About
Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a private Baptist university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst. 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 10.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 110 Title IV programs, 29 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 81 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing29 · 26.4%
- No Data81 · 73.6%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
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.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 14
- Dec 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jun 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused ReviewSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- May 2024Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Apr 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused ReviewSouthern 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, 870 students received $4.6M in Pell grants, alongside $17.4M 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 1,124 borrowers who entered repayment, 15 (1.3%) 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 Dallas Baptist
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 · 8
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 campus4
Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Dallas Baptist vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Dallas Baptist 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectDallas Baptist University | 57% | — | 4,124 | $30,092 | Doctoral/Professional |
Alvernia University | 56% | 58.1% | 2,796 | $28,329 | Doctoral/Professional |
Andrews University | 72% | 81.9% | 2,940 | $18,597 | Doctoral/Professional |
Belhaven University | 49% | 49.8% | 4,213 | $22,078 | Doctoral/Professional |
Bellarmine University | 64% | 86.1% | 2,886 | $23,587 | Doctoral/Professional |
Bethel University | 71% | 87.8% | 3,603 | $28,439 | Doctoral/Professional |
Brenau University | 35% | 87.8% | 2,436 | $20,786 | Doctoral/Professional |
Carson-Newman University | 53% | 90.4% | 2,669 | $18,661 | Doctoral/Professional |
D'Youville University | 67% | 81.4% | 2,556 | $19,585 | Doctoral/Professional |
Daemen University | 59% | 68.3% | 2,540 | $18,244 | Doctoral/Professional |
DeSales University | 72% | 77.1% | 2,972 | $30,465 | Doctoral/Professional |
Gardner-Webb University | 54% | 77.2% | 3,104 | $24,137 | Doctoral/Professional |
Hampton University | 57% | 62.2% | 4,244 | $32,145 | Doctoral/Professional |
Husson University | 59% | 81.0% | 3,367 | $20,798 | Doctoral/Professional |
Lesley University | 58% | 96.9% | 2,557 | $31,805 | Doctoral/Professional |
Marymount University | 54% | 93.2% | 4,060 | $25,153 | Doctoral/Professional |
Oklahoma City University | 65% | 77.0% | 2,966 | $21,556 | Doctoral/Professional |
Palm Beach Atlantic University | 55% | 82.0% | 4,147 | $32,751 | Doctoral/Professional |
Point Park University | 59% | 96.9% | 3,448 | $24,791 | Doctoral/Professional |
Roosevelt University | 46% | 97.2% | 4,281 | $20,152 | Doctoral/Professional |
Saint Ambrose University | 61% | 77.3% | 2,498 | $22,750 | Doctoral/Professional |
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | 66% | 92.8% | 4,505 | $21,034 | Doctoral/Professional |
Seattle Pacific University | 62% | 83.4% | 2,261 | $24,820 | Doctoral/Professional |
Springfield College | 74% | 71.9% | 2,599 | $29,187 | Doctoral/Professional |
St Catherine University | 61% | 91.8% | 3,651 | $21,563 | Doctoral/Professional |
The College of Saint Scholastica | 71% | 93.0% | 2,930 | $23,949 | Doctoral/Professional |
Trevecca Nazarene University | 53% | 69.4% | 3,195 | $14,459 | Doctoral/Professional |
Union University | 66% | 60.4% | 2,713 | $26,815 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of Charleston | 44% | 61.5% | 3,062 | $22,012 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of Lynchburg | 57% | 43.0% | 2,316 | $20,187 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | 49% | 95.8% | 3,321 | $28,690 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of St Francis | 67% | 65.3% | 3,074 | $16,284 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of St Thomas | 69% | 89.9% | 4,301 | $18,762 | Doctoral/Professional |
Valparaiso University | 70% | 89.4% | 2,579 | $21,583 | Doctoral/Professional |
Western New England University | 64% | 83.5% | 3,674 | $31,170 | Doctoral/Professional |
| Peer group median | 59% | 81.9% | 3,062 | $22,750 |
Dallas Baptist Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research has two primary objectives: first, to advance the University’s mission by providing leadership and support in the development and implementation of a continuous cycle of assessment and evaluation; and second, to conduct research that supports institutional planning, decision making, and external reporting.
Visit IR office page- Justin Gandy, Ph.D.Assistant Provost for Accreditation and Institutional Research
- Adelita Baker, Ed.D.Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness
- Rebecca Dark, Ph.D.Accreditation Specialist
- Mindy BarrettSACSCOC Staff Assistant
- John McMahanDirector of Catalog and Accreditation Technology
- Elizabeth RabeScheduling and Curriculum Coordinator
Common Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryGlossary of Assessment Terms for Dallas Baptist UniversityThis glossary provides standardized terms for assessment practices at Dallas Baptist University as part of their Institutional Effectiveness and Research efforts. The glossary includes definitions for key terms such as 'Alignment', 'Benchmark', and 'Student Learning Data', among others. These terms ensure consistency in understanding and applying assessment-related concepts to improve educational outcomes.dbu.edu
- Strategic planA Better Way: Dallas Baptist University 2025-2029 Strategic Plan2023The Dallas Baptist University 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, 'A Better Way', focuses on elevating transformative education and bolstering career development. The University has set measurable targets to improve retention and graduation rates, broaden career opportunities, and ensure professional readiness for students. Aligned with its mission of providing Christ-centered education, DBU is committed to continuous improvements in these areas to enhance student success and institutional effectiveness.dbu.edu
Notable alumni of Dallas Baptist (21)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Keith BellPolitics
- Brad Boles
- Pam Bowers
- David BrownLaw Enforcement
- Gary Brumfield
- Jim Denison
- Dan FitzgeraldSports
- W. V. Grant
- Lamar Hunt Jr.
- Phil KingPolitics
- Larry Lea
- Marianne MoorePolitics
Frequently asked questions about Dallas Baptist University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Dallas Baptist.
What is the graduation rate at Dallas Baptist University?
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What is the average net price at Dallas Baptist University?
What is the yield rate at Dallas Baptist University?
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Who runs Institutional Research at Dallas Baptist University?
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