Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University is a private school founded in 1911. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,115 (Fall 2023) and is located on a 234-acre campus in a suburban area. The university operates on a semester-based academic calendar. Southern Methodist University is ranked 91st in the nation in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. Tuition and fees are $67,038.

This private university in Dallas, although named Southern Methodist University, does not practice any denomination in its teaching. The school was founded in 1911 by what would become the United Methodist Church, but today students of many religious faiths attend. With an average of 232 days of sunshine per year, Dallas is rich in outdoor activities. Students can attend the Dallas International Film Festival, which attracts 40,000 spectators each year, or visit the city's more than 400 parks. Students are required to live on campus for their first two years at SMU. The campus is also home to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which consists of the Bush Administration Museum, Library and Institute for Public Policy Research, and hosts frequent speakers' events.SMU Mustang athletic teams compete in the Division I American Athletic Conference, and the mascot, the Converts, is a member of the Dallas Athletic Association. The SMU Mustangs play in the Division I American Athletic Conference, and their mascot, Peruna, is a black stallion, the Shetland Dwarf Stallion. Approximately 2,000 students participate in SMU Greek Life, and all students have access to annual events such as the Festival of Lights, a candlelit assembly held each December in the main school square, and the Spring Celebration featuring bands and food! "Mane Event" (Horsehair Event).

The Cox School of Business and the Law School have well-regarded graduate programs. Undergraduates can receive a unique education through the "SMU-in-Taos" program, which sends students to a campus in the mountains of New Mexico. Students can take hands-on courses in anthropology, biology and astronomy at historic Fort Burgwin, where notable SMU alumni include former First Lady Laura Bush and the late television producer Aaron Spelling.