Not too big, not too small: Inside Baylor’s caring community

High school students choosing a college are often looking for a school big enough to offer their desired major and extracurriculars, but small enough where they feel like a person, not a number.

That’s a niche Baylor fills in higher ed — a caring community regularly recognized for students’ academic and social experience and opportunities, all built on a foundation of Christian faith. That sort of support and care is a big reason why a recent national survey of parents named Baylor the No. 2 most-trusted major university in the country.

Let’s break it down:

* Student Life — Baylor is among the top five universities in the country when it comes to a student’s first-year experience, according to U.S. News. From Line Camp to Welcome Week to the Baylor Line and the on-campus living experience, Baylor goes above and beyond to help new students feel like they are truly a part of the Baylor Family. Add in an emphasis on faith (more on that below) and 350+ student organizations (each an opportunity for students to discover their niche), and it’s no wonder so many students truly find themselves at Baylor.

* Academics — Baylor also ranks among U.S. News‘ top 10 nationally for learning communities — best in the Big 12, best among large private universities, No. 2 in Texas and No. 2 among Christian universities. Baylor’s Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) unite students around specific academic programs or extracurricular interests, while Residential Colleges foster academic excellence through intensive faculty-student interaction. Baylor is also one of just 10 schools to make U.S. News’ top 25 for both undergraduate teaching and research — a rare double honor that speaks to students’ academic opportunities at BU.

* Faith — Such successes are built on Baylor’s Christian faith, which is seen, felt and expressed in countless ways as a part of everyday campus life. A reimagined Chapel program seeks to meet students where they are, all across campus. Resident chaplains live alongside students in each residence hall to help Bears grow in their faith. Annual events like FM72 encourage students to dive deeper in their walks with God, and academic programs across the university work to serve the Church, both close to home and around the world.

And it’s not only students who find a tremendous community at BU, either. Baylor is annually recognized as a “Great College to Work For” based on feedback from faculty and staff.

Of course, no place is perfect. But for thousands of students each year — with a history going back more than 175 years — Baylor continues to be the sort of place where students find their calling among a community of friends and faculty who truly care.

Sic ’em, Bears!