How much money do Southern Methodist University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $58,100 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $73,000 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for SMU graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer Science with a median starting salary of $72,100 followed by Operations Research paying $70,100 and Mechanical Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $68,400 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $106,500 followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $105,600 and Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degree) who earn $100,900 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Southern Methodist University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Master's Degree) | $106,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $105,600 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degree) | $100,900 |
| Marketing (Master's Degree) | $97,000 |
| Systems Engineering (Master's Degree) | $91,300 |
| Computer Systems Analysis (Master's Degree) | $78,700 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $75,600 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $72,100 |
| Operations Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $70,100 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $68,400 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $68,100 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,500 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $60,400 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,000 |
| Education, Other (Master's Degree) | $56,400 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $53,900 |
| Graphic Communications (Post-baccalaureate Certificate) | $50,200 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,100 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degree) | $48,600 |
| Graphic Communications (Master's Degree) | $46,900 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $45,600 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (Master's Degree) | $43,000 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,900 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,900 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) | $39,800 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,300 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,100 |
| Graphic Communications (Graduate/Professional Certificate) | $38,800 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,300 |
| Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,900 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,200 |
| Music (Master's Degree) | $33,200 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,100 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,900 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,500 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,400 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $17,600 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=228246 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Southern Methodist University.