🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students. Expect a high net price across most income brackets.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1210–1400 · ACT 27–32 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Health Professions (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1210, or ACT below 27, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
14,785
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$58,100
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$58,100
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
51.0%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%
1210–1400
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
27–32
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$65,793
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$56,532
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,793
4-year completion
80%
Median debt (completers)
$23,000
Cost of attendance
$74,226
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
12%

💰 True ROI

4.0× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$164,416
$41,104/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$132,488
vs sticker $296,904
10-yr earnings total
$657,930
$65,793/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
2.5 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Baylor University, the average net price is $41,104/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$22,024/yr
Family income $30-48k
$21,530/yr
Family income $48-75k
$33,902/yr
Family income $75-110k
$38,852/yr
Family income $110k+
$47,895/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Baylor University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Baylor University →

Opens on Baylor University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Baylor University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Baylor University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
940 degrees · 38.6%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Health Professions
715 degrees · 29.3%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
395 degrees · 16.2%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Communication, Journalism, & Related
204 degrees · 8.4%
Typical career outcomes
Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
5. Social Sciences
183 degrees · 7.5%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Baylor University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 18 $82,714 $128,411
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations. Bachelor's Degree 28 $84,271 $125,167
Business/Commerce, General. Bachelor's Degree 60 $74,886 $124,434
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 181 $67,909 $102,812
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 148 $68,187 $102,011
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree $82,475 $100,110
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 134 $70,873 $96,148
Real Estate. Bachelor's Degree 5 $57,834 $94,027
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 65 $75,726 $92,990
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 24 $45,195 $89,618

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Baylor University

CS degrees (annual)
33
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Baylor University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Baylor University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Baylor University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Baylor University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($42,052 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($38,727 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($37,469 less)
Cedar Crest College
PA · Private nonprofit
$11,008/yr for $110k+ families ($36,887 less)
CUNY Brooklyn College
NY · Public
$12,254/yr for $110k+ families ($35,641 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
The University of Texas at Tyler
TX · Public
92% admit rate (vs 51% here)
The University of Texas at Arlington
TX · Public
81% admit rate (vs 51% here)
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
71% admit rate (vs 51% here)
University of Houston
TX · Public
70% admit rate (vs 51% here)
The University of Texas at Dallas
TX · Public
66% admit rate (vs 51% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Baylor University into your overall strategy:

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