Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 57/100

Wayland Baptist University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Plainview, Texas

About Wayland Baptist University

Thinking about Wayland Baptist University, a college in Texas where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Wayland Baptist University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Plainview, Texas. It enrolls 2,041 students (a mid-sized 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.

Acceptance
56%
Graduation
35.2%
Net Price
$20,590
Median Earnings (10yr)
$51,838
Enrollment
2,041
Student : Faculty
10:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

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
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 2
Value 43
Affordability 63
Selectivity 79

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Wayland Baptist University admits 56% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
56%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Wayland Baptist University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 43.4 pts since 2019
97.5%201981.4%202080.8%202169.7%202254.1%2023

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 $20,590 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$20,590
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
46%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
50%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$23,782
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,654
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,750
Books & Supplies
$840
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,860
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,860
Total Cost of Attendance
$36,323

Application fee: $35 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $20,070
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $16,344
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $19,949
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $21,542
  • Over $110,000
    $25,435

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.

$3,166
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$23,106
Median percentile
$23,664
75% percentile
$33,221
90% 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 $16,616 ↓ $6,490
No Pell $12,500 ↓ $10,606
Dependent students $10,277 ↓ $12,829
Independent students $17,500 ↓ $5,606
Female students $17,312 ↓ $5,794
Male students $12,263 ↓ $10,843
Pell recipients: 19.2% (4,440 students)No Pell: 14.5% (3,340 students)Dependent students: 11.9% (2,746 students)Independent students: 20.2% (4,676 students)Female students: 20.0% (4,626 students)Male students: 14.2% (3,277 students)Overall Median$23,106
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,000, less than completers ($23,106), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

35% of students who start here finish within six years, and 46% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
35%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
46%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $51,838 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$51,838
Earning > $25K
79%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$43,000$46,000$48,000$50,000$53,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$39,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$58,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$40,700

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$49,100

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$53,900

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $18,900, about 32% 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 ↑ 20.9 pts across 6 years
54.5%1yr60.9%3yr71%5yr75.3%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 75% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,041 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 45% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
2,041
Part-Time
30%
First-Generation
45%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 28.7% 586
Hispanic 28.2% 575
Black 18.6% 380
Other 7.3% 148
International 2.8% 58
Asian 2.3% 47
White: 28.7% (586 students)Hispanic: 28.2% (575 students)Black: 18.6% (380 students)Other: 7.3% (148 students)International: 2.8% (58 students)Asian: 2.3% (47 students)Total2,041

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Wayland Baptist University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Plainview, Texas
Housing
Partly residential 810 beds available
Adult Learners
58% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Liberal Arts graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Wayland Baptist University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 50 distinct programs across 20 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.

7 Programs
2 Programs
4 Programs
3 Programs
5 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$152M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$55,209
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

90 instructional faculty across 4 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 49 54% $59,483
Associate Professors 12 13% $58,133
Assistant Professors 21 23% $49,099
Instructors 8 9% $40,676

Pros & Cons of Wayland Baptist University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wayland Baptist University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical

Frequently Asked Questions about Wayland Baptist University

The questions families ask most about Wayland Baptist University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Wayland Baptist University hard to get into?
Admissions at Wayland Baptist University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 56%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Wayland Baptist University?
56% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Wayland Baptist University cost?
Budget around $20,590 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 Wayland Baptist University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $51,838 a year against a net price of $20,590, about 2.5 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 Wayland Baptist University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Business Administration, Liberal Arts. 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 Wayland Baptist University graduates earn?
About $51,838 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 Wayland Baptist University accredited?
Yes. Wayland Baptist University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Wayland Baptist University?
2,041 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Wayland Baptist University?
35% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Wayland Baptist 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 Wayland Baptist University located?
Wayland Baptist University is located in Plainview, Texas.
What programs does Wayland Baptist University offer?
50 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Business Administration, Liberal Arts. 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 Wayland Baptist University?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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