More selective than 13% of Kansas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $50,918. College Scorecard.
Higher than 85% of Kansas colleges we cover and 59% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Kansas colleges we cover and 78% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
BU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 911 applicants, Baker University admitted 839 and 236 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
BU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What BU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Baker University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Kansas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $21,057 | $88,650 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $18,530 | $78,011 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $23,470 | $98,809 | 3.3 years |
| $75–110k | $27,166 | $114,369 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $30,800 | $129,668 | 4.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (47% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($63,855) minus $34,216 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $29,639 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
BU majors, earnings & careers
Baker University offers 37 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 6
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at BU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,233 | $29,577 |
| Business Administration | $74,399 | $41,057 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $55,380 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 37 majors
- Accounting—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business—
- Business Administration$74,399
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Science—
- Criminology—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- German—
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities—
- History—
- Human Biology—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$55,380
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,233
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Physics—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lawrence
Overall prices in the Lawrence, KS area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,272. Housing costs 28% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 9 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Douglas County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Douglas County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare BU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Kansas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker University | 94% | $25,301 | 58% | $63,855 | This school |
| Benedictine College | 98% | $27,891 | 62% | $53,175 | |
| University of Saint Mary | 87% | $22,519 | 48% | $59,483 | |
| Bethel College-North Newton | 94% | $32,917 | 41% | $49,898 | |
| MidAmerica Nazarene University | 79% | $32,165 | 54% | $62,972 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Baker University would cost you $2,590 less per year than Benedictine College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Baker University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$1,100).
- Baker University gives aided families $1,302 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kansas resident | BU | Benedictine College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $35,300 | $36,350 | −$1,050 |
| Books & supplies | $1,250 | $1,200 | +$50 |
| Housing & meals | $10,720 | $11,820 | −$1,100 |
| Personal & travel | $5,190 | $4,450 | +$740 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,542 | −$1,614 | +$72 |
| Sticker price | $50,918 | $52,206 | −$1,288 |
| Average grants | −$25,617 | −$24,315 | −$1,302 |
| You pay | $25,301 | $27,891 | −$2,590 |
“+” means BU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about BU
What is the BU acceptance rate?
Baker University accepts 94% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 839 of 911 applicants were admitted.
How much does Baker University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $50,918 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,301 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,057 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,800.
How much do BU graduates earn?
Former Baker University students earn a median $63,855 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the BU graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 66% return for their second year.
How long does a BU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Baker University costs about $98,809 after grants ($23,470 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $63,855 ten years after starting, $29,639 more than high school graduates in Kansas ($34,216), so the cost is repaid in 3.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Baker University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/baker-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).