Safety Score
4.51 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Waco, TX · Clery Act 2023 · Private Nonprofit
Baylor University
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 20,824-student campus.
- 4.51
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,528
- Rank of 3,050
- #156
- TX rank
- 20,824
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Baylor University reports 4.51 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,528 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 84% of ranked campuses its size.
- 4.51
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,528
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 84%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 39
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Baylor University decreased from 45 to 39 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesBaylor University is a Private Nonprofit institution located in Waco, TX, enrolling approximately 20,824 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 132 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within TX, it ranks #156 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 20,824 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Baylor University is "Rape" with 49 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in TX averaging 0.56 incidents per 1,000 students, Baylor University reports 701% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 15 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 54 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#2528
See peer comparison
State Rank (TX)
#156
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
39
across 11 crime categories
Where Baylor University sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
5 safer than 16% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Baylor University percentile rank 17.1%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2528 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Baylor University reports 701% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $58,100
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $58,100
- Avg Net Price
- $41,104
- Median Debt
- $23,000
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 12%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 51%
- SAT Average
- 1329
- SAT Math Range
- 590–700
- ACT Average
- 29
- ACT Range
- 27–32
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 80%
- Retention Rate
- 91%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $56,532
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $65,793
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 81%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 20,824 enrolled students, Baylor University is in the largest 4% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyBaylor University: on-campus incidents by year
Declining 19% (48 → 39 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Arson | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Burglary | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| Fondling | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 20 | 6 | 5 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 7 | 22 | 20 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
54 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 93 | 45 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
Baylor University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
TX
Baylor University
4.51 incidents / 1,000 students
FL
Nova Southeastern University
1.10 incidents / 1,000 students
IL
Illinois State University
1.38 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
Nova Southeastern University
Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL · 20,877 enrolled
Safety Score 1.10
Illinois State University
Normal, IL · 20,989 enrolled
Safety Score 1.38
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 20,632 enrolled
Safety Score 0.15
Cerritos College
Norwalk, CA · 21,046 enrolled
Safety Score 0.14
Front Range Community College
Westminster, CO · 21,096 enrolled
Safety Score 0.05
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Baylor University nationally (rank #2528), regardless of size or state.
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA
National Rank #2527
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH
National Rank #2529
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria, FL
National Rank #2526
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
National Rank #2530
Converse University
Spartanburg, SC
National Rank #2525
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baylor University safe?
Baylor University has a safety score of 4.51 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,528 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Baylor University?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Baylor University compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in TX.
Does Baylor University have fire safety data?
Yes. Baylor University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 15 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Baylor University's Safety Profile
Baylor University in Waco, TX enrolls 20,824 students and has a safety score of 4.51 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2528 nationally.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents decreased from 45 in 2022 to 39 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 15 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Baylor University's 4.51 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Baylor University against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.