SMU’s average four-year (68 percent) and six-year (79 percent) graduation rates are similar to those of the University’s peer groups.
Details about students who enter SMU as first-year students seeking Bachelor’s degrees and who complete their degrees four and six years are below.
IPEDS Reporting Year
|
2013 |
2014
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
Four-Year Graduation Rates
|
Cohort
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
Average
|
2013*
|
2014*
|
2015
|
SMU
|
67
|
67
|
67
|
68
|
71
|
68
|
68
|
72
|
73
|
75
|
Cohort Peers Average
|
69
|
69
|
69
|
71
|
71
|
NA
|
70
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Aspirational Peers Average
|
74
|
74
|
74
|
75
|
75
|
NA
|
74
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Colonial Group Average
|
72
|
72
|
73
|
74
|
74
|
NA
|
73
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Five-Year Graduation Rates |
Cohort |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
Average |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
SMU |
77 |
76 |
77 |
78 |
80 |
77 |
78 |
80 |
80 |
NA |
Cohort Peers Average |
79 |
78 |
79 |
80 |
80 |
NA |
79 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
Aspirational Peers Average |
86 |
87 |
87 |
88 |
88 |
NA |
87 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
Colonial Group Average |
84 |
85 |
85 |
86 |
86 |
NA |
85 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six-Year Graduation Rates
|
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
Average
|
2013*
|
2014*
|
2015
|
SMU
|
79
|
77
|
79
|
79
|
81
|
78
|
79
|
81
|
NA
|
NA
|
Cohort Peers Average
|
80
|
80
|
80
|
82
|
81
|
NA
|
81
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Aspirational Peers Average
|
88
|
89
|
89
|
89
|
89
|
NA
|
89
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Colonial Group Average
|
85
|
86
|
87
|
87
|
87
|
NA
|
86
|
NA
|
NA
|
NA
|
Notes
Cohort and aspirational peer data for the most recent year has not yet been shared. This page will be updated when that data is received.
1. Cohort peers: institutions which are operationally comparative to SMU. That means they are private, similar in size and in offerings. They include: American University, Baylor University, Fordham University, George Washington University, Lehigh University, Pepperdine University, Syracuse University, Texas Christian University, University of Denver, University of Miami, University of Tulsa, and Villanova University.
2. Aspirational peers: institutions with which SMU seeks to be comparable in characteristics and quality. They include: Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Carnegie Mellon University, Emory University, Northeastern University, Tufts University, Tulane University, University of Notre Dame, University of Rochester, University of Southern California, and Wake Forest University.
3. The Colonial Group: The Colonial Group is a consortium of fourteen universities formed by the Provosts of the universities, and supported by the Institutional Research offices through data exchanges and information sharing. They include: Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, George Washington University, Lehigh University, New York University, Northeastern University, Southern Methodist University, Syracuse University, Tufts University, Tulane University, University of Miami, University of Notre Dame, and Wake Forest University.
* Has not yet been reported to IPEDS. IPEDS began reporting in 2013.
NA - Not Available