Baylor Leaps to No. 4 in U.S. News Rankings for First-Year Experiences, Stays in Top 10 for Learning Communities

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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Baylor University’s first-year experiences for students jumped to No. 4 nationally while its learning communities landed in the Top 10 in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings – highlighting Baylor’s transformational undergraduate academic programs and experiences.

Overall, Baylor moved up one place to No. 46 among the nation’s Top 50 private universities and to No. 88 among the Top 100 national universities, tied with eight other institutions. In addition to its Top 10 programs that enhance the student experience, U.S. News also ranked Baylor’s commitment to undergraduate teaching, campus innovation and undergraduate research/creative projects among the nation’s Top 40.

“At Baylor, we remain deeply committed to providing a transformational undergraduate educational experience, which is a cornerstone of our Christian mission and vision. It’s gratifying to see our peer institutions and higher education leaders continue to recognize the strength of Baylor’s undergraduate programs, especially those that shape student success and learning from the very beginning and endure through to graduation and beyond." - President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.

“At Baylor, we remain deeply committed to providing a transformational undergraduate educational experience, which is a cornerstone of our Christian mission and vision,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “It’s gratifying to see our peer institutions and higher education leaders continue to recognize the strength of Baylor’s undergraduate programs, especially those that shape student success and learning from the very beginning and endure through to graduation and beyond. We are thankful the ‘Baylor Distinctives’ remain highly valued, from faith and character development to the opportunity for students to build meaningful relationships with faculty and mentors. These qualities make Baylor a truly special place to prepare students for worldwide leadership and service.”

Enhancing the undergraduate student experience

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

• No. 4 for First-Year Experiences 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. From Baylor Line Camp, Welcome Week and on-campus living to New Student Experience courses and programs, Baylor goes above and beyond to help new students integrate into the Baylor community. The University also is building upon the first-year experience to integrate similar opportunities into each sequential year that strengthen academic progress as well as the mental, physical and spiritual health of all students.
• No. 9 for Learning Communities for providing students the opportunity to live with peers in a residential setting who share a common academic interest or hobby. Baylor students can choose from seven Living-Learning Communities (LLC) that are organized around specific academic programs or extracurricular interests, and residents share common cohort classes and have access to other academic services and programming provided in the communities, including faculty in residence and resident chaplains.

U.S. News also ranked Baylor among the nation’s top universities for its commitments to undergraduate teaching, campus innovation and undergraduate research/creative projects. Baylor is ranked:

• No. 27 for Best Undergraduate Teaching for a strong commitment by faculty and administrators to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner;
• No. 38 for Most Innovative Schools for making the most innovative developments toward curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities; and
• No. 40 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.

In addition, Baylor moved up to No. 55 in the U.S. News Best Colleges for Veterans rankings for participation in federal initiatives such as the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program to help veterans and active-duty service members access an affordable college education. Baylor is No. 81 among Best Value private universities (No. 113 overall) that have high-quality academics along with financial aid (need-based grants and scholarships) for students that considerably reduce costs.

No. 10 Entrepreneurship, Baylor Nursing lead academic programs

Undergraduate entrepreneurship is Baylor’s top-ranked U.S. News undergraduate academic program, landing at No. 10. The program in the Hankamer School of Business is among the three highest-ranked programs in Texas, along with the University of Texas at Austin (No. 6) and the University of Houston (No. 8).

Other rankings include:

• Baylor’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing jumped 11 places into the Top 30 at No. 28;
• The undergraduate business programs in the Hankamer School of Business moved up to No. 64;
• In business specialty rankings, Baylor’s undergraduate economics program rose 15 places to No. 99;
• The undergraduate psychology program in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences moved up nine places to No. 85; and
• Undergraduate engineering and computer science programs in the School of Engineering and Computer Science landed at No. 125 and No. 136, respectively.

Institutionally, Baylor’s position in Texas remains at No. 4 (tied with SMU), behind only Rice (No. 17), UT-Austin (No. 30) and Texas A&M (No. 51).

Among Big 12 Conference universities, Baylor is the top-ranked university at No. 88, followed by TCU and University of Colorado Boulder (No. 97); BYU (No. 110); Arizona State University, University of Central Florida and Iowa State University (No. 117); University of Arizona (No. 127); University of Houston (No. 132); University of Kansas (No. 143); University of Utah (No. 151); University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University (No. 158); Oklahoma State University and Texas Tech University (No. 198); and West Virginia University (No. 222).

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities. The 2026 edition evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.

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. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.