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Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 7,106 Undergrads 81.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$82,532
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$41,778
After Aid
Median Earnings
$78,354
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$41,778
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$78,354
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate81.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients11.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.3%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
61.2%
SAT Avg
1,424
SAT Reading
25th: 66070075th: 730
SAT Math
25th: 66072575th: 750
ACT Composite
25th: 303375th: 34
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$654k
+$258k
+$170k
Median Cost$42k/yr
+$504k
+$108k
+$20k
Full Cost$83k/yr
+$357k
-$39k
-$127k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$42k/yr
54
13%
Full Cost$83k/yr
Never
-43%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return10%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-62%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Certificates
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
CertCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$101,801
Lifetime Value Added
+$547k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$16,200
Earnings (5yr)
$94,535
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (5yr)
$68,161
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,316
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$116,818
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,737
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,109
Lifetime Value Added
-$575
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (5yr)
$116,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$317k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,423
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,905
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$34,577
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$18,625
Earnings (5yr)
$96,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$95,549
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$73,804
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,722
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$19,439
Earnings (5yr)
$131,515
Lifetime Value Added
+$427k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,394
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,581
Earnings (5yr)
$80,147
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$22,280
Earnings (5yr)
$79,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$228k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$67,878
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,509
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$95,864
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,571
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$16,188
Earnings (5yr)
$95,148
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (5yr)
$35,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$314k
Operations Research
BachCIP: 1437
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$123,913
Lifetime Value Added
+$371k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$84,753
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$64,774
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Public Policy Analysis
BachCIP: 4405
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$77,862
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$76,143
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$19,730
Earnings (5yr)
$73,502
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Lifetime Value Added
-$297k
Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
Graphic Communications
PB-CertCIP: 1003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,613
Lifetime Value Added
+$310k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$36,500
Earnings (5yr)
$106,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$415k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$98,182
Earnings (5yr)
$155,390
Lifetime Value Added
+$834k
Computer Systems Analysis
MastCIP: 1105
Median Debt
$95,275
Earnings (5yr)
$133,925
Lifetime Value Added
+$652k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
MastCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$70,624
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$137,458
Lifetime Value Added
+$682k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
MastCIP: 5207
Median Debt
$70,114
Earnings (5yr)
$159,581
Lifetime Value Added
+$869k
Finance and Financial Management Services
MastCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$85,733
Earnings (5yr)
$150,080
Lifetime Value Added
+$789k
Graphic Communications
MastCIP: 1003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$94,130
Lifetime Value Added
+$312k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
MastCIP: 2202
Median Debt
$60,100
Earnings (5yr)
$104,281
Lifetime Value Added
+$399k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,574
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Manufacturing Engineering
MastCIP: 1436
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$109,763
Lifetime Value Added
+$504k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$140,280
Lifetime Value Added
+$706k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$71,062
Earnings (5yr)
$63,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,698
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Operations Research
MastCIP: 1437
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$90,412
Lifetime Value Added
+$328k
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
MastCIP: 3005
Median Debt
$42,000
Earnings (5yr)
$79,609
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Real Estate
MastCIP: 5215
Median Debt
$51,966
Earnings (2yr)
$106,421
Lifetime Value Added
+$473k
Systems Engineering
MastCIP: 1427
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$137,839
Lifetime Value Added
+$685k
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$100,672
Lifetime Value Added
+$368k
Theological and Ministerial Studies
MastCIP: 3906
Median Debt
$66,844
Earnings (5yr)
$59,381
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Graduate Certificates
Graphic Communications
Gr-CertCIP: 1003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$95,731
Lifetime Value Added
+$441k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$145,569
Earnings (5yr)
$146,572
Lifetime Value Added
+$483k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.