Graduates of Southern Methodist University earn median 4-year earnings of $95,051, placing Southern Methodist University in the 93.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $19,869 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southern Methodist University in the 95.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southern Methodist University #28 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at Southern Methodist University is anchored in business and professional fields, consistent with its dominant concentration in Business. Finance stands out as the program combining the largest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Among the largest programs by scale, Finance program graduates 290 students and delivers median four-year earnings of $133,852, with Azimuth ranking the program #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Economics program graduates 160 students with median four-year earnings of $91,701, and Azimuth ranks that program #90 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the higher-earning end, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication delivers median four-year earnings of $89,330, with Azimuth ranking it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, while Psychology, General and Kinesiology round out a program mix that clusters strongly in finance, management, and applied business disciplines — fields that align well with TX's deep employer base in financial services, energy, and technology.
Graduates of Southern Methodist University earn median 4-year earnings of $95,051, placing Southern Methodist University in the 93.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $19,869 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southern Methodist University in the 95.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southern Methodist University #28 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at Southern Methodist University is anchored in business and professional fields, consistent with its dominant concentration in Business. Finance stands out as the program combining the largest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Among the largest programs by scale, Finance program graduates 290 students and delivers median four-year earnings of $133,852, with Azimuth ranking the program #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Economics program graduates 160 students with median four-year earnings of $91,701, and Azimuth ranks that program #90 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the higher-earning end, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication delivers median four-year earnings of $89,330, with Azimuth ranking it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, while Psychology, General and Kinesiology round out a program mix that clusters strongly in finance, management, and applied business disciplines — fields that align well with TX's deep employer base in financial services, energy, and technology.
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Southern Methodist University earn median 4-year earnings of $95,051, placing Southern Methodist University in the 93.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $19,869 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southern Methodist University in the 95.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southern Methodist University #28 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at Southern Methodist University is anchored in business and professional fields, consistent with its dominant concentration in Business. Finance stands out as the program combining the largest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Among the largest programs by scale, Finance program graduates 290 students and delivers median four-year earnings of $133,852, with Azimuth ranking the program #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Economics program graduates 160 students with median four-year earnings of $91,701, and Azimuth ranks that program #90 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the higher-earning end, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication delivers median four-year earnings of $89,330, with Azimuth ranking it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, while Psychology, General and Kinesiology round out a program mix that clusters strongly in finance, management, and applied business disciplines — fields that align well with TX's deep employer base in financial services, energy, and technology.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Southern Methodist University's program mix is anchored in business, finance, and applied quantitative fields — a signature well matched to its location in one of the country's most active commercial and financial centers. Business forms the core of the institution's degree output, with Business accounting for 27% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 11% and Engineering at 6%. Across 45 programs, 13 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 2,072 students annually. Finance anchors the institution's strongest aggregate return, combining meaningful cohort scale with competitive median earnings four years after enrollment — the combination of volume and pay that drives the most economic value for graduates. Finance, the largest program with 290 graduates, delivers median earnings of $133,852 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Economics (160 graduates) follows with median earnings of $91,701, and Azimuth ranks it #90 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication and Psychology, General round out the high-enrollment tier, each delivering solid early-career median earnings that reflect the institution's applied-professional orientation. The highest-earning programs at Southern Methodist University cluster in finance, computing, and quantitative fields — pathways where graduates enter the Dallas labor market and national employer networks directly. Finance leads on median earnings four years after enrollment at $133,852, and Azimuth ranks it #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Computer Science and Mathematics follow closely, each posting median earnings that place them among the stronger-performing programs in their respective fields nationally. These are high-mobility pathways where four-year median earnings reflect direct labor-market outcomes rather than graduate-school deferrals. For context on how these fields align with national hiring demand, see the .
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Southern Methodist University earn median 4-year earnings of $95,051, placing Southern Methodist University in the 93.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $19,869 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southern Methodist University in the 95.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southern Methodist University #28 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern at Southern Methodist University is anchored in business and professional fields, consistent with its dominant concentration in Business. Finance stands out as the program combining the largest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Among the largest programs by scale, Finance program graduates 290 students and delivers median four-year earnings of $133,852, with Azimuth ranking the program #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Economics program graduates 160 students with median four-year earnings of $91,701, and Azimuth ranks that program #90 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. On the higher-earning end, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication delivers median four-year earnings of $89,330, with Azimuth ranking it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, while Psychology, General and Kinesiology round out a program mix that clusters strongly in finance, management, and applied business disciplines — fields that align well with TX's deep employer base in financial services, energy, and technology.
