National university
#7 Best colleges in TexasBaylor University
Waco, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $41,104 a year
Median debt at graduation: $23,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Baylor College Tour - Full Episode · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for social work in America#35 of 605
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#55 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#67 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#72 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#59 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#125 of 1,563
Show 18 more
- Best colleges for finance in America#63 of 744
- Best colleges for education in America#113 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#107 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#199 of 1,829
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#201 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#157 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#170 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#159 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#155 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#158 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#154 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#162 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#160 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#157 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#153 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#110 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#123 of 749
- Best large colleges in America#54 of 256
In Texas
- Best colleges for nursing in Texas#4 of 52
- Best colleges in Texas#7 of 85
- Best colleges for social work in Texas#3 of 34
- Best colleges for business in Texas#7 of 79
- Best colleges for education in Texas#6 of 65
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Texas#6 of 64
Show 19 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Texas#8 of 85
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Texas#6 of 63
- Best colleges for accounting in Texas#6 of 61
- Best colleges for psychology in Texas#7 of 71
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Texas#7 of 68
- Best colleges for English in Texas#7 of 67
- Best colleges for history in Texas#7 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in Texas#7 of 67
- Best colleges for finance in Texas#6 of 57
- Best test-optional colleges in Texas#7 of 65
- Best colleges for computer science in Texas#3 of 27
- Best colleges for art and design in Texas#6 of 54
- Best colleges for marketing in Texas#6 of 54
- Best colleges for chemistry in Texas#7 of 63
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Texas#7 of 62
- Best colleges for music in Texas#7 of 56
- Best colleges for engineering in Texas#7 of 46
- Best large colleges in Texas#4 of 19
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Texas#6 of 26
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.80%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.91%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,329 · ACT 29.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$15,852
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $74,226 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 15,155 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 41% · Women 59% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 17% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 38% |
| Total students | 20,824 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $41,104 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $74,226 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 80% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 70% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 65% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 72% |
| First-year retention | 91% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $65,793 |
| Admission rate | 51% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $996 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 12% |
| Average SAT | 1329 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 610–700 |
| SAT math | 590–700 |
| ACT composite | 27–32 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | |
| Business (general) | |
| Finance | |
| Accounting | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| Real Estate | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Mathematics | |
| Nursing | |
| Human resources | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Business administration | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Engineering (general) | |
| Marketing | |
| International business | |
| Pre-health | |
| International relations | |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | |
| Chemistry | |
| Psychology | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Journalism | |
| Design | |
| Political science | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Communication studies | |
| Social work | |
| Sociology | |
| Secondary education | |
| Biology | |
| History | |
| Teacher education | |
| English | |
| Neuroscience | |
| General studies | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Anthropology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Religious studies | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Family and human development | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Theatre | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Air Transportation, Allied health, Applied Statistics, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Classics, Clinical laboratory science, Data Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Film and video, Geology and earth science, German, Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Insurance, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other business, management, marketing, and related support services, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Religious Music and Worship, Romance languages, Science Technologies/Technicians, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Special education, Statistics, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Biology | |
| Communication | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,314 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Twelve Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 15 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 10%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 67%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $99,795IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 31% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Waco Regional Airport (ACT)About 8 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Dallas Love Field (DAL)About 91 miles away |
| Town population | 143,570Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ArlingtonAbout 80 miles away · about 1 hour 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 47°F in January · 85°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Waco Dam, TX, about 7 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.08 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.18 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.19 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Baylor University’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 11% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Baylor University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $41,104 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Baylor University?
- Baylor University admitted 51% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Baylor University’s graduates do?
- 80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $65,793; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 223232
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education; Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Baptist
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