition, UR's undergraduate population is predominantly female (56%), while SMU's student body is more evenly balanced, with 49% female and 51% male students. Dive into the comprehensive comparison table below to explore further differences in popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors that will help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Southern Methodist University logo

Southern Methodist University

University of Rochester logo

University of Rochester

Overview

Location Dallas, Texas Rochester, 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% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 53.1% 40.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1340 - 1510 1370 - 1520
ACT range 31 - 34 31 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 16.0% 22.0%
Students submitting ACT score 23.0% 7.0%
Total number of applicants 15,685 19,543
Total number of admissions given out 8,333 7,924
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,572 1,623
Yield rate 18.9% 20.5%
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 $79,456
Average net price $41,986 $40,125
Tuition $53,464 $58,276
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,860

Meal plan: $6,578
Room/dormitory: $10,692

Meal plan: $6,696
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
75.0%
Average amount $37,870
Students receiving federal student loan 25.0%
Average amount $5,241
37.0%
Average amount $4,351
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $29,055
7.0%
Average amount $22,054

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,908
Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
6,568
Men 48.0% Women 52.0%
Graduate students 5,477
Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
5,471
Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 59.4% N/A
International students 8.1% 30.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 3,403 1,350
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Texas California Florida New York Illinois N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.4% 85.9%
Dropout rate 4.7% 4.2%
Transferred out 12.4% 8.8%
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
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,070
  • Year 2: $89,524
  • Year 3: $104,615
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,531
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $104,384
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,464
  • Year 2: $95,073
  • Year 3: $92,400
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,860
  • Year 2: $83,546
  • Year 3: $90,745
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,134
  • Year 2: $73,321
  • Year 3: $87,028
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,597
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $83,153
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,852
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $75,215
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,873
  • Year 2: $57,705
  • Year 3: $73,661
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,906
  • Year 2: $61,516
  • Year 3: $72,841
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,595
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $70,372

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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