Baylor University
About
Baylor University is a private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Located on the banks of the Brazos River next to I-35, between the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and Austin. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 197 Title IV programs, 57 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 139 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing57 · 28.9%
- No Data139 · 70.6%
- Failing1 · 0.5%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 25
Action history · 34
- Nov 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Sep 2025Deny Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jul 2025Deferral of ActionAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSYD) - PsyD Doctoral programs
- Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jan 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 2,484 students received $14.4M in Pell grants, alongside $173.1M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,875 borrowers who entered repayment, 34 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Baylor
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus62
- Non-campus1
Includes 24 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race2
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- North Village Texana1 fireElectricalDamage $0-$99
- Memorial Hall1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
- Russell (N & S)2 firesburned paper towel in bathroomDamage $0-$99
- Russell (N & S)2 firesDamage $0-$99
- Penland1 firePaper on bulletin board burntDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 7 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Baylor vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Baylor selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectBaylor University | 80% | — | 20,626 | $41,104 | R1 Research |
| 91% | 16.4% | 15,432 | $41,704 | R1 Research | |
| 84% | 63.3% | 12,116 | $40,892 | R2 Research | |
| 84% | 45.9% | 22,589 | $38,793 | R1 Research | |
| 84% | 18.9% | 19,852 | $37,244 | R1 Research | |
| 95% | 11.3% | 13,042 | $26,780 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 84% | 18.9% | 17,642 | $39,843 |
Institutions like Baylor
Explore the federal data for institutions in Baylor's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchMassachusetts
Boston College
Grad rate91%Admit rate16.4%Enrollment15,432Net price$41,704View data - R2 ResearchTexas
Southern Methodist University
Grad rate84%Admit rate63.3%Enrollment12,116Net price$40,892View data - R1 ResearchNew York
Syracuse University
Grad rate84%Admit rate45.9%Enrollment22,589Net price$38,793View data - R1 ResearchFlorida
University of Miami
Grad rate84%Admit rate18.9%Enrollment19,852Net price$37,244View data - R1 ResearchIndiana
University of Notre Dame
Grad rate95%Admit rate11.3%Enrollment13,042Net price$26,780View data
Baylor Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The primary mission of the Office of Institutional Research is to conduct research in order to provide information which supports institutional planning, policy formulation, decision making, and external reporting. Our office also administers the course evaluations for Baylor University.
Visit IR office page- Kathleen Morley, PhDAssistant Vice Provost
- Jana MarakDirector of Reporting and Data Analytics
- Faron KincheloeDirector of Business Intelligence
- Jacob PriceAssociate Director of Business Intelligence
- Meaghann Wheelis, PhDAssociate Director of Reporting and Data Analytics
- Brandon RiddleSenior Research Analyst
- Melinda DunnResearch Analyst
- Case HerndonSenior Research Analyst
- Asitha MudiyanselageResearch Analyst
- Jenna SwansonOffice Manager
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
Baylor's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C144,924 applied → 23,459 admitted (52.2%) → 3,552 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 52.2% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1190–1370 (median 1280).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 26–32 (median 29).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
Waitlist outcome
C23,832 offered a waitlist spot, 916 accepted it, 19 admitted (2.1% of those who stayed on).
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $89,016 (2026-2027).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $89,016 → about $49,533 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($39,483); 70% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H10% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H542% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $57,257 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 82%; first-year retention 89%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 8 pts below the overall rate (74% vs 82%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I352% of classes have under 20 students; 9% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~17% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B23% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B114,183 undergraduates and 5,675 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D11,678 transfer applicants → 1,514 admitted (90.2%) → 355 enrolled
Reports & documents (5)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionGlossaryThe glossary prepared by Baylor University contains definitions for various academic, administrative, and policy-related terms used within the university's institutional reports. It covers a wide range of terms from different categories, such as academic year, enrollment metrics, student classifications, and financial aid descriptions, among others. This comprehensive glossary serves as a valuable resource for understanding the terminology and reporting aspects related to Baylor University's institutional data.ir.web.baylor.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFall Facts2025The Fall Facts report is an annual report produced by Baylor University's Office of Institutional Research. It provides a summary of various statistics related to the university, including enrollment, graduation rates, and faculty details, offering insights into the university's yearly performance and trends.ir.web.baylor.edu
- FactbookInstitutional ReportsThe Institutional Reports page from Baylor University's Office of Institutional Research provides insights into university operations, programs, long-term trends, and planning through systematic data research and reports. These reports, which cover key areas such as enrollment and student characteristics, faculty and staff, retention and graduation rates, are accessible online and assist in policy formulation and decision-making. Although updated regularly for accuracy, they do not guarantee completeness or error-free data representation.ir.web.baylor.edu
- GlossaryBaylor University Institutional Research GlossaryThe Baylor University Institutional Research Glossary provides definitions of key terms and concepts used within the university's academic and administrative context. It covers terminology related to academic programs, enrollment, faculty classifications, and more, serving as a comprehensive resource for understanding the institution's operations and reporting methodologies.ir.web.baylor.edu
Notable alumni of Baylor (29)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- William Bennett BizzellAcademics
- Angela KinseyThe arts
- Willie NelsonThe arts
- Drayton McLaneBusiness
- Trey GowdyPolitics
- Ann RichardsPolitics
- Robert Griffin IIIAthletics
- Michael JohnsonAthletics
- Brittney GrinerAthletics
- Jody ConradtWomen's basketball
- Derek HaasThe arts
- Chip GainesThe arts
Frequently asked questions about Baylor University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Baylor.
What is the graduation rate at Baylor University?
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Who runs Institutional Research at Baylor University?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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