Baylor University

Waco, Texas is home to Baylor University, a Baptist Christian institution of higher learning that is also private. The last Congress of the Republic of Texas granted Baylor University its charter in the year 1845. Baylor University was one of the earliest educational institutions in the United States to be established west of the Mississippi River. It is also the oldest university in Texas that is still in operation. The campus of this institution, which spans an area of 1,000 acres (400 hectares) and is located between the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and Austin, is the biggest Baptist university in the whole globe. It is situated on the banks of the Brazos River near to Interstate 35. Baylor University has a total enrollment of 20,626 students as of the fall semester of 2021. (undergraduate 15,191, graduate 5,435). It is categorised as an R1 university, which stands for "Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activity." The institution confers degrees at all levels, from undergraduate to graduate and professional, as well as doctorate and other advanced degrees.

The Baylor University athletic teams, often referred to as the Bears, compete in a total of 19 different college sports. The institution competes at the NCAA Division I level of competition and is a part of the Big 12 Conference.

At a convention of the Union Baptist Association in 1841, 35 delegates cast their votes in favour of adopting the proposal made by the Reverend William Milton Tryon and R. E. B. Baylor to establish a Baptist university in Texas, which at the time was a sovereign independent republic. The institution was given its name after Baylor, who was a district judge in Texas as well as a former United States Congressman and soldier from Alabama. Before the Congress cast their final vote, the petitioners requested that the university be named in honour of Baylor. Initially, some people had the idea of naming the new university "San Jacinto" to honour the victory that allowed Texans to become an independent nation. Baylor was one of the most influential figures in Texas history.

Baylor University has a total enrollment of over 16,000 students, who come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and over 89 different countries across the world. Every student has the chance to get involved with an organisation at the university that shares his or her passions and interests thanks to the many clubs and organisations available. The undergraduate student body of Baylor University has a total enrolment of 13,859 students, with a gender distribution that is comprised of 42% male students and 58% female students. Sixty-four percent of Baylor University students live off campus, while 36 percent of students reside in housing that is owned, maintained, or linked with the university.