HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Southern Methodist University vs Texas Christian University

Southern Methodist University clears +$923K in 30-year net value, Texas Christian University +$847K — both pay off, Southern Methodist University by +$77K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX

clears more

30-year net value
+$923K
Total cost of attendance
$330,760
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$72,598
Breaks even by age
—

Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX

30-year net value
+$847K
Total cost of attendance
$288,080
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$67,942
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Southern Methodist University vs Texas Christian University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/smu-vs-tcu

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Questions

Is Southern Methodist University or Texas Christian University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Southern Methodist University clears +$923K and Texas Christian University +$847K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Southern Methodist University comes out ahead by +$77K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Southern Methodist University pay off than Texas Christian University?
About +$77K over a 30-year horizon (+$923K vs +$847K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Southern Methodist University?
+$923K at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $330,760, median earnings ten years out $72,598. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.