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 10.2-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 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, 873 students received $4.7M in Pell grants, alongside $17.6M 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 campus6
Includes 4 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 | $28,516 | Doctoral/Professional |
| 56% | 58.1% | 2,796 | $28,138 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 72% | 81.9% | 2,940 | $12,547 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 49% | 49.8% | 4,213 | $15,676 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 64% | 86.1% | 2,886 | $21,499 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 71% | 87.8% | 3,603 | $28,556 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 35% | 87.8% | 2,436 | $18,924 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 53% | 90.4% | 2,669 | $20,251 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 67% | 81.4% | 2,556 | $20,433 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 59% | 68.3% | 2,540 | $18,693 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 72% | 77.1% | 2,972 | $31,643 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 54% | 77.2% | 3,104 | $17,674 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 57% | 62.2% | 4,244 | $25,319 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 59% | 81.0% | 3,367 | $21,005 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 58% | 96.9% | 2,557 | $31,152 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 54% | 93.2% | 4,060 | $29,137 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 65% | 77.0% | 2,966 | $22,857 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 55% | 82.0% | 4,147 | $28,354 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 59% | 96.9% | 3,448 | $25,942 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 46% | 97.2% | 4,281 | $20,194 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 61% | 77.3% | 2,498 | $24,691 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 66% | 92.8% | 4,505 | $11,704 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 62% | 83.4% | 2,261 | $24,488 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 74% | 71.9% | 2,599 | $30,587 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 61% | 91.8% | 3,651 | $19,764 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 71% | 93.0% | 2,930 | $27,846 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 53% | 69.4% | 3,195 | $16,813 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 66% | 60.4% | 2,713 | $27,171 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 44% | 61.5% | 3,062 | $22,107 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 57% | 43.0% | 2,316 | $22,235 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 49% | 95.8% | 3,321 | $26,106 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 67% | 65.3% | 3,074 | $13,006 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 69% | 89.9% | 4,301 | $19,359 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 70% | 89.4% | 2,579 | $18,578 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 64% | 83.5% | 3,674 | $27,290 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| Peer group median | 59% | 81.9% | 3,062 | $22,235 |
Institutions like Dallas Baptist
Explore the federal data for institutions in Dallas Baptist's comparison group.
- Doctoral/ProfessionalPennsylvania
Alvernia University
Grad rate56%Admit rate58.1%Enrollment2,796Net price$28,138View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMichigan
Andrews University
Grad rate72%Admit rate81.9%Enrollment2,940Net price$12,547View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMississippi
Belhaven University
Grad rate49%Admit rate49.8%Enrollment4,213Net price$15,676View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalKentucky
Bellarmine University
Grad rate64%Admit rate86.1%Enrollment2,886Net price$21,499View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMinnesota
Bethel University
Grad rate71%Admit rate87.8%Enrollment3,603Net price$28,556View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalGeorgia
Brenau University
Grad rate35%Admit rate87.8%Enrollment2,436Net price$18,924View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
Carson-Newman University
Grad rate53%Admit rate90.4%Enrollment2,669Net price$20,251View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
D'Youville University
Grad rate67%Admit rate81.4%Enrollment2,556Net price$20,433View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Daemen University
Grad rate59%Admit rate68.3%Enrollment2,540Net price$18,693View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalPennsylvania
DeSales University
Grad rate72%Admit rate77.1%Enrollment2,972Net price$31,643View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNorth Carolina
Gardner-Webb University
Grad rate54%Admit rate77.2%Enrollment3,104Net price$17,674View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalVirginia
Hampton University
Grad rate57%Admit rate62.2%Enrollment4,244Net price$25,319View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMaine
Husson University
Grad rate59%Admit rate81.0%Enrollment3,367Net price$21,005View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMassachusetts
Lesley University
Grad rate58%Admit rate96.9%Enrollment2,557Net price$31,152View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalVirginia
Marymount University
Grad rate54%Admit rate93.2%Enrollment4,060Net price$29,137View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalOklahoma
Oklahoma City University
Grad rate65%Admit rate77.0%Enrollment2,966Net price$22,857View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalFlorida
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Grad rate55%Admit rate82.0%Enrollment4,147Net price$28,354View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalPennsylvania
Point Park University
Grad rate59%Admit rate96.9%Enrollment3,448Net price$25,942View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIllinois
Roosevelt University
Grad rate46%Admit rate97.2%Enrollment4,281Net price$20,194View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIowa
Saint Ambrose University
Grad rate61%Admit rate77.3%Enrollment2,498Net price$24,691View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMinnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Grad rate66%Admit rate92.8%Enrollment4,505Net price$11,704View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalWashington
Seattle Pacific University
Grad rate62%Admit rate83.4%Enrollment2,261Net price$24,488View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMassachusetts
Springfield College
Grad rate74%Admit rate71.9%Enrollment2,599Net price$30,587View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMinnesota
St Catherine University
Grad rate61%Admit rate91.8%Enrollment3,651Net price$19,764View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMinnesota
The College of Saint Scholastica
Grad rate71%Admit rate93.0%Enrollment2,930Net price$27,846View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
Trevecca Nazarene University
Grad rate53%Admit rate69.4%Enrollment3,195Net price$16,813View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
Union University
Grad rate66%Admit rate60.4%Enrollment2,713Net price$27,171View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalWest Virginia
University of Charleston
Grad rate44%Admit rate61.5%Enrollment3,062Net price$22,107View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalVirginia
University of Lynchburg
Grad rate57%Admit rate43.0%Enrollment2,316Net price$22,235View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTexas
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Grad rate49%Admit rate95.8%Enrollment3,321Net price$26,106View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIllinois
University of St Francis
Grad rate67%Admit rate65.3%Enrollment3,074Net price$13,006View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTexas
University of St Thomas
Grad rate69%Admit rate89.9%Enrollment4,301Net price$19,359View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIndiana
Valparaiso University
Grad rate70%Admit rate89.4%Enrollment2,579Net price$18,578View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMassachusetts
Western New England University
Grad rate64%Admit rate83.5%Enrollment3,674Net price$27,290View data
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
Dallas Baptist's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
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.
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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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