Baylor University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Waco, Texas. It enrolls 14,785 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes89
Value8
Affordability4
Selectivity83
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Baylor University admits 51.3% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
51.3%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1200 – 1400
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
27 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Baylor University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
5.7 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $41,104 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$58,100
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,314
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,480
Books & Supplies
$1,498
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,904
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,658
Total Cost of Attendance
$74,226
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$22,024
$30,001 – $48,000
$21,530
$48,001 – $75,000
$33,902
$75,001 – $110,000
$38,852
Over $110,000
$47,895
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$8,77425%percentile
$23,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$33,25090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $21,500
↓ $1,500
No Pell $18,500
↓ $4,500
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $3,500
Independent students $18,750
↓ $4,250
Female students $19,500
↓ $3,500
Male students $19,500
↓ $3,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,000, less than completers ($23,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
73% of students who start here finish within six years, and 91% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
73%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
91%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $65,793 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$65,793
Earning > $25K
85%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$53,300
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$65,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$56,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$55,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$60,900
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,600, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
10.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 14,785 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
14,785
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
17%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 59.6%8,804
Hispanic 17.5%2,590
Asian 8.6%1,272
Other 5.5%819
Black 5.5%812
International 2.7%392
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Baylor University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Baylor University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
155 distinct programs across
27 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$3.0B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$104,682
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,167 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
305
26%
$146,548
Associate Professors
340
29%
$102,525
Assistant Professors
277
24%
$92,196
Instructors
3
0%
$71,760
Lecturers
242
21%
$69,646
Pros & Cons of Baylor University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Baylor University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Baylor University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Baylor University
The questions families ask most about Baylor University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Baylor University hard to get into?
Admissions at Baylor University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 51.3%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Baylor University?
51.3% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Baylor University?
Aim for 1400 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1200 and 1400 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Baylor University?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 27 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Baylor University cost?
Budget around $41,104 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Baylor University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $65,793 a year against a net price of $41,104, about 1.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Baylor University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Marketing, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Baylor University graduates earn?
About $65,793 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Baylor University accredited?
Yes. Baylor University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Baylor University?
14,785 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Baylor University?
73% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Baylor University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Baylor University located?
Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas.
What programs does Baylor University offer?
155 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Marketing, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Baylor University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Texas
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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