Baylor University Graduate Programs: Complete Guide to 100+ Programs and Off-Campus Housing

If you're weighing a master's degree or doctoral program at Baylor University, you already know the academic reputation. What most graduate program websites skip is the part that actually affects your daily life: where you'll live, what it will cost, and how to navigate Waco's housing market as a grad student with a tight timeline and limited on-campus options.

This guide covers Baylor University graduate programs — what's available, how the rankings stack up, what tuition looks like — and then gets specific about housing, because that decision shapes the quality of your entire degree.

What Baylor University Graduate Programs Offer

Baylor University serves more than 5,600 graduate students across 100+ programs at the master's, doctoral, and certificate levels. Graduate study is distributed across 11 schools and colleges, including the Hankamer School of Business, the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, the George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and Baylor Law School.

Most in-demand program areas:

• Business: Full-Time MBA, Online MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, Healthcare MBA, Master of Accountancy (MAcc), Master of Science in Information Systems
• Engineering & Computer Science: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Bioinformatics
• Health Sciences: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Master of Social Work (MSW)
• Education: Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), counseling programs, curriculum & instruction
• Arts & Sciences: MA and PhD programs in English, History, Religion, Psychology, Economics, and more

One standout for doctoral applicants: 98% of Baylor's PhD students receive full funding — tuition waivers combined with research or teaching stipends — which makes terminal degrees significantly more accessible here than at many peer institutions. That funding picture also has direct implications for how you budget housing.

Rankings Across Baylor's Graduate Schools

No single ranking covers every Baylor program, but here's where the institution stands on the tracks that draw the largest applicant pools:

• Baylor Law School — #34 nationally (US News), highest first-time bar passage rate in Texas at 94.9%
• Graduate Engineering — #161 nationally (US News)
• Full-Time MBA — #67 (US News), #52 (Bloomberg Businessweek), #57 (Poets & Quants)
• Healthcare MBA — #10 nationally (US News)
• MBA for Entrepreneurship — #22 nationally
• Online MBA — #78 nationally (US News)

For specialized programs like nursing, physical therapy, and social work, Baylor earns strong regional and national recognition, though rankings vary by specific degree track. The Hankamer School of Business alone enrolls 628 MBA students, making it one of the larger business graduate programs in Texas.

The Tuition Reality for Graduate Students

Graduate tuition at Baylor varies by program and credit load. Most part-time graduate coursework runs $2,285–$2,824 per credit hour. Full-time graduate enrollment totals approximately $79,000+ per academic year before any institutional aid or fellowship funding.

That number explains why housing decisions feel higher-stakes for grad students than for undergrads. When tuition is already five figures per semester, predictable housing costs matter more than rooftop pools and resort-style amenities. A lease that bundles internet, parking, and laundry means one less variable in a budget that's already stretched thin.

For students on Baylor's funded doctoral tracks — where tuition is covered and a stipend provides living funds — the calculation shifts toward quality of life and study environment. Either way, housing is a bigger decision than it looks at first.

On-Campus Graduate Housing: Real but Limited

Baylor's dedicated graduate housing option is Browning Square, a community specifically for graduate students that offers separation from undergraduate residential areas.

What Browning Square provides:

• Rent: $635/month on a 12-month lease
• Included: High-speed internet, water
• Not included: Electricity (billed separately)
• Move-in costs: $250 administrative fee at signing
• Pets: $500 non-refundable fee per pet, maximum 2 pets under 50 lbs each

The price is genuinely competitive for Waco, and the internet inclusion is a real benefit for graduate students with research-heavy schedules. The catch: inventory is limited and fills on a first-come, first-served basis. Most spring admits find that Browning Square is already spoken for by the time they accept an offer in March or April. It's worth applying immediately if it's your preference, but you shouldn't count on it.

What Graduate Students Actually Need in Housing

After talking to Baylor graduate students, the priorities come through clearly — and they look different from what undergrads typically want.

