Baylor University Again Among Top 10 Most Trusted U.S. Universities
Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Brands report measures public trust in the top 135 doctoral research universities, with Baylor at No. 9
Courtesy of Morning Consult's 2023 Most Trusted Brands project
Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (May 31, 2023) – For the second year in a row, Baylor University has been named among the nation’s top 10 Most Trusted Universities, according to global research firm Morning Consult as part of its Most Trusted Brands project, the definitive measure of consumer brand trust across industries, including higher education.
“Trust is a key success metric for many higher education institutions that continue to face enrollment headwinds due to the declining number of high school graduates and increasing questions about the value of a college degree, especially among men,” the report stated.
Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Universities report measures public trust in the top 135 doctoral research universities featured in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best National University Rankings and explores how trust varies among diverse groups and different types of institutions.
The top 10 Most Trusted Universities are:
- Johns Hopkins University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- Cornell University
- Princeton University
- University of Notre Dame
- Yale University
- Duke University
- Baylor University
- Northwestern
“Trust is hard to earn and perhaps even harder to keep, so for Baylor University to be recognized again as one of the Top 10 Most Trusted Universities in the country is a continuing testament to our dedicated faculty and staff who live and support Baylor’s Christian mission every day, as well as the entire Baylor Family who serve as our brand ambassadors across the country,” said President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “We have been tremendously blessed during the past six years – from earning the Carnegie R1 research designation to adding dozens of new endowed faculty positions to raising more than $1.3 billion in the Give Light campaign – and those accomplishments would not be possible without trust in our commitment to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service.”
Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Universities survey was conducted April 3-9, 2023, among a representative sample of 11,010 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-1 percentage point. The brand rankings were determined by finding net trust, or the share of respondents who said they trust each brand to do the right thing “a lot” and “some” minus the share who said “not much” and “not at all.”
“In this year’s Most Trusted Universities research, trust as a metric of academic reputation gained even more prominence among key stakeholders of universities, such as parents, students and employers,” the Morning Consult report stated.
In addition, an earlier analysis by Morning Consult, released in March, found that universities with elite athletics programs have better reputations among the public, and especially so for private institutions. The report noted that “activities such as college athletics can help engage the wider community at local and national levels.” Half of the Top 10 Most Trusted Universities compete in Power 5 athletic conferences, including Baylor (Big 12), Duke (ACC), Northwestern (Big Ten), Stanford (Pac-12) and Notre Dame (ACC).
With a robust student experience that includes Power 5 athletics, Baylor continues to experience increasing demand from students nationwide who are attracted to Baylor for its strong academics, historic Christian mission and midsize, as well as its athletics program that has won 14 team national championships and 92 Big 12 Conference titles.
Morning Consult conducts regular survey research with The New York Times and is widely referenced by many other national media outlets.
The full Most Trusted Brands 2023 report is available for download on the Morning Consult website.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.