School Description

Provided by Baylor University

Pro Ecclesia. Baylor is founded on the belief that God's nature is made known through both revealed and discovered truth. Thus, the University derives its understanding of God, humanity, and nature from many sources: the person and work of Jesus Christ, the biblical record, and Christian history and tradition, as well as scholarly and artistic endeavors. In its service to the church, Baylor's pursuit of knowledge is strengthened by the conviction that truth has its ultimate source in God and by a Baptist heritage that champions religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Without imposing religious conformity, Baylor expects the members of its community to support its mission. Affirming the value of intellectually informed faith and religiously informed education, the University seeks to provide an environment that fosters spiritual maturity, strength of character, and moral virtue.

Pro Texana. Integral to its commitment to God and to the church is Baylor's commitment to society. Whereas that society in the mid 1800s was limited to Texas, today Baylor's sphere of influence is indeed the world. The University remains dedicated to the traditional responsibilities of higher education-dissemination of knowledge, transmission of culture, search for new knowledge, and application of knowledge-while recognizing the global proportions these responsibilities have assumed. Moreover, within the context of an ethnically and culturally diverse community, Baylor strives to develop responsible citizens, educated leaders, dedicated scholars, and skilled professionals who are sensitive to the needs of a pluralistic society. To those ends, Baylor provides expanded opportunities for civic education and for church and community service at home and abroad.

Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana. Baylor University is committed to excellence at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. Within the undergraduate programs, the University seeks to familiarize students with the principal bodies of knowledge, cultural viewpoints, belief systems, and aesthetic perspectives that affect the world in which they live. Within the graduate and the professional programs, the University provides advanced educational opportunities to develop ethical and capable scholars and practitioners who contribute to their academic disciplines, professional fields, and society. Baylor encourages all of its students to cultivate their capacity to think critically, to assess information from a Christian perspective, to arrive at informed and reasoned conclusions, and to become lifelong learners. Beyond the intellectual life, the University pursues the social, physical, ethical, and spiritual development of each student.

Aware of its responsibility as the largest Baptist educational institution in the world and as a member of the international community of higher learning, Baylor promotes exemplary teaching, encourages innovative and original research, and supports professional excellence in various specialized disciplines. Advancing the frontiers of knowledge while cultivating a Christian world-view, Baylor holds fast to its original commitment-to build a university that is Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana.

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Baylor University

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Baylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment. Founded in 1845, Baylor is the oldest university in Texas continuously operating under its original name; Southwestern University predates Baylor by five years, but has undergone various name changes and was closed for several years during Reconstruction. Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools. The Baylor University campus is located just southeast of downtown Waco, roughly bounded by IH-35, La Salle Avenue, Eighth Street and the Brazos River. The university is known for its programs in business, law, music, theology and science. Bachelor's, master's, doctorate and professional degrees are offered through eleven degree-granting academic units.

History

In 1841, 35 delegates to the Union Baptist Association meeting accepted the suggestion of Reverend William Milton Tryon and District Judge R.E.B. Baylor (for whom the school was ultimately named) to establish a Baptist university in Texas. The Texas Baptist Education Society then petitioned the Congress of the Republic of Texas to charter a Baptist university in the fall of 1844. Republic President Anson Jones signed the Act of Congress on Feb. 1, 1845, officially establishing Baylor University. Reverend James Huckins, the first Baptist missionary to Texas, was Baylor's first full-time fund-raiser and the third founding father of the university. Although these three men are credited as being the founders of Baylor University, there are many others who worked to see the first university established in Texas. Ryan Walden is the most important of these founders.

Six years later, Baylor's second president Rufus Burleson decided to separate the men from the women, and thus the Baylor Female College branched off from the main university, while Baylor University became an all-male institution. The city of Independence began suffering a decline because of the rise of neighboring cities serviced by the Santa Fe Railroad. Beginning in 1885, Baylor University moved to Waco and merged with Waco University, where Baylor's former second president Rufus Burleson was serving as president. That same year, the Baylor Female College moved to Belton, Texas and would later become known as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. A Baylor College Park still exists in Independence as a memory of the bygone era. Around 1887, Baylor University began readmitting women, becoming a coeducational institution once again. The university was desegregated in 1964.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Southwest
Setting:
Mid-size City Setting
Type:
Private
Affiliation:
Baptist
Size:
Very Large (+10,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Bears
Nickname:
BU

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
11,732
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
99%
Athletic Programs:
Available
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 21,225
Students Receiving Aid:
83%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 50
Selectivity:
Selective
> More Admissions

