Baylor University is a private research university in Waco, Texas. Chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas, Baylor is one of the oldest continuously operating universities in Texas and one of the first educational institutions west of the Mississippi River. The university’s 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) campus is among the largest in the United States.
Baylor University has been ranked as one of America’s top 50 “Best Value” colleges and universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine four times since 1998 and was ranked No. 1 on Forbes’ list of Best Value Colleges for 2016. Baylor also appeared on Time Magazine’s Most List from 2006 to 2013, ranking No. 6 overall in 2013 and No. 5 from 2010 to 2012. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor as tied for 49th place among “National Universities”, while Forbes ranks it 181st among all American universities, both above average marks relative to peer institutions. The Washington Monthly ranks Baylor as #44 out of 280 Division I schools for its contribution to social mobility,, meaning that it allows economically disadvantaged students greater access to upward mobility than many other schools with similar selectivity rankings do..
The Princeton Review lists Baylor as one its “Best 380 Colleges” every year since 1994; included among these are specific recognitions such as being a “Best Midwestern College”, a “Best Buy”, a school with an outstanding business program, an excellent fine arts program, and one whose admissions process is not excessively competitive.”. In addition, Baylor has been recognized repeatedly as having some of the nation’s best undergraduate teaching, most recently being named 7th nationally in that category by US News & World Report in their 2019 edition