Southern Methodist University

SMU is on a 234-acre campus in the urban setting of Dallas, Texas, not far from Dallas-Fort Worth.

SMU Student Activities

SMU has many clubs, organizations, and activities for students to join – including band, chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.

Interested in Greek life? SMU has fraternities and sororities.

SMU has the Program Council. In fact, more students participate in the Program Council than any other on-campus activity.

Other popular student organizations at SMU include Student Senate, Student Foundation, Residence Hall Association and SPARC (Students Promoting Awareness, Responsibility, and Citizenship).

The SMU community comes together each year for Homecoming, Sing Song and Mane Event (all-school block party).

SMU Housing

This table offers information on housing at SMU.

SMU offers housing for students. Students are required to live on campus through sophomore year. First year students are guaranteed on-campus housing.

The majority of SMU students live on campus. In 2022, 52% of undergrads at SMU lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 48% of students lived off-campus or commuted to SMU. First year students are allowed to park a car on campus.

SMU offers coed housing and housing for students with disabilities.

SMU Athletics

At SMU there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.

Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.

Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.

Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.

Let's take a look at the athletic options available at SMU:

Is SMU Safe?

College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.

Southern Methodist University is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The SMU campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night.

SMU offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students. Campus housing is secure and dorms can only be accessed with secure key cards.

Plan a Visit to SMU

Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit SMU, take U.S. Highway 75 to Dallas, TX. If you need to fly, book your flight to Dallas-Fort Worth International airport.

While you're planning, check out other schools in Texas you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.

Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore SMU's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour

Keep Reading About SMU

Choose one of the options below to find out more about about SMU:

Overview

Admissions

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about SMU.