By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer
This year, Baylor celebrates its record-breaking first-to-second-year retention rate and four-year graduation rate.
Baylor’s retention rate for the Class of 2027 stood at 90.93%, just one student short of 91%, according to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Academic Affairs J. Wesley Null. Null said that administrators plan to grow this through the implementation of the Strategic Enrollment Plan.
“We have a coordinated plan that communicates what specifically we’re trying to accomplish and focuses on the student populations where we know we want to do better,” Null said.
The goal of the SEM plan centers around the growth in the diversity, prestige and quality of student enrollment in ways that will lead to increased retention and graduation rates as well as overall success, according to Null. He said he hopes the plan will reach a retention rate of at least 92% next year for the current freshman class.
“It’s going to be hard for us to get there and win, but our SEM plan has us achieving that rate by at least fall 2027,” Null said.
The university’s four-year graduation rate is also setting records. Now reaching 71.3%, it exceeded the goal that had been set for 2027 and increased by about 4% since 2022.
According to Provost Nancy Brickhouse, a college’s four-year graduation rate says a lot about the success of its students and academic programs.
“Graduating in a timely way is one of the best ways to keep a Baylor education affordable. We’re going to continue to work on these areas, but we’re very excited about the success of our academic programs over the last year, and even more excited about what’s to come under Baylor in Deeds,” Brickhouse said.
Null said that this increasing graduation rate proves that administration and faculty have helped lower student costs.
“Students are doing a better job transitioning to a best-fit major sooner and are doing better in their classes, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get done in four years,” Null said.
President Linda Livingstone said she is just as excited to see Baylor thriving in these areas.
“Retention is a key indicator of undergraduate students’ successful adjustment to university life, and I’m deeply grateful for the tireless work of our faculty and staff who support the success of our students,” Livingstone said.
Not only are graduation and retention rates increasing, but student diversity and applicants are on the rise as well, according to Livingstone. The overall undergraduate enrollment represents 48 U.S. states and 41 foreign countries, with a makeup of 31.7% underrepresented minorities, 40.6% students of color and 41.6% male students, all of which show a notable development in student diversity. Baylor is also seeing a growing population of graduate students, now numbering 5,711 graduates.
According to Null, these statistics show that students enjoy life at Baylor.
“Retention is one of the best measures of student satisfaction. I think getting above 90% really shows that our students are enjoying Baylor,” Null said.
