Baker University

Admission to Baker University is highly accessible, though its standing in national rankings has trended downward in recent years. In the US News rankings, Baker slipped from rank 254 in 2020 to rank 384 in 2026. For applicants, this declining rank is paired with an undergraduate acceptance rate that reached 94.2% in 2025, which is higher than 90% of peer schools in the all private comprehensive universities group. While admission standards are unrestrictive, the university manages to attract a reasonable portion of its accepted cohort. Baker recorded an enrollment yield rate of 25.5% in 2025, higher than 73% of peer schools. This yield shows that roughly one in four admitted applicants chooses to matriculate, demonstrating steady appeal relative to many private peers despite the broader shift in its ranking profile. Prospective students face very little admissions friction when considering this institution.

Baker University operates under an admissions testing policy that is optional, considered if submitted. Standardized test results offer a partial picture of admitted students, as score ranges belong to 2024. For 2024, the middle half of enrolled freshmen achieved an ACT Composite score between 13 and 21. Submitting test results has become uncommon among students entering the university over the past decade. The share of freshmen submitting ACT scores fell from 93 percent in 2016 to 1 percent in 2025, and SAT submission rates showed a similar downward trajectory over time. Because test results represent a small fraction of the incoming cohort, prospective applicants can reference these historical score ranges alongside their broader high school records to gauge where their academic preparation stands relative to past entering classes.

Academic programs at Baker University show a strong concentration in career-oriented professions, with undergraduate study heavily centered on healthcare and business. In 2025, the institution awarded 242 bachelor's degrees, and the top three undergraduate majors accounted for 47.9% of all bachelor's graduates. Registered Nursing and General Business Administration formed the largest graduating cohorts, followed closely by General Business and Commerce. In national evaluations, the undergraduate nursing school was ranked 336 by US News in 2027. Career outcomes indicate strong initial earning power in these core areas, as 2023 earnings data showed median bachelor's earnings of $81,473 for nursing graduates one year after leaving school. International students formed only a negligible proportion of degree recipients in these dominant programs, with most graduates entering the regional healthcare and commercial workforce.

Baker University enrolled 2,017 students across all undergraduate and graduate divisions in 2025. The campus community consists largely of domestic students, with white students constituting the majority across every division. Among the 240 first-year undergraduates, white students represented 61.7% of the class, while Hispanic students accounted for 15.8%. International students represented 4.6% of entering freshmen with 11 students, while Asian students accounted for 0.8% with 2 students. Continuing undergraduate cohorts and the graduate student population follow similar patterns, displaying modest racial diversity alongside small international representation across degree levels.

Baker University displays a clear generational split between its undergraduate campus and its advanced degree programs. In 2025, the undergraduate population totaled 1,457 students, leaning predominantly young. Students aged 18 to 19 made up the largest group at 27.6%, closely followed by students aged 20 to 21 at 27%. Undergraduates younger than 18 represented another 24.4% of enrollment. In contrast, the 488 graduate students consisted predominantly of working adults, led by students aged 40 to 49, who accounted for 27.5% of graduate enrollment. This composition creates a traditional daytime college environment for undergraduates, while graduate coursework accommodates mid-career professionals.

International student enrollment at Baker University is modest and concentrated almost entirely at the undergraduate level. In 2025, international students comprised 3% of the undergraduate body, a proportion that is higher than 38% of peer schools in the all private comprehensive universities group. At the graduate level, the international share stood at 0% in 2025. Among degree recipients in 2025, international students earned 2.1% of all bachelor's degrees, while earning zero master's and doctoral degrees. When international undergraduates completed degrees, they concentrated in General Psychology, where they made up 14.3% of the major's graduates, alongside a small share in General Business and Commerce. Overall, global representation on campus remains limited.

Applicants exploring regional university options around Baker University have several nearby public institutions to consider. Just 12.8 kilometers away in Lawrence, the University of Kansas is a national university ranked 148 in the 2027 US News rankings. Moving into the Kansas City metropolitan area, the University of Missouri-Kansas City is located 37 kilometers away and holds a rank of 250 among national universities. Further west, Kansas State University sits 80 kilometers from Baker and ranks 156 nationally. In southern Kansas, Wichita State University is situated 135.7 kilometers away with a national university rank of 288. These institutions provide a variety of public university environments and settings within commuting or short driving distance.

Campus safety data at Baker University shows a low incidence of violent offenses, with records dominated by student behavioral referrals. In 2025, the university reported a crime rate of 7.7 per 1,000 students. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the largest volume of campus infractions involved substance policies, led by 90 liquor law disciplinary referrals and 12 drug law disciplinary referrals. Over those same years, property and personal crimes remained low, including 10 thefts and 3 reported cases of rape. These records show that campus security primarily handles university policy and alcohol enforcement rather than high rates of serious crime.