Student Achievement
Baylor University provides students with a truly transformational education — one in which students develop their leadership potential, explore their faith and beliefs, increase their desire for wisdom, and prepare for service in a diverse and interconnected global society.
As part of the Baylor In Deeds Strategic Plan and Baylor's Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, Baylor has established goals for student achievement measures through the year 2027. The tables below represent the current status of student achievement and progress toward those institutional goals.
Threshold values are determined by the lowest value recorded in the previous five academic years as this methodology allows for contextual understanding, as well as reasonable fluctuations for mitigating factors (e.g., COVID-19).
Undergraduate Outcomes
First-Year Retention Rate
A first-year to second-year retention rate is one of the best indicators of undergraduate students' successful adjustment to university life. Over the past decade, Baylor has seen significant growth in the retention rate of freshman returning for their second year. The current year data demonstrates an increase from 90.6% in Fall 2023 to 90.9% in Fall 2024.
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 5-Year Trend | |
| 2023 First-Year Cohort | 88.3% | 90.9% | 91.8% | 
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Graduation Rates
Graduation rates demonstrate the percentage of students who complete their educational goals and to do so in an expected timeframe. Over the past five years, Baylor’s four-year graduation rate has been trending upward, reaching a record high of 71.3% in 2023, surpassing our 2027 target.
Four-Year Graduation Rate
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 5-Year Trend | |
| 2020 First-Year Cohort | 68.1% | 71.1% | 70.0% | 
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The six-year graduation rate has also increased steadily over the past several years, reaching a record high in 2021 of 81.6%. From 2022 to 2024, Baylor saw a slight decrease from the record year of 2021, but the target of 82.6% for 2027 is still within reach.
Six-Year Graduation Rate
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 5-Year Trend | |
| 2018 First-Year Cohort | 78.1% | 79.9% | 82.6% | 
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Baylor disaggregates six-year graduation rate data using the Traditional IPEDS Graduation Rate (150%; 6-year graduation rate) as our Key Student Completion Indicator (KSCI). Reports are available on Baylor's Student Right to Know webpage that disaggregate six-year graduation rates by gender, race/ethnicity, Pell status, and first-generation students.
Placement Success Rate
Undergraduate placement rates demonstrate the successful transition of graduates into a career (including employment, military service, or volunteer service) or graduate school. In 2019 and again in 2021, Baylor revised how the success data were published; thus, a 4-year trend is shown below. Since 2021, Baylor has seen a strong increase in the success rate of graduates in finding a placement within 180 days of graduation.
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 4-Year Trend | |
| 2022-23 Exit Cohort | 82.5% | 92.0% | 92.6% | 
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Program specific placement rate reports are available on the linked Career Center Success Data webpage.
Graduate Outcomes
Master's Retention Rate
Just as for undergraduate students, one-year retention (and/or graduation within one year) for master’s students is a vital metric to the University in terms of gauging student success. In the past several years, Baylor has increased the number of master’s programs and master’s students; thus, from our baseline year to the current year, the student population, program modality, and the programs represented in the data are different. To reflect this continued emphasis and growth on master’s programs, the Baylor Administration recognizes that there will be anticipated fluctuations in the master’s retention rate; therefore, the goal set for 2027 is to remain above 80% for the master’s one-year retention rate. Currently, the one-year retention rate of master’s students is 83.5%.
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 5-Year Trend | |
| 2022-23 Entry Cohort | 81.5% | 83.5% | Remain above 80.0% | 
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Bar First-time Pass Rate
Baylor University’s School of Law has a long history and a stellar reputation for providing our students with a strong legal education, getting students hands-on experience, and having a high Bar pass rate. This achievement measure is unique to our Juris Doctorate program and speaks to the high-level of preparation our law school grants to our JD graduates. The Bar is an important indicator to Baylor for us to continue to be successful and a leader in legal education and preparation.
From the baseline year in 2018 to the present, Baylor’s Bar passing rate has remained within 5% (87-92%). Baylor’s goal for 2027 is to remain at or above 90% first-time pass rate for the Bar (in any state).
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 5-Year Trend | |
| 2023 Graduates | 87.3% | 91.6% | Remain above 90.0% | 
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Research Doctorate Completion Rate
As part of our previous strategic vision, Baylor pursued and ultimately achieved becoming a R1 university in December 2021. In this pursuit and after, Baylor prioritizes growing the success of our research doctorate programs. Baylor uses the IPEDS definition to identify research doctorate programs: “A Ph.D. or other doctor’s degree that requires advanced work beyond the master’s level, including the preparation and defense of a dissertation based on original research, or the planning and execution of an original project demonstrating substantial artistic or scholarly achievement…” In the last three years, the 10-year research doctorate completion rate has been trending upward toward the 2027 target of 80%. In 2024, the target was surpassed with a record 10-year research doctorate completion rate of 82.9%.
| Threshold | Actual (2024) | Target (2027) | 5-Year Trend | |
| 2013-14 Entry Cohort | 64.2% | 82.9% | 80.0% | 
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Data sources: Retention and graduation/completion data are provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Placement data is provided by the Baylor Career Center. The placement data is based on the number of students who have been hired in full- or part-time jobs, enrolled in graduate school, serve in the military, and are in full-time volunteer programs (e.g., Teach for America, Peace Corps). The Law School Bar first-time pass rate is provided by the American Bar Association.