Baylor University

Baylor University holds rank 90 in the 2027 US News National Universities ranking, reflecting a downward trend from rank 75 in 2018. Gaining admission is moderately competitive, with an overall admit rate of 51.3% in 2025. Compared to a peer group of similarly ranked private research universities, this acceptance rate is higher than 30% of peer schools, showing that Baylor admits a smaller share of applicants than most of its direct peers. However, the university experiences a comparatively modest draw among those it accepts. Its yield rate reached 14.2% in 2025, which is higher than 40% of peer institutions. This level of yield indicates that roughly one in seven admitted applicants actually chooses to enroll, with the vast majority choosing alternatives. For prospective applicants, Baylor provides an accessible target among private research universities, but the university must compete heavily to turn admitted candidates into enrolled students.

Baylor University operates under an admission test policy where standardized testing is optional, considered if submitted. For 2025, enrolled students typically posted ACT composite scores between 27 and 32. In peer comparisons for 2025, the university's median SAT score was higher than 25% of peer schools among similarly ranked private research universities. Test submission has dropped over time, with 32% of enrolled undergraduates submitting SAT scores and a smaller share submitting ACT results in 2025. For applicants considering target credentials, applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway, which are unofficial records rather than official university data, show admitted international students holding a median unweighted GPA of 3.7 alongside a median SAT score of 1250. These reference points illustrate that while strong exam results can enhance an application, candidates are evaluated across their broader secondary school achievements.

Baylor University offers notable academic strengths across health, business, and pre-professional disciplines, with student enrollment spread across diverse programs. Undergraduate degrees are fairly dispersed, as the top three bachelor majors accounted for 21.7% of all undergraduate degrees in 2025. The single largest undergraduate program was Registered Nursing, awarding 371 degrees that year. This large enrollment aligns with strong program quality, as undergraduate nursing achieved rank 36 in the 2027 US News ranking. Business programs also excel, with undergraduate entrepreneurship earning rank 11 in the same list. At the graduate level, the law school's trial advocacy program stood at rank 3 in 2026. Looking at earnings data from 2023, technology and engineering fields deliver the highest immediate pay, led by computer science graduates who achieved median first-year earnings of $98,124. Prospective students seeking practical career preparation will find Baylor's well-regarded nursing, business, and pre-health tracks particularly well established.

Baylor University enrolled 20,626 students across all degree levels in 2025, maintaining a predominantly undergraduate and domestic student body. White students make up the clear majority across both undergraduate and graduate divisions, followed by Hispanic students. Asian representation remains modest throughout campus; among incoming first-year undergraduates, Asian students accounted for 8.9% of the cohort, while maintaining a smaller presence at the graduate level. International students also form a relatively small segment of the campus community, representing 2.2% of the incoming undergraduate class. In contrast, international representation is higher in advanced degree programs, where international scholars made up 8.6% of graduate enrollment. Female students constitute the majority across all levels of study. Families seeking an institution with an expansive international demographic should note that Baylor remains oriented largely toward a domestic student base.

Baylor University's undergraduate population consists almost entirely of traditional college-age students. In 2025, students aged 20 to 21 accounted for 45.6% of undergraduates, while those aged 18 to 19 made up 41.9%. Very few undergraduates study beyond their early twenties, indicating that undergraduate campus life primarily revolves around students pursuing degrees right after high school. In contrast, graduate students show a broader spread, led by those aged 22 to 24 at 27.9% and aged 25 to 29 at 27.6%. For prospective undergraduates, this profile means day-to-day student life is centered on young adults at a similar developmental stage, whereas graduate programs bring together both recent graduates and slightly older learners.

International students constitute a modest and shifting component of the Baylor University community. In 2025, international students represented 2.7% of all undergraduates, reflecting a decline from previous years. When compared to a peer group of similarly ranked private research universities, this undergraduate international share is higher than 17% of peer institutions, placing Baylor near the lower end among its peers. In contrast, the graduate international population has expanded significantly, reaching an 8.6% share in 2025. Among graduating students, international participation is lowest at the undergraduate level and highest in master's programs. At the bachelor's level, international graduates concentrate primarily in pre-professional disciplines such as finance, where international students made up 5% of degree recipients, whereas health and nursing programs enroll very few non-citizens. At the master's level, international students are most visible in business administration. Prospective international students should anticipate a predominantly domestic student body, especially in undergraduate classrooms.

Prospective applicants considering Baylor University in central Texas have several institutional options within driving distance. Located 70.8 kilometers away, Southwestern University is ranked 91 among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2027 rankings. For those exploring major public research institutions, Texas A&M University-College Station is located 79.2 kilometers away with a 2027 rank of 59, while The University of Texas at Austin lies 94.7 kilometers away at rank 34. Additionally, private peer institution Texas Christian University sits 81.6 kilometers from campus and holds a matching rank of 90 among National Universities.

Campus safety records at Baylor University show a moderate incidence level over time. In 2025, Forward Pathway's crime rate per 1,000 students stood at 11.4. The vast majority of documented campus infractions involve substance policy enforcement rather than random violent crimes. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the largest cumulative categories consisted of 212 liquor law arrests and 159 liquor law disciplinary referrals. Beyond alcohol enforcement, reported offenses during this three-year span included cases of stalking, motor vehicle theft, dating violence, and rape. These figures show that while personal property and relational issues require awareness and vigilance, institutional policy infractions account for the predominant volume of recorded incidents. Families and prospective students can use these safety trends to understand the campus regulatory environment and everyday living conditions.