Is SMU (Southern Methodist University) a good company to work for?

SMU (Southern Methodist University) has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 1,178 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 78% of employees would recommend working at SMU (Southern Methodist University) to a friend and 66% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about SMU (Southern Methodist University) have been left by employees working as Student Assistant , Graduate Student and Teaching Assistant .

Does SMU (Southern Methodist University) pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, SMU (Southern Methodist University) employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at SMU (Southern Methodist University). This rating has decreased by 7% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at SMU (Southern Methodist University)?

78% of SMU (Southern Methodist University) employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated SMU (Southern Methodist University) 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at SMU (Southern Methodist University)?

Research Assistant (69) , Teaching Assistant (41) , Student Worker (29) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (28) , Graduate Research Assistant (24) , Assistant Director (22) , Director (21) , Student Assistant (17) , Tutor (14) , Assistant Professor (13) , Coordinator (11) , Associate Director (10) , Graduate Student (10) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (10) , Administrative Assistant (9)

What are the pros of working at SMU (Southern Methodist University) according to real employee reviews?

"Beautiful offices and campus." ((in 88 reviews)); "Great benefits and work environment" ((in 77 reviews)); "All the people here are nice and knowledgable" ((in 69 reviews)); "very flexible hours and able to work around your schedule" ((in 44 reviews)); "Meadows had a great culture." ((in 23 reviews))

What are the cons of working at SMU (Southern Methodist University) according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low; Lack of pay" ((in 78 reviews)); "Low salaries and healthcare covers nothing" ((in 37 reviews)); "Management is poor." ((in 17 reviews)); "Pay isn't great, parking is annoying" ((in 14 reviews)); "lack of diversity in some departments" ((in 11 reviews))

What are employees saying about SMU (Southern Methodist University) layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about SMU (Southern Methodist University) layoffs and their outlook for job security at SMU (Southern Methodist University) in 2026.

What are the top reviewed SMU (Southern Methodist University) locations?

Dallas , Plano , Dallas-Fort Worth , Carrollton , Dallas , University Park , Herndon , New York , Portland , Allen , Frisco , Irving , McKinney , Rowlett , Waxahachie , Houston , Dallas , Dallas , Highland Park

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SMU (Southern Methodist University)

SMU (Southern Methodist University) reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(1,070 total reviews)

R. Gerald Turner

92% approve of CEO

66% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Work/Life balance

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.9

Culture & values

3.7

Senior management

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Career opportunities

SMU (Southern Methodist University) has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 1,070 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The SMU (Southern Methodist University) employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

3.0

Mar 8, 2022

A great mission but very outdated policies, unclear direction

Director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The university enjoys the energy that comes with working with students and the mission of encouraging young people to get an excellent education is admirable. Many people who work there are truly inspired and talented. In general, coworkers treat one another with respect.

Cons

The HR policies are wildly out of date: no days off for your first six months on the job, and then vacation days are slow to earn. Even experienced professionals start with zero. Remote or flexible work is pretty much forbidden. The pay is relatively low for the amount of work expected. In my departments, it felt like we were constantly putting out fires because planning and direction were so vague.

1.0

Feb 16, 2016

Low Pay, Low Morale

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

None. The competent employees leave as soon as they can secure a new position. Long-term employees are mostly inept with a few who are merely lazy rather than incompetent sprinkled in for good measure.

Cons

Low pay Inept leadership Nepotism and favoritism abounds Lack of opportunity Management is indifferent to employee morale

2.0

Jun 10, 2017

Great job, poor management model

Groundskeeper

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Loved working here.. environment was challenging and diverse. Decent starting pay. Plenty of opportunity for growth. Training and protective equipment available whenever needed.

Cons

Bad management decisions regarding job structuring and transition from contract to inhouse, and vice versa. Poor handling of layoff process due to termination of service contract. Management and HR somewhat high-handed and arrogant..

Viewing 4 - 6 of 1,070 Reviews

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A great mission but very outdated policies, unclear direction

Low Pay, Low Morale

Great job, poor management model

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