The real 4-year cost of Southern Methodist University in Texas
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Southern Methodist University went from $33,170 to $71,816, an average of 3.7% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $71,816Fall 2026-Spring 2027 flat rate tuition (12-18 term credit hours), $31,868/semester, plus general student fee ($338/term credit hour, capped at $4,040/semester, which full-time students reach). Both components x 2 semesters.source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $33,170 | – | – |
| 2009 | $35,160 | – | – |
| 2010 | $37,230 | – | – |
| 2011 | $39,430 | – | – |
| 2012 | $41,750 | – | – |
| 2013 | $43,800 | – | – |
| 2014 | $45,940 | – | – |
| 2015 | $48,190 | – | – |
| 2016 | $50,358 | – | – |
| 2017 | $52,498 | – | – |
| 2018 | $54,492 | – | – |
| 2019 | $56,560 | – | – |
| 2020 | $58,540 | – | – |
| 2021 | $60,236 | – | – |
| 2022 | $61,980 | – | – |
| 2023 | $64,460 | – | – |
| 2026 | $71,816 | $71,816 | – |
| 2027 | – | $74,468 | $73,735–$75,201 |
| 2028 | – | $77,218 | $75,705–$78,746 |
| 2029 | – | $80,070 | $77,728–$82,459 |
| 2030 | – | $83,027 | $79,805–$86,346 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $71,816 |
| Year 2 | $74,468 |
| Year 3 | $77,218 |
| Year 4 | $80,070 |
| 4-year total | $303,572 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $263,572
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $168,853
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $18,230/ yr
- rising 2.5% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $81,388
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Southern Methodist University4-year schools with similar prices in Texas
Closest to Southern Methodist University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Rice University$72,124
- Baylor University$67,756
- Texas Christian University$66,610
- Trinity University$59,920
- Saint Edward's University$51,384
- University of Dallas$50,880
- Southwestern University$50,858
- Austin College$46,063
Use this data
Published figures for Southern Methodist University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.