EarnLookup / College Scorecard / Field of Study
Accounting and Related Services at Southern Methodist University
Bachelor's Degree · Dallas, TX
Compare federally reported graduate earnings, borrower debt and the college's institution-level costs. These are different populations and periods, not a forecast of an individual's results.
How Much Do Accounting and Related Services Graduates Earn at Southern Methodist University?
The reported median annual earnings in the fourth full year after completion for eligible federal-aid recipients are:
$103,6752022–2023 measured earnings · 2024 dollarsHow Much Federal Student Loan Debt Do Accounting and Related Services Graduates Have?
For eligible federal loan borrowers completing this credential, the reported median debt is:
$15,850Borrowers only · 2018–19 / 2019–20 completion cohortsA descriptive comparison of two separately measured medians from different cohorts. It is not a loan repayment rate, debt-to-income ratio for a typical graduate, or return on investment.
What Stands Out in the Accounting and Related Services Data at Southern Methodist University?
These observations compare published federal measures for this college and field; they do not predict an individual student's outcome.
Where Does the College Median Fall Within National Earnings References?
The college's reported fourth-year median of $103,675 is above the national 75th-percentile earnings reference ($97,191) for this field and credential. This is a comparison of published earnings statistics, not a ranking of colleges or a percentile for this college's graduates.
Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; EARN_MDN_4YR_NAT; EARN_P25_4YR_NAT; EARN_P75_4YR_NAT
Why Can the Fourth- and Fifth-Year Earnings Figures Differ?
The five-year median ($94,535) is lower than the four-year median ($103,675) by $9,140. These figures may describe different completion cohorts; the gap is not measured salary growth or decline for the same graduates.
Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; EARN_MDN_5YR
Do Published In-State and Out-of-State Tuition Figures Differ?
Published in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees are both $67,040. This does not mean every student pays the same net amount after aid. These are institution-wide figures, not a verified price for this particular degree.
Source fields: TUITIONFEE_IN; TUITIONFEE_OUT
What Do Federal Loan and Pell Grant Shares Indicate?
Across the institution, 21.5% of undergraduates are reported as receiving federal loans and 12.8% as receiving Pell Grants. These groups can overlap; the percentages do not describe borrowing rates or aid eligibility for this particular program.
Source fields: PCTFLOAN; PCTPELL
Calculated comparisons from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. These summaries follow explicit data rules; missing or privacy-suppressed values are never filled in or estimated.
What Do the Reported Earnings and Student Debt Figures Mean?
Southern Methodist University's accounting major is a 120-credit B.B.A. in the Cox School of Business, with 25 credits of accounting-major requirements. This is relevant to students planning CPA careers: check the applicable state's current education rules and whether additional coursework would affect the total cost.
College Scorecard reports fourth-year median earnings of $103,675 for the bachelor's-level Accounting and Related Services field at SMU, $27,481 (36.1%) above the $76,194 national benchmark. Its separately reported fifth-year median is $94,535. Because the figures may describe different graduate cohorts, the lower five-year value is not evidence that individual salaries declined. Median federal debt among eligible borrowers is $15,850, or 15.3% of the separately measured fourth-year earnings median; this is not a loan-payment estimate.
Cost changes the interpretation: SMU's institution-wide average annual cost is reported as $85,606, while its institution-wide average net price is $40,892. Neither is the guaranteed cost of this accounting degree for an individual student. Compare your own financial-aid offer, expected borrowing and potential additional CPA-related study before treating the earnings premium as a personal financial return. College Scorecard source release: June 10, 2026 (not the earnings measurement year).
Editorial context is separate from the federal data fields below.
How Much Does Southern Methodist University Cost per Year?
Reported in-state tuition and fees are $67,040. Reported out-of-state tuition and fees are $67,040. These institution-wide amounts are not the verified price of this degree, and their reporting period may differ from earnings and debt cohorts.
| Cost measure | Published USD |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $67,040 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $67,040 |
| Average annual cost | $85,606 |
| Average net price (private / other institutions) | $40,892 |
How Do Accounting and Related Services Earnings at Southern Methodist University Compare Nationally?
The reported fourth-year median for this college is $103,675, compared with the national median of $76,194 for the same four-digit CIP field and credential level.
What Do the National Earnings Percentiles Show?
| National reference | Reported annual earnings |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile, same field and credential | $56,205 |
| Median, same field and credential | $76,194 |
| 75th percentile, same field and credential | $97,191 |
National figures are program-category benchmarks, not this institution's salary percentiles. The difference between two reported medians is descriptive, not an estimate of an individual's pay advantage. Source: College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release; EARN_MDN_4YR and EARN_MDN_4YR_NAT.
What Are the Reported Earnings for Accounting and Related Services Graduates After Completion?
