Baylor Jumps to No. 3 in U.S. News Rankings for Learning Communities, Remains Top 10 for First-Year Experiences

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
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Baylor University’s Learning Communities and First-Year Experiences remain firmly among the nation’s Top 10 in the latest U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings. With Baylor’s Learning Communities at No. 3 nationally and First-Year Experiences at No. 9, U.S. News shines the spotlight on Baylor’s transformational undergraduate academic programs and student experiences.

Overall, Baylor is Top 50 among private universities at No. 48 and Top 100 among all universities at No. 90. In addition to the Top 10 programs, U.S. News also ranked Baylor’s commitment to undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research/creative projects in the nation’s Top 40.

“Few universities combine a distinctly Christian mission with top-tier research, Power 4 athletics and a deeply personal undergraduate student experience in the way Baylor does,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “We are grateful to see the University’s historic strengths continue to be recognized by peer institutions and higher education leaders across the nation. Baylor intentionally creates a caring community where students are known, challenged and encouraged from their first days on campus to graduation and beyond as members of the Baylor Family. Meaningful connections with faculty, mentors and peers ensure Baylor students develop the faith, character and leadership skills needed to flourish and lead lives of service, purpose and impact.”

Enhancing the undergraduate student experience

Baylor continues to be scored highly by college presidents, provosts and deans in the U.S. News category of “Programs That Enhance Student Experience,” which recognizes programs that are linked to student success and positive learning outcomes, and landed Baylor in the Top 10.

• No. 3 for Learning Communities that provide students the opportunity to live with peers in a residential setting who share a common academic interest or hobby. Baylor students can choose from among three residential colleges, Honors Residential College, Teal Residential College and Brooks Residential College, which are faculty-led communities that foster academic excellence, intensive faculty-student interaction and rich culture steeped in Baylor tradition. Baylor also has several Living-Learning Communities (LLC) organized around specific academic programs or extracurricular interests. Residents share common cohort classes and have access to other academic services and programming provided in the LLC communities, in addition to faculty in residence, resident chaplains, program directors and residence hall directors. Baylor LLCs include: 
  • Business & Innovation LLC (Christ-centered residential experience rooted in the Hankamer School of Business values of Community, Humility, Excellence and Stewardship, where students find belonging, grow as leaders, and discover purpose);
  • Science and Health LLC (specialized residential learning community for science and health academic units that immerses students in a pre-health and life science experience);
  • LEAD LLC (two multidisciplinary residential communities rooted in leadership development, academic growth and service to others);
  • Fine Arts Living LLC (interdisciplinary residential community for student artists to engage in world-class artistic experiences and network with professionals);
  • Baylor & Beyond LLC (residential community that helps students, faculty and staff from all over the country and world build deep, meaningful connections); and
  • Outdoor Adventure LLC (residential community of students who pursue growth through experiencing success and challenge in the outdoors.
• No. 9 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 has built upon its first-year experience to integrate similar opportunities such as Year2@Baylor and each sequential year to strengthen academic progress as well as the mental, physical and spiritual health of all students.

The latest U.S. News rankings also saw Baylor move up among the nation’s top universities for its longstanding commitment to undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research/creative projects.

• No. 25 for Best Undergraduate Teaching for a strong commitment by faculty and administrators to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner; and
• No. 36 for Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects for providing 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 is ranked No. 58 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 that have high-quality academics along with financial aid (need-based grants and scholarships) for students that considerably reduce costs.

Business-Entrepreneurship, Baylor Nursing lead academic programs

Undergraduate Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation is Baylor’s top-ranked U.S. News undergraduate academic program, landing at No. 11. The program in the Hankamer School of Business is among the three highest-ranked programs in Texas, along with the University of Texas, Rice University and the University of Houston, which tied Baylor at No. 11.

Other top rankings include:

• Baylor’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing at No. 36;
• The undergraduate business programs in the Hankamer School of Business at No. 72; and
• The undergraduate psychology program in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences moving up to No. 83.

Institutionally, Baylor is a Top 5 university in Texas with Rice (No. 19), UT-Austin (No. 34), Texas A&M (No. 59), SMU (No. 85) and TCU (tied with Baylor at No. 90).

Among Big 12 Conference universities, Baylor and TCU are the top-ranked institutions, followed by the University of Colorado Boulder (No. 109), BYU and Iowa State (No. 116), Arizona State University, University of Arizona and University of Central Florida (No. 121), University of Houston (No. 137), University of Kansas (No. 148), Kansas State University (No. 156), University of Cincinnati and University of Utah (No. 179), Texas Tech University (No. 186), Oklahoma State University (No. 191) and West Virginia University (No. 227).

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 2027 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 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.