Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at Southern Methodist University vary significantly by field of study. These rankings evaluate each program by post-graduation earnings, debt burden, and return on investment — not prestige or reputation.
Use this analysis to compare programs and understand which fields deliver the strongest outcomes.
Analyzing 35 programs with available earnings data.
recent graduates
This bar shows the range of median earnings across all majors at this school.
The tables below compare programs in each category by earnings, rank, debt, and cohort size.
These sections represent the complete set of ranked undergraduate programs at Southern Methodist University.
Computer Science. leads engineering & technology with 127K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science. | — | $126,590★ | $56,424 | 90 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | — | $90,649 | — |
Program rankings are derived entirely from post-graduation outcomes. We do not use reputation surveys, selectivity metrics, or SAT scores. This means some programs may rank differently than you'd expect based on prestige — and that's intentional.
Median earnings 10 years post-enrollment
Debt burden relative to earnings
Institutional contribution to outcomes
Resources, cohort size, and graduation rates
Trajectory from early to mid-career
| 47 |
| Operations Research. | — | $76,460 | — | 45 |
| Civil Engineering.Small sample | — | $73,737 | — | 15 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering.Small sample | — | $54,713 | — | 16 |
Finance and Financial Management Services. leads business & economics with 134K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services. | — | $133,852★ | $60,168 | 290 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | — | $106,799 | — | 55 |
| Accounting and Related Services. | — | $103,675 | — | 75 |
| Marketing. | — | $88,627 | — | 81 |
Mathematics. leads sciences & mathematics with 112K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics. | — | $111,773★ | $46,211 | 82 |
| Biology, General. | — | $78,466 | $46,705 | 89 |
| Statistics. | — | $76,759 | — | 52 |
| Chemistry.Small sample | — | $38,919 | — | 7 |
Economics. leads social sciences & policy with 92K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics. | — | $91,701★ | $53,138 | 160 |
| Psychology, General. | — | $72,136 | $60,748 | 103 |
| Anthropology.Small sample | — | $68,161 | — | 6 |
| Political Science and Government. | — | $52,941 | — | 49 |
| Public Policy Analysis. | — | $45,852 | — | 44 |
| Sociology.Small sample | — | $35,060 | — | 17 |
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. leads communications with 89K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | — | $89,330★ | $61,236 | 120 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | — | $42,044 | — | 41 |
| Journalism. | — | $36,560 | — | 42 |
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. leads humanities & arts with 94K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. | — | $93,769★ | $59,999 | 38 |
| Dance.Small sample | — | $49,423 | — | 14 |
| History. | — | $47,260 | — | 35 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | — | $43,128 | — | 40 |
| Design and Applied Arts.Small sample | — | $42,728 | — | 12 |
| Philosophy. | — | $42,334 | — | 25 |
| English Language and Literature, General.Small sample | — | $37,748 | — | 17 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.Small sample | — | $35,844 | — | 8 |
| Fine and Studio Arts. | — | $35,276 | — | 27 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts. | — | $29,685 | — | 21 |
| Music. | — | $25,194 | — | 30 |
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. leads other & interdisciplinary with 63K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | — | $62,838★ | — | 97 |
| International/Globalization Studies.Small sample | — | $42,682 | — | 17 |
Why rankings may differ by program: A university's nursing program and business program can have entirely different outcome profiles. Our methodology surfaces these differences so you can evaluate programs — not just institutions.
