# Southern Methodist University: Economics (bachelor's)

Dallas, TX. IPEDS 228246, CIP 45.06. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-methodist-university/majors/economics

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $71,630
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $91,701 (U.S. median for this major: $79,489 across 368 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $19,500 (U.S. median $22,907)
- Rank in TX: 2 of 14 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the TX median for this major (14 colleges, $76,842): +$14,859
- Versus the U.S. median: +$12,212

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.1 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $91,701 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $23,544 | $96,530 | 1.7 years |
| 30-48k | $20,038 | $82,156 | 1.4 years |
| 48-75k | $24,152 | $99,023 | 1.7 years |
| 75-110k | $33,477 | $137,256 | 2.4 years |
| 110k+ | $58,213 | $238,673 | 4.1 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Economics at TX colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice University | $129,575 | $11,289 | $13,370 | 95% |
| Southern Methodist University | $91,701 | $19,500 | $40,892 | 84% |
| Texas Christian University | $89,466 | $19,500 | $36,660 | 86% |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $89,354 | $21,125 | $19,857 | 89% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | $81,562 | $19,500 | $21,315 | 84% |
| University of Dallas | $78,699 | $24,752 | $22,610 | 73% |
| University of Houston | $78,204 | $19,500 | $14,276 | 65% |
| The University of Texas at Dallas | $75,479 | $20,748 | $18,267 | 76% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | $71,821 | $20,500 | $13,951 | 54% |
| Texas State University | $71,739 | $22,717 | $16,805 | 55% |
| Texas Tech University | $68,973 | $27,125 | $19,070 | 69% |
| Austin College | $67,071 | not reported | $21,107 | 67% |
| University of North Texas | $66,040 | $23,619 | $15,649 | 61% |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $56,369 | not reported | $4,831 | 51% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $65,890 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, $63,590 TX, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists (SOC 13-1161): median wage $75,240 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, $72,520 TX, $78,760 U.S.; U.S. jobs 7% by 2035
- Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051): median wage $127,750 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, $122,090 TX, $120,230 U.S.; U.S. jobs 34.6% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).