Financial Aid
Southern Methodist University Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid
Southern Methodist University gave merit aid averaging $30,239 to 501 first-year students who had no financial need, about 45% of the freshmen without need.
Merit aid
Scholarships Southern Methodist University gave to first-year students who had no financial need.
Average merit award
$30,239
Freshmen who got one
501
of 1,711 in the class
Share of those without need
45%
who received merit aid
Need-based aid
For first-year students the college found to have financial need.
Average need-based grant
$56,396
Average percent of need met
90.4%
Freshmen with need
35%
600 students
The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $65,143.
How to read these numbers
- Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
- The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
- A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.
Frequently asked questions
Does Southern Methodist University give merit scholarships?
Southern Methodist University gave merit aid averaging $30,239 to 501 first-year students who had no financial need, about 45% of the freshmen without need.
How much is the average merit scholarship at Southern Methodist University?
$30,239 for first-year students without financial need, according to Southern Methodist University's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.
Does Southern Methodist University meet full financial need?
Southern Methodist University reports meeting 90.4% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.
What share of Southern Methodist University freshmen have financial need?
600 of 1,711 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 35%, were found to have financial need.
Source: Southern Methodist University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.