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University or college · Private nonprofit

Baylor University

Waco, TX3,173 online only

Baylor University is a private nonprofit university in Waco, TX, with about 17,651 students on campus and 3,173 more studying only online.

Visit www.baylor.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
17,651
plus 3,173 studying only online
Admission rate
51%
lower than at 83% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$41,104
higher than at 96% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
80%
higher than at 89% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$65,793
higher than at 90% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Baylor University, in brief

A higher price after aid than almost any college

The average family on federal aid pays $41,104 a year after grants, more than at 96% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $22,024 a year after grants. What it costs ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Baylor University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, finance and financial management services graduates earn a median $102,812 four years out. Biology graduates earn $57,155. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $74,226 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $58,100Room & board $15,314Books & supplies $1,498

After grants, the average family on aid pays $41,104.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$33,902

About $135,608 over 4 years · 54% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Baylor University?

51%

of applicants admitted

About 10 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
610–700
SAT math
590–700
ACT
27–32

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1329.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
80%
within 6 years · Pell students 71%
Come back for year two
91%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$65,793
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$23,000
about $244 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

5.2%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$244 a month against about $4,711 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

72%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 89% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$61k
Middle income$30–75k
$64k
Higher incomeover $75k
$68k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 24%Health professions 20%Biology 10%Communication 8%Social sciences 6%Psychology 4%Everything else 27%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing362 graduates a year · typical debt $22,362
$90k4 yrs out
Marketing253 graduates a year · typical debt $21,525
$78k4 yrs out
Biology, General236 graduates a year · typical debt $23,165
$57k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations223 graduates a year · typical debt $21,500
$86k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services188 graduates a year · typical debt $21,500
$103k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies174 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$59k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services171 graduates a year · typical debt $20,495
$102k4 yrs out
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs166 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$68k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

14,785 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 60%Hispanic 18%Black 5%Asian 9%Two or more 5%International 3%

Women and men

Women 59%Men 41%
15 : 1
students per teacher
12%
get Pell grants (lower income)
31%
take federal loans
2%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Waco

15% of Waco’s 147,788 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Waco pages.

Waco →
$1,165/momedian rent · 17% below the state$193Ktypical home valueC−Safety Grade37° / 95°January low / July highC−Health GradeAll colleges in and near WacoCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Baylor University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

McLennan Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Waco
4.2 mi4,298 students
Texas State Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Waco
6.7 mi7,673 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.