U.S. News Rankings Place Baylor in National Top 10 for Undergraduate First-Year Experiences, Learning Communities

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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Baylor University’s transformational undergraduate academic programs and experiences were Top 10 national highlights in the 2025 Best Colleges rankings, released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Overall, Baylor maintained its status as a Top 50 private university (No. 47) and as a Top 100 national university – moving up to No. 91 in the country, tied with SMU and five other universities. Baylor’s undergraduate experiences for first-year students and its learning communities both solidified their Top 10 U.S. News rankings of programs that enhance the student experience. U.S. News ranked Baylor’s commitment to undergraduate research, teaching and campus innovation in the Top 30 nationally.

“At Baylor we deeply value a transformational undergraduate educational experience. It is a foundational pillar that has shaped the University over the course of its history,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “It is rewarding to have our peer institutions and others continue to recognize Baylor’s dynamic and distinct undergraduate programs that impact our students’ success and learning, from first-year experiences to undergraduate research and teaching to the expanding opportunities on our increasingly innovative campus.

“A Baylor education is highly valued, and we are focused on expanding access and affordability while remaining committed to the ‘Baylor Distinctives’ not captured by U.S. News but that we know also drive student choice, such as faith and character development and students being able to develop close connections with faculty,” President Livingstone added.

Enhancing the student experience, value

Baylor continues to score highly in nominations from college presidents, provosts and admissions leaders among the U.S. News “Programs That Enhance Student Experience.” This category highlights programs that expose college students to new academic experiences that, research shows, are linked to student success and positive learning outcomes while fostering a rewarding undergraduate experience.

Baylor continues its place solidly within the U.S. News Top 10 for its focus on Learning Communities and First-Year Experiences. Baylor is ranked:

• No. 6 for Learning Communities for providing students the opportunity to live with peers in a residential living-learning community who share a common academic interest or hobby; and
• No. 7 for First-Year Experience for building into the curriculum first-year seminars or other academic programs that bring small groups of students together with faculty or staff on a regular basis.

Baylor is among the nation’s top universities for its commitments to undergraduate research and creative projects, undergraduate teaching and campus innovation with U.S. News rankings that include:

• No. 23 for Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects for providing opportunities for intensive and self-directed research or creative work, typically mentored by a faculty member, that results in an original scholarly paper or other product that can be formally presented on or off campus;
• No. 26 for Best Undergraduate Teaching for a strong commitment by faculty and administrators to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner; and
• No. 26 for Most Innovative Schools for making the most innovative developments toward curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities.

In addition, Baylor moved up to No. 57 in the U.S. News Best Colleges for Veterans rankings for participation in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members access an affordable college education. Baylor also moved up six places to No. 109 among Best Value Schools who have high-quality academics along with financial aid (need-based grants and scholarships) for students that considerably reduce costs. Baylor is No. 77 among Best Value private universities.

No. 11 Entrepreneurship lead academic program rankings

Undergraduate entrepreneurship is Baylor’s top-ranked U.S. News undergraduate academic program at No. 11. Baylor’s program in the Hankamer School of Business is among the three highest-ranked programs in Texas along with UT-Austin (No. 6) and the University of Houston (No. 9).

Other rankings include:

• Undergraduate business programs in the Hankamer School of Business at No. 65.
• In business specialty rankings, Baylor’s undergraduate economics program at No. 114.
• Baylor’s undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing at No. 39.
• The undergraduate psychology program in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences up to No. 94.
• Undergraduate engineering and computer science programs in the School of Engineering and Computer Science, which also offers doctoral programs, at No. 113 and No. 145, respectively.

Institutionally, Baylor’s position in Texas moved up to No. 4 (tied with SMU) among the state’s top-ranked universities, behind only Rice (No. 18), the University of Texas at Austin (No. 30) and Texas A&M (No. 51).

Among Big 12 Conference universities, Baylor is the top-ranked university at No. 91, followed by the University of Colorado Boulder (No. 98); TCU No. 105; BYU and University of Arizona No. 109; Arizona State University, Iowa State University and University of Central Florida No. 121; University of Utah No. 136; University of Houston No. 144; University of Cincinnati and University of Kansas No. 152; Kansas State University No. 165; Oklahoma State University No. 196; Texas Tech University No. 214; and West Virginia University No. 220.

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.