- Acceptance rate: 63% for fall 2024
- Average high school GPA: 3.69, as reported by the college for 2025–26
- SAT, middle 50%: 670–740 reading and writing, 670–750 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 30–34 composite
- Average net price: $45,792 a year (2022–23)
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How does your GPA compare?
Don't know your GPA? Check my GPA
Where you standEnter your GPA
Type your GPA to compare it with what Southern Methodist University reported: an average GPA of 3.69 (2025–26), an acceptance rate of 63% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 30–34.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Southern Methodist University reviews each application.
Southern Methodist University average GPA
Southern Methodist University reported an average high school GPA of 3.69 for its first-year students who submitted one (100% did), in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether it's weighted or unweighted.
How their high school GPAs were spread:
| High school GPA | Share of first-year students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | |
| 3.75–3.99 | |
| 3.50–3.74 | |
| 3.25–3.49 | |
| 3.00–3.24 | |
| 2.50–2.99 | |
| 2.00–2.49 |
An average, not a cutoffColleges calculate GPA in different ways, so these figures can't be compared directly with your own GPA.
Southern Methodist University acceptance rate
Southern Methodist University admitted 9,657 of 15,245 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 63%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Southern Methodist University is a private nonprofit 4-year university in Dallas, Texas, with 7,285 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Southern Methodist University in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 670 | 700 | 740 |
| SAT Math | 670 | 720 | 750 |
| ACT Composite | 30 | 32 | 34 |
| ACT English | 30 | 33 | 35 |
| ACT Math | 27 | 30 | 33 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1428 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Southern Methodist University looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Required |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Required |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Required |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Considered if submitted |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Considered if submitted |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Considered if submitted |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Considered if submitted |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Not considered |
AP credit
Southern Methodist University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It also awards credit for life experience, such as work or military service.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $45,792 a year at Southern Methodist University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get into Southern Methodist University with a 3.5 GPA?
23.3% of Southern Methodist University's first-year students who submitted a GPA had one below 3.5, as the college reported in its 2025–26 Common Data Set, and it admitted 63% of applicants for fall 2024. Colleges calculate GPA in different ways, so compare on the same scale and look at your courses and test scores too.
What GPA do you need to get into Southern Methodist University?
Southern Methodist University doesn't set a minimum GPA we could verify. Its first-year students averaged 3.69, as reported by the college in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether that average is weighted or unweighted.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Methodist University?
Southern Methodist University's acceptance rate was 63% for fall 2024: it admitted 9,657 of 15,245 first-year applicants, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Southern Methodist University hard to get into?
It's moderately accessible: more than half of applicants got in. Southern Methodist University admitted 63% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Does Southern Methodist University require the SAT or ACT?
No. Southern Methodist University is test optional: it considers SAT or ACT scores if you send them, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024. Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 16% sent SAT scores and 9% sent ACT scores.
What SAT and ACT scores do Southern Methodist University students have?
The middle 50% of Southern Methodist University's fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 670–740 in reading and writing and 670–750 in math; ACT composite 30–34, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
How much does GPA matter at Southern Methodist University?
A lot: Southern Methodist University requires high school GPA, high school record, college preparatory program, recommendations and essay or personal statement. It considers high school class rank, test scores, demonstration of competencies, work experience and legacy status if you send them. It doesn't consider other tests. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
What GPA do most Southern Methodist University students have?
76.7% of Southern Methodist University's first-year students who submitted a high school GPA had 3.50 or higher, and the largest group (30.2%) had 3.75–3.99, as the college reported in its 2025–26 Common Data Set. The college doesn't say whether these GPAs are weighted or unweighted.
Does Southern Methodist University accept AP credit?
Yes. Southern Methodist University awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
What is the average net price at Southern Methodist University?
First-time, full-time undergraduates who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $45,792 a year at Southern Methodist University in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Before you applyRequirements can differ by program and change from year to year. Confirm the details on Southern Methodist University's official admissions site.
Sources
- College Navigator: Southern Methodist UniversityU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- Southern Methodist University Common Data Set 2025–26Southern Methodist University: average high school GPA of first-year students and how their GPAs were spread.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
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