More selective than 84% of Texas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $74,226. College Scorecard.
Higher than 93% of Texas colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 88% of Texas colleges we cover and 81% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Baylor University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 39,735 applicants, Baylor University admitted 20,262 and 3,317 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1200–1400 on the SAT or 27–32 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Baylor University 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
State aid: Texas residents with financial need attending eligible private nonprofit Texas colleges may receive a Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG); amounts are set each year. Not included in the prices above. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (College for All Texans)
What Baylor University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Baylor University took 4.1 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 Texas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,024 | $91,179 | 2.8 years |
| $30–48k | $21,530 | $89,134 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $33,902 | $140,354 | 4.3 years |
| $75–110k | $38,852 | $160,847 | 5.0 years |
| $110k+ | $47,895 | $198,285 | 6.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (70% 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 ($65,793) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $32,277 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.
Baylor University majors, earnings & careers
Baylor University offers 80 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Business & Finance · 15
- Science & Math · 14
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 5
- Engineering · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Baylor University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $128,411 | $27,000 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $125,167 | $20,500 |
| Business | $124,434 | $15,000 |
| Finance | $102,812 | $23,000 |
| Accounting | $102,011 | $20,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $100,110 | $21,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $96,148 | $24,000 |
| Real Estate | $94,027 | $20,530 |
Quick list of all 80 majors
- Accounting$102,011
- Air Transportation—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology$50,699
- Applied Mathematics—
- Applied Statistics—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biochemistry$49,661
- Biology$57,155
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$46,043
- Business$124,434
- Business Administration$85,961
- Business Economics$84,808
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry$65,293
- Classics—
- Communications$58,915
- Computer Science$128,411
- Data Science—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$56,476
- Education (Subject Teaching)$57,434
- Electrical and Computer Engineering—
- Electrical Engineering$100,110
- Engineering$84,689
- English$54,367
- Entrepreneurship$86,363
- Environmental Science / Conservation$59,701
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$102,812
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$45,554
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$125,167
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$63,522
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities—
- History$57,006
- Human Development and Family Studies$46,979
- Human Resources$89,102
- Insurance—
- Interdisciplinary Studies$51,727
- International Business$71,071
- International Relations$67,484
- Journalism$63,622
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$51,273
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$96,148
- Marketing$78,398
- Mathematics$89,618
- Mechanical Engineering$92,990
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$44,995
- Music$40,017
- Neuroscience$53,927
- Nursing$89,510
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$61,578
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$68,460
- Psychology$65,090
- Public Health—
- Real Estate$94,027
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies$50,002
- Science Technologies / Technicians—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Work$58,293
- Sociology$57,822
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$67,066
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$63,909
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$50,253
- Theatre$45,706
- Writing—
— 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 →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
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Waco
Overall prices in the Waco, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,297. Housing costs 16% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, McLennan County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
McLennan County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Baylor University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | 51% | $41,104 | 80% | $65,793 | This school |
| Texas Christian University | 44% | $36,660 | 86% | $68,424 | |
| Southern Methodist University | 63% | $40,892 | 84% | $78,354 | |
| University of Dallas | 53% | $22,610 | 73% | $58,285 | |
| Hallmark University | 51% | $12,513 | 66% | $40,183 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Baylor University would cost you $4,444 more per year than Texas Christian University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Baylor University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$3,640).
- Texas Christian University gives aided families $6,822 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | Baylor University | TCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $58,100 | $61,740 | −$3,640 |
| Books & supplies | $1,438 | $800 | +$638 |
| Housing & meals | $14,235 | $14,800 | −$565 |
| Personal & travel | $3,752 | $4,240 | −$488 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,299 | −$4,976 | +$1,677 |
| Sticker price | $74,226 | $76,604 | −$2,378 |
| Average grants | −$33,122 | −$39,944 | +$6,822 |
| You pay | $41,104 | $36,660 | +$4,444 |
“+” means Baylor University 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 Baylor University
What is the Baylor University acceptance rate?
Baylor University accepts 51% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 20,262 of 39,735 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1200–1400 on the SAT or 27–32 on the ACT.
How much does Baylor University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $74,226 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $41,104 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,024 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,895.
How much do Baylor University graduates earn?
Former Baylor University students earn a median $65,793 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Baylor University graduation rate?
80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 91% return for their second year.
How long does a Baylor University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Baylor University costs about $140,354 after grants ($33,902 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $65,793 ten years after starting, $32,277 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.3 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: “Baylor University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/baylor-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).