Baylor acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Baylor University · Private nonprofit · Waco, TX · 15,155 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Baylor admitted 51.0% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 57.5% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $63,620 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 57.5% | 29,249 | 16,809 |
| 2014 | 55.4% | 33,898 | 18,766 |
| 2015 | 43.7% | 32,136 | 14,033 |
| 2016 | 39.7% | 34,636 | 13,758 |
| 2017 | 38.9% | 37,083 | 14,442 |
| 2018 | 38.9% | 37,083 | 14,442 |
| 2019 | 45.3% | 34,582 | 15,676 |
| 2020 | 68.5% | 33,680 | 23,061 |
| 2021 | 56.7% | 36,588 | 20,741 |
| 2022 | 45.9% | 40,753 | 18,699 |
| 2023 | 51.0% | 39,735 | 20,262 |
Applications went from 29,249 in fall 2013 to 39,735 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $45,498 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $24,146 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $33,908 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $38,607 |
| Over $110,000 | $50,541 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $63,620 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $78,816 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $44,441 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 31% submitted the SAT, 19% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| TCU TX | 42.6% | $63,590 same for all |
| SMU TX | 61.2% | $69,722 same for all |
| Rice University TX | 7.9% | $67,857 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Baylor extended offers to 51.0% of 39,735 applicants in fall 2023, the figure behind its admit rate.1 Its rate was 57.5% in 2013, so the change over the decade is a drop of 6.5 percentage points.1 The path was uneven, with the rate declining in 6 of the 10 yearly changes and peaking at 68.5% in 2020.1 Applications grew 36% and admissions grew 21% across the span, ending at 20,262 admitted students in 2023.1
Test scores are optional, and the middle 50% of SAT math results ran from 600 to 700 in 2023.1
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 come to $63,620, a single price for all students.2 The median for the 49 private bachelor's colleges in Texas is $31,760.2 Average net price in 2024-25 was $45,498 for families earning $0 to $30,000 and $24,146 for those earning $30,001 to $48,000.2 Households above $110,000 paid $50,541 on average.2
A share of 82% of 2019 entrants finished within 6 years, well above the 45% median across 89 Texas bachelor's colleges.2 Earnings for Baylor students, taken as a median 10 years after entry, were $72,408.2 Graduating borrowers had a median federal debt of $19,500.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 39,735 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 20,262 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 3,317 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 15,155 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 610 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 700 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 600 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 700 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 27 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 32 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 31% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 19% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $63,620 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $78,816 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $44,441 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $45,498 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $24,146 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $33,908 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $38,607 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $50,541 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 82% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 91% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 16% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $72,408 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $19,500 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Texas (N = 49) | $31,760 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Texas (N = 89) | 45% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Baylor, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page