For Accounting and Related Services at Southern Methodist University, the reported median earnings by measurement point are one year: $68,643; four years: $103,675; five years: $94,535. These are separate group-level measures, not one person's salary progression; missing or privacy-suppressed values are not estimated.
| Time after completion | Reported median annual earnings |
|---|---|
| One year | $68,643 |
| Four years | $103,675 |
| Five years | $94,535 |
These are independent group-level measures that may cover different completion cohorts. Do not read the figures as one cohort's wage growth or a guaranteed personal salary trajectory. Source fields: EARN_MDN_1YR, EARN_MDN_4YR, EARN_MDN_5YR.
What Student Enrollment and Outcome Statistics Are Reported for Southern Methodist University?
The institution reports 7,277 undergraduate students. These figures cover the college as a whole, not the Accounting and Related Services program or the alumni included in the earnings figures.
| Institution-wide indicator | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,277 |
| Admissions rate | 63.3% |
| Completion within 150% of normal time (Four-year institution) | 84.3% |
| First-time, full-time student retention (Four-year institution) | 90.5% |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants | 12.8% |
| Undergraduates receiving federal loans | 21.5% |
Measure definitions, eligibility criteria and reporting cohorts differ. Admission, completion and retention rates should not be compared without checking institution level and student populations. Values are reported as supplied, not modeled or inferred.
How Do Earnings and Debt Compare Across Other Programs at Southern Methodist University?
Among the 5 other eligible program records shown, Finance and Financial Management Services has the highest displayed median earnings at $133,852. These are selected reported figures, not a ranking of every program at the college.
The figures below are reported for other four-digit CIP fields at the same institution, with both earnings and federal debt available. Program names and credential levels may differ. This is not a ranking of program quality.
| Field · credential | Median earnings | Median federal debt | Earnings vs. this field |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree | $133,852 | $19,500 | +$30,177 |
| Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree | $126,590 | $26,000 | +$22,915 |
| Mathematics · Bachelor's Degree | $111,773 | $21,000 | +$8,098 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree | $106,799 | $19,500 | +$3,124 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics · Bachelor's Degree | $93,769 | $19,730 | −$9,906 |
Difference = other field's reported median earnings minus Accounting and Related Services reported median earnings. It is not the expected salary difference for an individual student.
How Do Accounting and Related Services Earnings Compare at Other Colleges?
Among the 5 TX comparison colleges displayed, Baylor University reports the highest median annual earnings at $102,011. This is a limited alphabetically selected sample, not a ranking of all colleges.
Matches use the same four-digit CIP code (5203) and the same credential level (Bachelor's Degree). Only colleges with reported earnings and federal borrower-debt figures are eligible. Suppressed or unmatched records are omitted.
Comparison scope: TX. Up to five eligible colleges, ordered alphabetically; this is neither a comprehensive list nor a national or state ranking.
| College | State | Median earnings | Median federal debt | Earnings vs. this college |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian University | TX | $93,032 | $22,142 | −$10,643 |
| American InterContinental University-Houston | TX | $53,956 | $51,848 | −$49,719 |
| Angelo State University | TX | $68,230 | $21,148 | −$35,445 |
| Baylor University | TX | $102,011 | $20,500 | −$1,664 |
| DeVry University-Texas | TX | $66,596 | $54,380 | −$37,079 |
Values are separately reported medians for different groups of graduates and borrowers. School prices, cohort sizes, student characteristics and employment locations can differ. Alphabetical sampling does not establish relative quality or typical outcomes.
How Much Could Monthly Payments Be on Accounting and Related Services Student Debt?
Using the reported borrower median of $15,850, an illustrative 6% fixed annual interest rate and a 10-year term gives an estimated payment of $175.97 per month. This is a hypothetical calculation, not an actual loan quote or current federal interest rate.
Change the starting balance, assumed interest rate or repayment period below to explore your own scenario; the published federal debt figure stays unchanged.
Assumes fixed interest, equal monthly payments, no fees, no missed payments, no interest capitalization and immediate repayment. It does not model income-driven repayment, forgiveness, deferment or actual loan terms. Not financial advice.
Who Is Included in These Graduate Earnings and Federal Debt Figures?
Which Graduates Are Included in the Earnings Data?
Federal-aid recipients completing this credential in pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, employed and not enrolled during the fourth full year after completion. Earnings were measured in 2022 and 2023 and adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Which Borrowers Are Included in the Federal Debt Data?
Federal loan borrowers completing the credential in pooled 2018–19 and 2019–20 cohorts. The median measure excludes private loans and Parent PLUS borrowing. It does not describe all graduates.
What Are the Main Limitations of These Figures?
The field is a four-digit CIP classification, not a verified college department name. Multi-campus institutional figures may pool locations. Institution-wide tuition must not be multiplied by assumed program duration to infer a degree price.
Where Do These College Earnings and Student Debt Figures Come From?
| Source | U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard |
|---|---|
| Data release | 2026-06-10 |
| Institution UNITID | 228246 |
| OPEID6 from field record | 003613 |
| CIP / credential level | 5203 / 3 |
| Original field CSV row | 174692 |
| Original numeric fields | EARN_MDN_4YR=103675.00; DEBT_ALL_STGP_ANY_MDN=15850.00 |