Southern Methodist University
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| Motto | Latin: Veritas liberabit vos |
|---|---|
Motto in English | "The truth will set you free" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | April 17, 1911 |
| Accreditation | SACS |
Religious affiliation | United Methodist Church |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $2.7 billion |
| Budget | $923.0 million (FY2025) |
| President | Jay Hartzell |
| Provost | Rachel Davis Mersey |
| Faculty | 1,163 (fall 2024) |
Total staff | 3,037 (fall 2024) |
| Students | 12,544 (fall 2025) |
| Undergraduates | 7,545 (fall 2025) |
| Postgraduates | 4,999 (fall 2025) |
| Location | , United States 32°50′19″N 96°46′59″W / 32.83855°N 96.78294°W |
| Campus |
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| Other campuses | Taos |
| Newspaper | The Daily Campus |
| Colors | Red and blue |
| Nickname | Mustangs |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot | Peruna |
| Website | smu |
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Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in University Park, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South—now part of the United Methodist Church—in partnership with Dallas civic leaders. It is currently non-sectarian in its teaching and enrolls students of all religious affiliations. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production".
As of fall 2025, the university had 12,544 students, including 7,545 undergraduates and 4,999 postgraduates. As of fall 2024, its instructional faculty was 1,163 members, with 788 being full-time.
In the 2020 academic year, the university granted over 3,827 degrees, including 315 doctoral, 1,659 master's, and 1,853 bachelor's degrees. Graduate degrees are offered in eight schools: the Edwin L. Cox School of Business, the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, the Dedman School of Law, the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering, the Algur H. Meadows School of the Arts, the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Perkins School of Theology, and the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.