PonyFans.com

https://smu.edu/financial_aid/Costs.asp

this is insane

5% compounded annual increase will be , $60,643, $63676, $66,860 equals $248,935 total for four year degree from SMU.

http://www.today.com/money/most-expensi ... 6C10604264
the 20 most expensive colleges:
The top twenty, in descending order of cost, are:
1.New York University, $61,977
2.Harvey Mudd College, $61,760
3.Bard College, $61,446
4.Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, $60,779
5.Sarah Lawrence College, $60,656
6.Wesleyan University, $60,214
7.Dartmouth College, $60,201
8.University of Chicago, $60,039
9.Bard College at Simon's Rock, $60,003
10.Trinity College, $59,860
11.Johns Hopkins University, $59,802
12.Fordham University, $59,802
13.Carnegie Mellon University, $59,632
14.University of Southern California, $59,615
15.Occidental College, $59,592
16.Scripps College, $59,570
17.Oberlin College, $59,474
18.Haverford College, $59,446
19.Pitzer College, $59,416
20.Northwestern University, $54,389


SMU should be number 20. if not, very close.


TCU $48,530
http://www.fam.tcu.edu/cost.asp

That's the price of poker nowadays. You see all those fancy new buildings on campus? You see all the progress that has been made in the last 5-10 years? None of that happens without tuition increases. If you look at the cost of higher education (both public and private) you're probably looking at spending six figures to send your child to a good school. I agree that these costs are spiraling out of control, but when other peer institutions are doing it how can you not join them? SMU is expensive. That's just the way it is. I still say its the best INVESTMENT and decision I have ever made.

Is that total cost for 4 years?

$58,000 roughly for a year at SMU.

Adjust for inflation and the four year total cost will run you probably close to $250-$260K.

And then they call you up after graduation and ask for donations... Like they did you some kind of favor by taking your money and giving you a piece of paper!

Other than buying tickets to sports games, SMU will never get another dime out of me. I paid them VERY well for my education.

Tough to disagree with.

Top 25 in everything we do.

Only the dummies pay full tuition

SMU2007 wrote:Only the dummies pay full tuition

+1

But as for donations, as a young alum, I give somewhere from $4-$10 each year. They don't call the rest of the year, and part of the school's US News ranking is from % alumni donation.

Agreed about full tuition being only for the dummies. Through financial aid/scholarshipts/etc it was actually cheaper for me to attend SMU than UT-Austin.

Also, how is it "insulting" for the university to reach out to new alums for donations? They aren't asking you to send them gold bars. I typically give SMU anywhere between $100-$200 a year. As another poster mentioned, alumni giving is a heavy factor in the US News Rankings. I see it as continuing the investment I've already made to my degree and I'm helping SMU and future students. No one is making you give SMU money. Every school reaches out to its alums for donations.

I give at least $10-25 each year to increase alumni giving %. As has been said, it is a huge factor in the rankings. Don't be a deadbeat! Give at least $1.00 every year!

It is insulting. And they start at 500$, not 1-2. And they call weekly.

False. I've never given SMU $500. Also I always get a thank you e-mail or phone call. Regardless of what you think ALL universities do this with their young alumni.

Yeah.

Just because they start at $500 does not mean you can't offer them less.

Regardless, I do not see the insult. What is the specific insult you feel?