SMU Cox [$343k total] vs Indiana Kelley [$260k total] [NY resident, finance / real estate]

[GerardF]

For better community input, please provide the below details about your college offers:

Net price per year at each college, after applying scholarships and financial aid grants.

SMU’s Cost of Attendance for 4 years is
$343,300 net of merit aid @ 5% annual escalation

Indiana’s OOS Cost of Attendance for 4 years is $260,207 @ 5% annual escalation

Maximum parent contribution per year.

100%

Major/division admitted to at each college, if applicable to the college. Also, any special programs like honors programs or combined degree programs (e.g. BA/BS->MD).

SMU Cox Business Direct Admit BBA
Indiana Kelley Business Direct Admit BS

If you applied to regular fall term start, specify if you were admitted to start at a different campus, in study abroad, in an online/distance or extension program, or other than in the fall term.

Fall 2025 Start

Desired major and post graduation goals (including if pre-med, pre-law, etc.).

Finance - work in real estate finance or real estate private equity

If not a frosh admit finishing high school, indicate status (e.g. sophomore level transfer, junior level transfer, frosh after gap year(s)).

N/A

International or domestic student (and state of residency if domestic).

Domestic, Resident of New York, NY

Student preferences beyond the above (including weather, class sizes, campus culture, college demographics, fraternities/sororities, distance from home, etc.).

Greek Life, school spirit, warm weather preferred

Preliminary assessment of each college based on the above.

IDK

Why did you apply to each college you are considering?

Both were excellent business schools in Target/Likely range

[thumper1]

To me, it sounds like SMU…even though it’s more expensive

[GerardF]

Please tell me why. Kelley is nationally ranked while SMU is more regional. As a New Yorker, my DD will have to adapt to either school, but she’s friendly, funny & fearless.

[thumper1]

@GerardF

Greek Life, school spirit, warm weather preferred

Because SMU has all of these and Kelley does not. SMU more Greek presence, and warm weather.

[happy1]

If they are both comfortably affordable for your family then go with your preference.

[cinnamon1212]

My son, who went to SMU Cox, majored in real estate finance and now works in real estate private equity in nyc. Goldman Sachs’ real estate division is headquartered in Dallas fyi.

SMU was a great experience for my son, but I am not sure how it is for women. Especially women who grew up in the Northeast. The culture will be very different!

[tsbna44]

School spirit - large big 10 vs smaller acc school. Both.

Weather SMU

Career outcomes - you decide.

SMU finance $88.3k, real estate $65.5k and real estate finance $71,700

IU finance includes real estate $84.4k.

IU data has a nice geographical salary breakdown - ie you make less in Missouri than NY etc.

I think as the schools are different in size and surrounding (and weather), both are great. If there’s no debt and no impact to your family’s lifestyle - then both are great choices. Two reasonable people could choose one each.

Good luck.

Undergraduate - Employment Outcomes

Salary Statistics

[jym626]

Be careful when considering career outcome reports. They can have many flaws and skewed data as discussed here:

Problems and limitations with College career outcome reports: reading between the lines

As students are weighing their college acceptances/choices, one of the variables frequently mentioned is the college’s career outcome report, to consider how many of the school’s graduates are employed and what are their average salaries (usually starting salaries, though some also look at later career grads). While these reports can be an interesting metric, one needs to do a deeper dive and to be careful to recognize the limits and potential flaws with these reports. First and foremost, it is limited by the # of students responding to the surveys. As this excellent article Colleges’ career success stats don’t tell the whole story about how their graduates are doing after they get their degree notes, “This is, perhaps, the greatest selling point for any institution of higher education. Students consistently say that finding a good-paying job is among the top reasons why they go to college. As scholars of career education, we believe it’s important for students and families to know …

[GerardF]

Although my DD attends a well-regarded NE boarding school, she’s concerned about what she perceives as an ostentatiously wealthy culture (or subculture) at SMU. As a native Chicagoan, I’m perhaps more concerned about the student culture of a large Midwestern land grant university.

[Catcherinthetoast]

@jym626

Be careful when considering career outcome reports.

Not to mention these are simple google searches. I would anticipate those coming to CC are seeking first hand experiences not just information they could source and interpret themselves.

For instance @cinnamon1212 has a student whose interests and experiences mirror OP. Her insights I would find invaluable.

I can say based on first hand experience that both schools occupy similar positions in the recruiting hierarchy for IBs. SMU tends to place more regionally which in some ways is advantageous if the student is willing to work in the Dallas area.

Either one is a great opportunity but I suspect they have significant cultural “fits” particularly for someone from the northeast. My very northeast prep school Brown alum kid just returned from 2 years in Texas and absolutely loved it but his roomate returned to Boston after 6 months. Definitely worth a visit if possible.

[GerardF]

We visited SMU. She loved the campus. We’re visiting Indiana next week.

[Knowsstuff]

Well, I personally would save the approx $120,000 and invest half of it for her if that is easily doable and go to Kelly. I just know too many people that went there with fantastic outcomes. Living in Chicago it’s a target Business school and just an overall great school.

If she loves the schools equally to me this is a no brainer. I just don’t see the advantage of the extra money in this case. There will be warm weather from May to September . But fall is absolutely wonderful also. Your really dealing with 3 months of cold or so.

It’s a rah rah school. Everyone is wearing their school sweats etc. Very friendly to women and they have sororities and Greek life if she wants it.
5 hr train ride to Chicago or 3.5 hour car ride.

Nationally known VS regionally known but honestly, these kids get jobs all over from both.

I know students there now and it’s just one of those schools that especially women just love the school. Lots of East coast kids also.

[bamajack]

Where do you want to live after college? If it’s Texas, the state that is likely to grow the most over the next 20 years, then go to SMU. If it’s Chicago or the Midwest, go to IU. If it’s NYC, either can get you there though neither would have a huge pipeline of students.

You want to live in a big city (Dallas) or a college town (Bloomington)? SMU is in a very nice part of Dallas, but most of the social life at SMU if off-campus. There are few parties at frat houses.

Dallas is warm most of the year, though Dec-Feb can be cold.

Both schools have a vibrant Greek scene. The SMU Greek scene is huge for a medium-sized school.

If you do well post college in your career, you will make up the tuition delta in just a few years.

[GerardF]

DD & I visited Bloomington this weekend and she choose Indiana’s Kelley School. Great steak at Janko’s Little Zagreb, too!

[happy1]

Congrats!