Why Baylor?

Generous Financial Support

Nearly all incoming Ph.D. students receive full tuition remission, a multi-year research or teaching assistantship, annual travel funding, and an 80% subsidy for student health insurance. Stipend levels are highly competitive, and with Waco’s low cost of living, roughly two-thirds of Ph.D. graduates accrue no student loan debt during their doctoral program.  Graduate students pay no student fees.

Masters programs offer varying levels of support, ranging from a partial tuition waiver to full tuition remission with a stipend.  Please contact your program of interest for details. Professional programs typically do not provide funding support.

Strong Research Support

Baylor is one of only 37 private institutions in the country recognized as an R1 research university. Graduate students are a key part of Baylor’s scholarly and research community, producing nearly 800 professional presentations and over 600 research articles per year (pre-COVID). Their work is supported by a wide range of programs and opportunities within their departments and across campus. The Graduate School provides generous travel grants to help students present at professional conferences and conduct dissertation research. Baylor’s Graduate Research Center offers a place within our central libraries specifically designed for graduate students. Our Graduate Writing Center and Dissertation Writing Lab help with the variety of writing tasks students undertake. And the Graduate School provides a select number of summer dissertation fellowships for students in the final stages of their doctoral degree.

Our libraries, digital collections, and collaboration spaces provide a top-tier research environment for all graduate students at Baylor. Our librarians seek to partner with researchers to create innovative solutions that enhance research and teaching. You can learn more about the facilities and resources Baylor has to offer in the video below.

Committed Professional Support

Baylor alumni pursue a wide range of careers. More than 50% of PhD graduates over the past five years are in fulltime faculty roles, with another 20% in post-doctoral positions. The remaining 30% serve full-time in industry, government, K-12 education, clinical practice, and the social sector. The Graduate School’s professional development programs meet this variety by helping students prepare for a wide range of career paths. Our GPS and TeaCHE programs assist those planning for an academic career. We collaborate with our Baylor University Career Center to help those pursuing work outside the academy. For international students who are non-native English speakers, we coordinate with Baylor’s Center for Global Engagement to provide English language support.

Holistic Personal Support

A rigorous graduate education often brings a convergence of academic, professional, and personal stress. In light of this reality, the Graduate School offers programs and resources designed to help students thrive during their time at Baylor. Our Graduate Student Association and Graduate Housing Community help cultivate a sense of belonging and collegiality among students. The Baylor Counseling Center has programs specifically designed for graduate students. Our Conyers and Ramm Scholars programs provide opportunities for students to explore the relationship between faith and research, while our Women in the Academy Program helps women develop their identities as leaders, scholars, and educators.  Lastly, our Childbirth and Adoption Accommodation policy supports students who start families during their time at Baylor.

Vibrant Waco Culture

The Waco Culture Guide highlights the districts, affinity groups, businesses, history, and more of Waco's communities of color. The vastness of Waco's Cultural Wealth is often missed by those new to the city. With the Waco Culture Guide, we hope to provide a snapshot of the diversity present throughout Waco to the Baylor community and all who view it. By listing the churches and restaurants of color, we hope to aid you in your attempt to be both physically and spiritually fed in an inclusive setting. By telling the stories of our city's cultural landmarks, we hope to connect you to our past pillars, strengthening your foundation for the positive future you will create.

The Waco Culture Guide can be viewed here: baylor.edu/waco/cultureguide.