Baylor University
Waco, TX · Private · 14,785 undergrads
- Admit rate: 51.3% (39,735 applicants)
- SAT middle 50%: 1200–1400 (ACT 27–32)
- Undergraduates: 14,785 (2.6% international)
- Average net price: $41,104 (per year after aid)
- Graduation rate: 80% (within 6 years)
Deadlines
- Early Decision: Nov. 1, 2026
- Early Action: Nov. 1, 2026
- Regular Decision: Feb. 1, 2027
Editor's notes
- Don't skip the optional pieces. Baylor's test-optional page encourages a résumé, two recommendation letters and the short answer, and its CDS rates the essay Important, so a test-optional file with only a transcript and an essay is thinner than it needs to be.
- Decide on Early Decision with the money in mind. It's binding, and it moves your decision up to Dec. 15, but Early Action on the same Nov. 1 date keeps you in line for merit awards and the specialty scholarship events while leaving you free until May 1.
Sources
- Baylor Undergraduate Admissions, Admission plans
- Baylor Undergraduate Admissions, 2027-2028 Application process
- Baylor Undergraduate Admissions, Test optional process
- Baylor Institutional Research, Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Baylor University 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Admissions
- Common App, 2026-27 first-year requirements grid (updated Sept. 25, 2026)
- Common App, Baylor University school page
