A college's ethnic diversity is indicated by the student body's equal inclusion of students from different backgrounds . Students at SMU are primarily White with a smaller Hispanic population. The school has medium racial diversity. 35% percent of students are minorities or people of color (BIPOC). The ethnic breakdown is detailed in the following table.
| Race | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| White |
65%
|
| Black |
5%
|
| Hispanic |
11%
|
| Asian |
7%
|
| American Indian / Alaskan |
0%
|
| Hawaiian / Pacific Islander |
0%
|
| Two or more races |
4%
|
| International |
8%
|
| Race Unknown |
0%
|
There are 0.4% more male students than female students enrolled at Southern Methodist University with a gender ratio of 50% men to 50% women. Compared to the US average of 56% female students, SMU has a higher gender diversity than other US colleges and is very inclusive of both genders.
| Gender | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
50%
|
| Women |
50%
|
| Gender | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
6,040
|
| Women |
6,013
|
SMU serves a high number of out-of-state students with 62% of the student body residing outside of Texas or from other countries.
| Origin | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| In State |
38%
|
| Out of State |
58%
|
| Foreign |
3%
|
| Unknown Location |
1%
|
11% of students can be considered low-income as indicated by their receipt of Federal Pell Grant Aid.
| Segment | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Students Over 25 Years Old | 3.6% |
| Part time Undergrads | 3% |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=228246 IPEDS survey data for Southern Methodist University.