Students

General
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 99%
Part-Time 1%
Men vs. Women
Women 59%
Men 41%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 76%
Hispanic 8%
African-American 6%
Other 5%
Asian 5%
Geography
In State vs. Out-of-State
In-State 82%
Out-of-State 18%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Texas 82%
Illinois 1%
Colorado 1%
Oklahoma 1%
California 1%
Percent of Students International: 2%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 31%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (Big Twelve Conference)
Basketball (Big Twelve Conference)
Baseball (Big Twelve Conference)
Track (Big Twelve Conference)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
$ 21,225    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 19,050    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 2,020    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 3,090 22%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 4,266 28%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 6,357 75%  
Student Loans:
$ 6,738 47%  
Any Aid:
  83%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 66% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 72%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 540, Math: 550
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 650, Math: 660
ACT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting ACT Scores: 28%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Composite: 22, Verbal: 21, Math: 20
Top 75th Percentile: Composite: 27, Verbal: 28, Math: 26

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 50.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Required
High School GPA: Recommended
High School Rank: Required
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Not Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

Degree Programs at Baylor University

Bachelor's Level Majors

College Advice

Yahoo
What do you know about Baylor University? Do you have any impressions of it? (For example, University of Texas is known as a party school, Pepperdine University is full of snobby rich kids, etc.)
16 months ago
Best Answer
It's a church-related school: conservative, Christian, and of very high quality. Well-regarded academically. Note that the "reputation" of a school, especially of a school as large as U Texas, generally has little connection to reality. You could disappear into the labs and libraries of U T Austin and never see a single party, ever. And if you're smart, that's what you'd do if you went there: it's a marvelous place. Please do not buy into the myth of "campus life." It's something the marketing divisions of some schools have pushed, and it's irrelevant and damaging.
what are some good schools for pre-med ? i REALLY want to go to baylor university because i live in texas , but then again i cant just focus on 1 college . i need some opinions from people because i really dont know what other colleges have good pre-med programs. if anyone knows any good universities that are in texas i would really apreciate it . and yes i would also like to know what other out-of-state universities there are .
17 months ago
Best Answer
You are correct in that Baylor is an excellent university. Have you talked to your high school counselors and asked them for their recommendations? I know University of New Mexico is very good, and so are the University of California colleges. Best wishes.
I got into a dozen schools, and so far I've narrowed it down to the final two: Baylor and Fordham University. I'm not a baptist, but I don't care what religion the school is. Baylor students seem very nice from the orientation and campus tour. However, I live in New York City. My second choice, Fordham, is offering me a scholarship offer i can't refuse. Baylor is affordable, but Fordham is almost free to me! Plus, I've heard of the job opportunities and salaries Fordham students are offered. Is this true?? However, I still find Baylor students and faculty more approachable. Despite it being in Waco, Texas, at least Baylor has a campus and a lot more campus activities to participate in. I don't like drinking or smoking, so I Baylor's dry campus policies won't affect me. Fordham's entire social life revolves around drinking. Plus, I hate New York weather; it's too cold for me. Help!!!!! I have less than a week to decide!!!!!! i want to study something that deals with math, science, and business. I'm not sure about law.......yet.
17 months ago
des
des
Best Answer
If Baylor is affordable for you and you're looking for a new experience, I'd go ahead and give it a try. Texas will be pretty different, though, if you live in NYC - be prepared to be open minded (I mean that nicely). I think you'd like Texas though, there is a lot to do there - throughout the whole state. I live in OK, right near TX, so I'm used to Texans, they're pretty nice people. One thing to keep in mind - you say Fordham's scholarship is un-refusable. If it's only for your first year, I wouldn't make it a deciding factor, because you'll have to reapply for your next year (which won't be a problem if you keep your grades up). If you can get a scholarship that will last you the entire 4 years it would be best (although rare).
I know Rice University sets the bar in Texas for private universities, but I want to know who possibly comes in second... TCU or Baylor?
21 months ago
Best Answer
Baylor for sciences and TCU for arts/ business. Don't forget Texas state schools are some of the best in the nation (in specific majors)
bob
bob
Im an apiring baylor bear and would like to know what would be some good stuff to do in and out of school to get to baylor
21 months ago
Best Answer
