Southern Methodist University is one among the top 11% of the universities in the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal. It takes the 4th position out of 800 colleges and universities in Texas according to the publication. The university is located in Dallas, a global center of business and commerce. This factor is instrumental in enhancing the career prospects and social life of SMU graduates.

Southern Methodist University Global Rankings

QS Top Universities

QS top universities have ranked Southern Methodist University based on various criteria that include aspects of faculty-student ratio and international students. The ranking over the past few years has been tabulated below for your reference.

The source ranks the ‘ Economics and Econometrics’ program globally. The ranking over the years and the criteria used are given below.

US News and World Report

US News and World Report rank the university 507 globally. Southern Methodist University also gets ranked by the publication on various criteria on a global level.

We can infer from the table that SMU has a good reputation for its international collaborations. This enables its graduates to get ready as global competitors.

Southern Methodist University National Ranking

The national ranking of SMU by various sources is tabulated below.

US News and World report rank universities that come under the Carnegie classification. This is used by the Department of Education for the classification of higher education institutes. SMU comes under the National University category- one which provides a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses. US News’s National Ranking (2021) of Southern Methodist University is 66th.

The US News ranks the university in the following aspects as well:

• The best college for veterans- No.38
• Best value schools- No.151
• Performance in social mobility- No.373
• Best Online Masters in Engineering Program- No.74-94

Categories like ‘value schools’ and ‘social mobility’ prove that apart from academics the university provides a congenial and warm space for students across various economic backgrounds.

Southern Methodist University Employment Rankings

Southern Methodist University was one among 300 in the Forbes ‘ Best Value College Ranking 2019’. SMU was considered ‘worth the investment’ by the publication. The ranking was based on quality, net price, alumni earnings, net debt, and access for low-income students.

Stacker considered SMU one of 100 private colleges in the nation with the best Return on Investment. College factual, a publication whose rankings are based on student outcomes, considered SMU among its top 5% in pay for graduates. Southern Methodist University is also No. 1 in producing the highest-paid music graduates.

Payscale’s 2021-22 college salary reports consider SMU among its top 19% for ‘Best College for Salary Potential’ and its top 7% for ‘ Highest-Paid Graduates’ categories.

Apart from the quality of education and the citations held by the faculty, the high graduate employment rates in SMU is because of its location. Dallas is one of the fastest-growing regions in terms of economy in the United States. A few features of Dallas in terms of job prospects for students are mentioned below.

• Home to 300 corporate headquarters
• Houses 21 Fortune 500 companies
• 7 of Forbes’ private companies are located
• DFW- No.1 metro area for STEM jobs
• Comes 3rd out of 500 cities for innovation
• Comes 2nd in the nation for Business and careers
• Top 100 US cities to live, work and visit
• Top North Texas cities in terms of quality of life and affordability.

Rankings of the Schools at Southern Methodist University

Cox School of Business

The business school of SMU is considered to be among the top 10% business schools of 2022 in the USA. Following are the various positions occupied by the school in different categories.

The Business school’s full-time MBA program has jumped two positions up since last year. The Poets and Quants for Undergraduates have given the university the 11th position, out of 97 colleges for the ‘Nations top MBA program’. The rank is given on the basis of academic experience, placements, and administrative standards.

Dedman School of Law

The law school of SMU is quite famous and has featured in the “Go- to Law schools” section of the National Law Journal. Some data regarding its academic status is tabulated below.

The Southern Methodist University’s Law school has come under 50 in all categories, making it prestigious and worthy to enroll in.

Lyle School of Engineering 

The school of engineering is among the top 26% in the ‘Best Undergraduate Engineering Program’ category by US news. The other positions held by this college are tabulated below.

The college has also been a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defence Education for fifteen years now.

Meadows School of Art

Dallas is not just a growing economic center but also is also the largest art district in the country. The Meadows School of Arts has definitely leveraged the advantages due to its physical location. This has enabled it to secure various honorable positions in the country.

Dedman College of Humanities

The median salary for the students graduating from this school is quite high. This factor has made it secure the 14th position among 25 colleges in 2022.

DIVERSE Issues In Higher Education has ranked this college in the 15th position in mathematics and statistics.

The Southern Methodist University feels proud of having an academic relationship with the Bush Presidential Center. The US presidential library is honored to achieve the LEED platinum certification for its eco-friendly design and construction.

The sports teams of Southern Methodist University compete in the NCAA division. 10 congressmen and 2 US senators are alumni of SMU. The University’s church- the Perkins Chapel- is ranked 16 out of 35 churches in the country.

Southern Methodist University provides one of the nation’s best undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. It gives the students a good blend of academic quality and industry exposure. The art and culture of the city makes it a good place to live and work too.