Baylor University
Baylor University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Baylor University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best CCCU Colleges 2026
- #1 Best Online MBAs Texas
- #2 Accelerated Online Speech Pathology Masters
- #2 Online Doctorate in Organizational Leadership
- #2 Christian Colleges in Texas 2026
- #3 The Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees
- #3 Private Colleges in Texas 2026
- #4 The Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees
- #4 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #5 The Best Online Social Work PhD Degree Programs Ranked in 2026
- #5 Best Online MBA in Marketing Degree Programs
- #5 20 Fastest Online Bachelor's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #6 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen
- #6 Research Universities in Texas 2026
- #6 Texas's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #6 Best Colleges in Texas 2026
- #7 Most Affordable Online PhD of Education Degree Programs
- #7 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
- #7 Online Master’s in Cybersecurity
- #8 Top 20 Best Online Accredited Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs)
- #8 Online Master’s in Marketing/Advertising
- #9 Best Research Universities with Online Doctorate Programs (PhDs) 2026
- #11 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #11 Fastest Online Doctoral Degrees
- #12 Online Master’s in Communications
- #13 Best Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs
- #13 The Most Influential Colleges in Track & Field Today
- #16 Social Work Research Universities
- #16 Online Master’s in Social Work-MSW
- #17 Best Online One Year MBAs
- #18 The 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #21 Online MBAs
- #21 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
- #39 Best Online Master's Programs
- #48 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
About Baylor University
According to Wikipedia, Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River in the United States. Located on the banks of the Brazos River next to I-35, between the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and Austin, the university's campus is the largest Baptist university in the world.
Baylor University's Online Degrees
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- General
- Cyber Security
- Executive Communication
- Marketing
- Required Credits: 48
- Completion Time: 2.5-3.5 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Accelerated BSN
- Required Credits: 62
- Completion Time: 1-2 years
- Format: Fully online
EdD in Learning and Organizational Change Hybrid
- Required Credits: 54
- Completion Time: 3-4 years
- Format: Fully online
PhD in Social Work
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 3.5-4.5 years
- Format: Fully online
MSW in Social Work
- Required Credits: 32 2 years / 60
- Completion Time: 32 2 years / 60
- Format: Fully online
MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Required Credits: 45
- Completion Time: 2.5-3.5 years
- Format: Fully online
DNP in BSN to DNP
Degree Concentrations
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse-Midwifery
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 75
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
OTD in Occupational Therapy
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing Practice
Degree Concentrations
- Executive Nurse Leadership
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse-Midwifery
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing Leadership and Innovation
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MPH in Public Health
- Required Credits: 42
- Completion Time: 2.5-3.5 years
- Format: Fully online
Baylor University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39,735 | 51% | 91% | 82% | 1300 | 29 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Baylor University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $63,620 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $45,498 |
| 30K - 48K | $24,146 |
| 48K - 75K | $33,908 |
| 75K - 110K | $38,607 |
| 110K+ | $50,541 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Baylor University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Baylor University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $72,408 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Baylor University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 23,100 | 16,036 | 7,064 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Baylor University?
Baylor University is located at 1320 S. 7th Street, Waco, TX 76798.
How Safe is Baylor University?
Relative to its enrollment, Baylor University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.23%. Waco has a violent crime rate of 0.43% and a property crime rate of 2.14%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Baylor University Known For?
Baylor University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Medical
- Law
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- History
- Education
- Business
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Economics
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Psychology
- Literature
- Engineering
Baylor University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Baylor University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Baylor University ranks #41 in the U.S. and #174 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesBaylor University ranks #57 in the U.S. and #126 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesBaylor University ranks #71 in the U.S. and #93 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesBaylor University ranks #71 in the U.S. and #125 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesBaylor University ranks #74 in the U.S. and #214 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesBaylor University ranks #74 in the U.S. and #219 worldwide for influence in Law.
Baylor University ranks #95 in the U.S. and #299 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesBaylor University ranks #98 in the U.S. and #300 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesBaylor University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #263 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesBaylor University ranks #105 in the U.S. and #343 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesBaylor University ranks #108 in the U.S. and #298 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesBaylor University ranks #136 in the U.S. and #635 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesBaylor University ranks #140 in the U.S. and #519 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesBaylor University ranks #144 in the U.S. and #582 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesBaylor University ranks #146 in the U.S. and #640 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesBaylor University ranks #149 in the U.S. and #584 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesBaylor University ranks #161 in the U.S. and #483 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesBaylor University ranks #162 in the U.S. and #562 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesBaylor University ranks #177 in the U.S. and #739 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesBaylor University ranks #183 in the U.S. and #711 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesBaylor University ranks #188 in the U.S. and #675 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesBaylor University ranks #193 in the U.S. and #465 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesBaylor University ranks #200 in the U.S. and #567 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesBaylor University ranks #222 in the U.S. and #1228 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWho Are Baylor University's Most Influential Alumni?
Baylor University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of Baylor University's most famous alumni:
- Dallas Willard
- An American philosopher.
- Miguel A. De La Torre
- An American theologian.
- Norman Shumway
- An American surgeon .
- Gary W. Keller
- An American business writer.
- Joe Feagin
- An American sociologist.
- Jeff Dunham
- An American ventriloquist and comedian.
- Benjamin Ladner
- An American academic.
- Peter A. McCullough
- An American cardiologist and medical professor.
- James R. Heath
- An American chemist.
- Steven C. Currall
- An American psychological scientist.
- Rand Paul
- An American physician and politician .
- H. Bentley Glass
- An American geneticist.
Who Are Baylor University's Most Influential Faculty?
Baylor University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of Baylor University's most famous faculty:
- Alexander Pruss
- An American philosopher.
- Matt Rhule
- An American football player and coach .
- Grant Duwe
- An American criminologist.
- Thomas S. Kidd
- An American historian.
- Elizabeth McIngvale
- An American activist.
- David Baskin
- An American surgeon.
- Brian Stoltz
- An American chemist.
- Jennifer Moody
- An American archaeologist.
- Bryan Shaw
- An American biochemist.
- Capucine Picard
- A Researcher.
- Scott Cunningham
- An American economist.
