History
SMU was founded by what is now The United Methodist Church, in partnership with civic leaders.
Education
SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, hands-on research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
The University offers a strong foundation in the humanities and sciences and undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs through eight schools.
Research
SMU is a private research university with a legacy of scholarly impact, creating knowledge and leaders through research and graduate education.
Career
SMU Dedman School of Law Office of Career Services is committed to fostering the professional development of our students to position them for success in law and business. We also work with a wide variety of employers, helping them meet their hiring needs with our students and graduates while providing students access and exposure to a broad range of employment opportunities.
Short Courses
University Ranking
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2023
701
2022
701 -100
2021
601
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2024
1001 -200
2023
801
2022
801
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2024
-
2023
732 -118
2022
614
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Student services
The Office of the Dean of Students is one of the primary areas within the Division of Student Affairs at SMU. This office oversees departments that provide essential services, support and programs to students, faculty, staff, and the University as a whole.
Housing services
Accommodations may require an assessment of the environment to determine whether they are reasonable in a particular class. As a result, the implementation of these accommodations cannot always be defined outright by DASS, but rather warrants additional consideration that will vary from one course to another based on its essential components.
Library services
If you live near Dallas or are visiting the area, please feel free to stop by and use the libraries in-person. You can borrow from most of the libraries on-campus with an alumni library card and we look forward to assisting you with your research needs.
ICT services
To fulfill its mission, OIT provides computing, information processing, and communications resources to satisfy the needs of faculty, students, and staff, and offers comprehensive support services to help them use technology effectively and creatively.
Medical services
The Dr. Bob Smith Health Center is a convenient medical clinic located on the SMU campus for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury. The clinic is staffed by full time physicians, registered nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory and x-ray technologists for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury.
Campus life
The Plano campus opened in 1997 to offer SMU's resources to working professionals in the growing Collin County area who wished to strengthen their careers through higher education. Today some 800 graduate students are enrolled at the campus, pursuing master's degrees or professional certificates through programs including the Cox Professional M.B.A., counseling, dispute resolution, teacher education and engineering. The digital game design Master's program at The Guildhall at SMU attracts students from across the United States and internationally.
Sports facilities
Here at the Department of Recreational Sports, we'll get you going. From team sports to personal fitness to active fun, you'll find it all here.
We're located in the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports. The Center offers 170,000 square feet of indoor recreational space plus an outdoor social area that includes The Falls (a zero entry pool with 7-foot waterfalls), two sand volleyball courts, and leisure spaces. So come check us out and find the active way you want to live.
The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Inc., an association that represents campus public safety leaders at more than 1,000 institutions of higher education, offers IACLEA Accreditation to colleges and university law enforcement, security, and public safety agencies. IACLEA Accreditation constitutes recognition that an agency conforms to the highest professional standards for campus law enforcement and protective services.