Separation from undergraduate social spaces. Large complexes built primarily for freshmen and sophomores bring noise, crowded amenity areas, and environments that don't support deep work. Grad students, particularly those in year two or three of a research program, need the ability to actually think. A smaller, quieter community changes the day-to-day experience significantly.

In-unit washer and dryer. Shared laundry is a minor inconvenience for a 19-year-old. For a PhD student in the middle of a literature review or a law student preparing for mock trial, scheduling laundry around strangers is friction you don't want.

Private space for focused study. A two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartment split with one or two colleagues gives more actual study space than any single-room configuration. Graduate students who split a three-bedroom pay meaningfully less per person while gaining the quiet they need.

Campus proximity without car dependency. Lab hours extend past 10pm. Library access matters late. The ability to walk or bike to Baylor's campus removes the car-and-parking overhead that makes off-campus living inconvenient for densely scheduled programs. Baylor's campus is also spread across a substantial footprint — being within a half-mile versus two miles matters for how freely you can move between buildings.

Bundled amenities that reduce financial friction. Internet setup, parking fees, and utility accounts each require time and money during an already-demanding transition into a new program. Housing that consolidates these line items is worth a modest premium just in time savings.

Centre Apartments: Walking Distance, Adult-Oriented Community

Centre Apartments at 1901 S 11th Street sits within walking distance of Baylor's main campus — close enough that returning between classes or making a late-night library run is a realistic option rather than a car trip.

The specific features that align with what graduate students typically ask for:

• In-unit washer and dryer in every unit — no shared laundry coordination
• High-speed internet included — no separate contract, no setup appointment, no bill
• Parking included — no permit required, no monthly add-on
• Gated community — a smaller, controlled environment compared to large undergraduate complexes
• 2BR, 2BR townhouse, and 3BR floor plans — options for solo living or splitting with one or two colleagues

If you're splitting a three-bedroom with two other grad students, your individual cost drops substantially while each person still has a private bedroom and access to in-unit laundry. If you're on a stipend and managing a tight monthly budget, the bundled internet and parking mean no line-item surprises mid-semester.

Explore floor plan options and pricing, or schedule a tour to see the units before making a decision. You can also read our dedicated guide on grad student housing options near Baylor for a broader market overview.

Timing the Housing Search

The most common mistake graduate students make is waiting until after orientation to start looking. Waco's housing market near Baylor moves in sync with spring admission cycles — the same period when most graduate acceptance letters go out.

A practical timeline:

• Admitted in December or January: Begin your search immediately. January and February have the most inventory.
• Admitted in February or March: Act within two to three weeks of accepting. Desirable units near campus rent quickly during this window.
• Starting a summer cohort: The summer market is somewhat looser, but fall units go fast starting in March.

The Baylor Graduate School maintains a living-in-Waco resource page at graduate.baylor.edu with additional housing links worth reviewing alongside your apartment search. Some programs also distribute housing resource lists to admitted students — ask your program coordinator.

Choosing Baylor for Graduate Study

The academic case is clear: 100+ programs, full funding at nearly all doctoral levels, ranked professional schools across law, business, engineering, and nursing, and a campus culture built around integration of faith and rigorous scholarship. The less-discussed piece is what Waco itself offers as a place to live for two to five years.

Cost of living is roughly 10% below the national average. The food scene has improved considerably with the growth of downtown and the Silo District. Cameron Park and the Brazos River offer real outdoor options within a few miles. And Baylor's footprint in South Waco means you can live close to campus without the noise and density of a major city university neighborhood.

For program-specific housing guides, see our deep dives on Baylor Law School housing, Baylor Engineering housing, and Baylor Nursing. And if tuition costs are top of mind, the Baylor student budget guide breaks down what a realistic monthly budget looks like in Waco.

Ready to lock in housing before your program starts? Browse available floor plans or reach out directly with questions about availability near Baylor's campus.