As graduation looms in May, SMU students will walk across the field at Gerald Ford Stadium, shake hands with university leaders and accept a diploma that solidifies the time and effort they spent as scholars. From restless nights cramming for exams in Fondren Library to long hours huddled over group projects in Cox classrooms, seniors will close a chapter defined by routine and familiarity. What comes next is far less certain: new jobs, cities, social life and responsibilities. But for many, one thing in their routine will not change: calling Dallas home.
For many out-of-state students, Dallas is no longer a detour after college; it’s a place where young professionals establish roots and embrace the Texan lifestyle. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), Dallas saw an influx of 76,805 Gen Z out-of-state movers, ranking it among the nation’s top destinations for that age group.
Jaden Cox is a California native and a December 2025 graduate of SMU with a degree in operations research engineering management and data science.
“I wanted to leave California and try out a new place. I lived there my whole life and I loved it, but college is the time to experiment,” Cox said. “If I didn’t like Dallas, I knew it would only be four years.”
Cox has just started working at FieldPulse, a software company that partners with growing field service businesses. The company was co-founded by an SMU alumnus, giving Cox a connection to her university community as she stepped into the professional world.
Within her first few months working full-time, she noticed the professional culture in Dallas is ambitious, entrepreneurial and driven, which is different than L.A.’s laid-back pace.
“People [in Dallas] are really focused on one specific career they want to be successful in,” Cox said. “From what I’ve experienced, people are a little more driven here.”
Cox is one of many SMU students, particularly those from out of state, who chose to remain in Dallas after graduation and build careers in the same city where they earned their degrees. According to SMU’s Total Enrollment Demographics dashboard, about 73 percent of the student body comes from out of state. The Heigi Center could not provide a stat on the percentage of out-of-state students who stay in Dallas, but the university estimates that more than 64,000 alumni live in Dallas.
Minneapolis senior Jordan Allbritton, a finance major with a minor in sport management, said the decision to stay was both practical and personal.
“Once you’ve already packed up and moved once, I wasn’t trying to go through the hassle of doing that again, especially when I already have my apartment, car and life established here,” Allbritton said. “Dallas is where I’ve started building myself, and it just made sense to stay.”
Allbritton has accepted a wealth management position with J.P. Morgan Chase at the company’s Plano office and plans to attend graduate school at SMU next year. Allbritton will pursue the MBA Direct program at SMU, a three-year track that allows students to begin an online MBA immediately after undergrad while working full-time. The program eliminates the traditional two- to three-year wait before applying to graduate school.
“I could start my career here without drowning financially,” Allbritton said.
The wealth management path he’s chosen also allows him to both have an impact and help people on a personal level, he said.
“I get to talk to people, connect with them, help them with money management and plan for their future,” Allbritton said.
Students also said they stay in Dallas because the city is on its way to becoming a major professional hub. Major corporations have signaled long-term commitments to the region.
Goldman Sachs plans to build an 800,000-square-foot campus in Dallas that will house more than 5,000 employees. Meanwhile, the New York Stock Exchange has expanded into Dallas with NYSE Texas and the Texas Stock Exchange will launch this year. These major investments reinforce the city’s role as a financial center.
According to JLL’s 2025 Talent Hubs report, 3.1 percent of 2025 college graduates moved to the metro Dallas area. area, a 26 percent increase from the previous year, drawn largely by opportunities in finance, consulting and technology.
Evan Saperstein, associate director for career development at SMU’s Hegi Family Career Development Center, tied that growth directly to students’ decisions.
“From a career standpoint, Dallas offers opportunity. It’s growing. Dallas is expanding into Plano, Frisco, Prosper and Fort Worth. There’s a variety of industries,” Saperstein said.
Saperstein used the manufacturing and supply chain growth in Fort Worth’s Alliance Corridor as one example of the area’s diverse job prospects.
“Dallas has major headquarters, a strong downtown, many events, multiple professional sports teams—soccer, basketball, baseball, football,” Saperstein said. “Universal Studios is coming here. It’s booming and growing.”
SMU’s reputation in Texas also factors into students’ decision to stay and their ability to have doors opened.
“Personally, just graduating from this school and knowing how well-known it is makes a difference,” Allbritton said. “When I interned at Chase last year and told people I went to SMU, they immediately recognized the name. The school kind of speaks for itself.”
Blake Lyster, a May 2025 graduate of SMU who works as a financial management consultant at West Monroe, said the university’s strong alumni network in Dallas allows recent graduates to reach early career success more easily as opposed to living in other cities.
“I think ultimately my perspective and a lot of my peers’ perspective was that you can get placed in better jobs within Dallas if you stay right after college,” Lyster said. “Cox has a really great reputation in Dallas that people might not know as much in other cities because it’s a smaller school, so my perspective was to start my career in Dallas, work really hard and build up my resume and my reputation.”
Saperstein noted that the university’s alumni network and employer engagement in Dallas have strengthened over time, creating a built-in ecosystem for recent graduates.
“Graduates go where the jobs are, and Dallas has a thriving employment market that consistently attracts top talent,” Saperstein said.
For many out-of-state students, Dallas is no longer a detour after high school; it’s where young professionals are establishing roots.
“One of the major benefits of staying in Dallas is that you already have an established community, and I think that’s huge,” Lyster said. “ I feel like I already have my feet under me, and I’m ahead of the curve in being an adult. Going to school in a city surrounded by working professionals forces you to grow up faster, and I’ve really appreciated that about SMU and staying here.”
With more than 20 Fortune 500 companies in the region and opportunities in nearly every industry, deciding where to launch a career after graduation can feel overwhelming, but staying in Dallas offers SMU students a practical advantage. Familiarity with the professional landscape, alumni networks and local culture can make the transition into post-grad life smoother while also giving graduates the chance to establish themselves in a city that continues to develop and build its reputation.