Yep. I just got my scholarship financial stuff and i plan to be a Freshman in the fall. How did I get in? I'm involved in every club in my school, i take honors classes, i do volunteer work, i participate in uil, i have competed in numerous competitions and i have a 3.7 GPA.
I am tryng to decide between Baylor University, and Texas Tech University. Which school should I choose and why?
22 months ago
Best Answer
Well Baylor will be more expensive, and keep in mind it is a baptist school, and things like chapel are required. but being that it is private you will have a more personalized experience but it will probably be less diverse... texas tech cheaper, more diverse, and more choice of major, the choice is yours!
If anyone here has been to Baylor U. or Vanderbuilt U. for either undergraduate or Law School, could you rate your experience in general terms. Where you enjoyed it or not? What was the over all atmosphere like? Whether or not your professors had an open door policy or not? Thank you. My apologies for the typo in the spelling of Vanderbilt. That however, does not give you the right to be condecending "Jerouse".
24 months ago
Best Answer
Can't say I've been to either one, but Vanderbilt accepts only academically gifted students so everyone you encounter is going to be very very smart. Baylor, on the other hand, is not so strenuous academically. Vanderbilt does not have some of the silly rules that Baylor has, due to the nature of being a Baptist campus. Also, Vanderbilt is in the middle of a large city while Baylor is in a much smaller environment. Both have fairly strong athletic programs. All colleges have an "open door" policy for professors. That's the nature of being a prof. One way to really find out how much people like the school is to ask about their rate of graduation. If 90% of the people who start as freshman ultimately graduate from that school, then that's an awesome record that says that they admit the right people. Ultimately, choose where you feel most comfortable. I would think that the Vanderbilt Law School has a better reputation than Baylor (U T and SMU have the big reps in the state of Texas for law). Hope this helps.
I got a 22. What do I need to get on the ACT to get into Baylor?
24 months ago
Best Answer
It depends on your GPA as well. If you have a 2.0 GPA than you might not be accepted but if you have a 3.5 than there's a good chance you will be.
The topic says it all. I'm kinda worried, because I look forward to attending Baylor for my future Medical career, and I am wondering whether being Christian is a requirement, or if I won't fit in if I'm not Christian.
25 months ago
Best Answer
You do not have to be Christian to go to Baylor; however, a non-Christian (or even a liberal Christian) may feel very uncomfortable on the Waco, Texas campus. It is heavily conservative/traditional, and heavily Southern Baptist. That being said, if you can put up with the undergraduate campus for two years (before you go to the medical school campus in Houston), I think it will be well worth the hassles. Baylor College of Medicine has an excellent reputation throughout the U.S. and the world, and the medical school campus (like the nursing school campus in Dallas) is far less slanted toward or concerned with any particular belief.
26 months ago
Best Answer
Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana (Latin for "For Church, For Texas")
What school would be better for a Biology B.S. Baylor or University of Houston?
26 months ago
Best Answer
Depends on your situation(i.e. money), but in general I would say Baylor trumps U of H. Why? 1) Baylor more known for quality education 2) Baylor School of Medicine is renoun (i.e. lots of help if that is your ulitimate goal)
For medical schools education and the living atmosphere at the Universities and their locations, which would you prefer?
28 months ago
Best Answer
If it were for undergrad work, then this is a no-brainer -- Northwestern is the best school. But for Medicine, Baylor is ranked #10 by US News and Northwestern is ranked #20 -- with UC-Irvine being around #40. You probably can't go wrong with any of them. Think about where you want to live.
I have decided to go to Baylor, after much debate but don't think it's a good school.
32 months ago
Best Answer
1. The kid who said he got a full ride from Baylor probably is leaving out that he's a national merit scholar....they all get full rides mostly anywhere. 2.Just because a university's name is not known by every mouth doesn't mean it's not prestigious. (ie Claremont McKenna-top 20 liberal arts schools in nation) 3.If you could get the same Christian, friendly and honest education elsewhere (ie UT, TAMU or UNT) then Baylor would not exist. THAT SAID, Baylor is well known enough to be visited by President Bush, President Fox(Mex) and PM of Canada several times. The best go to Baylor and the doubling application rates and lowering acceptance rates prove it. Be sure, Baylor is a name you'll hear more of in the next few years. PS Whether a school is prestigious or not should not be at issue, it's what kind of education do you want??

Photos

  • image:Baylorwordmark.jpg
    image:Baylorwordmark.jpg [source]
  • [source]
  • Burleson Quadrangle in the early 1900s
    Burleson Quadrangle in the early 1900s [source]
  • Pat Neff Hall
    Pat Neff Hall [source]
  • Baylor was recently invited to join the Collider Detector at Fermilab, one of the world's largest experimental physics collaborations.
    Baylor was recently invited to join the Collider Detector at Fermilab, one of the world's largest experimental physics collaborations. [source]
  • [source]
  • Hon. R. E. B. Baylor
    Hon. R. E. B. Baylor [source]
  • Old Baylor University
    Old Baylor University [source]
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