Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 56.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Wayland Baptist University earns an ROI score of 38 out of 100, landing in the Below Benchmark tier. The financial picture is mixed: $23,782 sticker tuition, $20,590 net price after aid, and an $82,360 four-year all-in are all moderate. Graduates earn $41,300 six years out and $51,838 at ten years, with $23,106 median debt and a 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio. The dramatic drag on the score is a 19.3% completion rate. Wayland operates an extensive military-base extension network (the school has 12+ campuses near military installations). Repayment rate of 60.9% is concerning. The criminal justice and business pipelines have reasonable individual outcomes; the institutional aggregate is dragged down by the low completion rate.
How Wayland Baptist University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate19.3% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
Wayland Baptist University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $23,782/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $23,782/yr |
| Average net price | $20,590/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $82,360 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,838 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $41,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,106 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $245 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 19.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,041 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $23,782/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,590/year, or roughly $82,360 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $20,070/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,435/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,106, which works out to about $245 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($41,300) and comes to 0.56, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $20,070 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,344 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,949 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,542 |
| $110,001+ | $25,435 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $20,070, and the $30,001-$48,000 band drops to $16,344, the lowest in the grid (notable inversion). Combined with Pell Grant eligibility, lower-middle families face roughly $65,000 over four years, a workable figure against $51,838 ten-year earnings if the student finishes.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 band pays $19,949 and the $75,001-$110,000 band rises to $21,542. Middle-income families face roughly $80,000-$86,000 in four-year cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $25,435, modestly above sticker after fees layer in. Over four years, high-income families absorb roughly $102,000 in cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Wayland Baptist University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $67,250 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $53,900 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $57,805 | C+ |
| Human Services, General | $48,921 | D |
| Teacher Education | $47,700 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $70,789 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Wayland's largest program by graduates at 202, reflecting the school's heavy adult-learner and military-base extension enrollment. First-year earnings of $51,763 climb to $67,250 at four years, with $28,022 median debt producing a 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ ROI grade. Strong earnings reflect that many graduates are working professionals already; the bachelor's credential is a step up in their existing careers.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates 96 students with $44,688 first-year and $53,900 four-year earnings. Median debt of $24,258 produces a 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ grade. This program is heavily used at military base extension campuses where active-duty servicemembers complete general bachelor's credentials. Solid outcomes given the typical student profile.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 72 students with $53,038 first-year and $57,805 four-year earnings. Median debt of $25,000 produces a 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ grade, one of Wayland's strongest results. Earnings reflect many graduates already in law enforcement or military police using the credential for promotion eligibility. A defensible pathway.
Human Services, General
Human Services graduates 48 students with $33,082 first-year and $48,921 four-year earnings. Median debt of $27,258 produces a 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. Human services pay is structurally weak across Texas; graduates typically work in county social services, nonprofit settings, or church-affiliated community programs. Mission-driven choice rather than financially driven.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 35 students with $38,397 first-year and $47,700 four-year earnings. Median debt of $31,694 (notably high) produces a 0.83 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. Texas teacher pay is moderate and varies sharply by district; the high debt against modest earnings creates real friction. PSLF for public school teachers helps long-term.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 54.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 60.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 55.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Wayland Baptist University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 56.0% |
| Enrollment | 2,041 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 45.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,999 |
Wayland Baptist admits 55.9% of applicants, indicating moderate selectivity that masks the school's enrollment-heavy military extension network. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data. The 19.3% completion rate is the binding constraint and reflects the dominance of part-time, transient military and adult-learner enrollment at the school's extension campuses; main-campus traditional students likely see substantially higher completion rates than the institutional aggregate suggests.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayland Baptist University (this school) | 38 | $20,590 | $51,838 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | 39 | $28,354 | $49,232 |
| Carson-Newman University | 39 | $20,251 | $48,382 |
| Huntington University | 38 | $19,310 | $46,672 |
| Houghton University | 38 | $20,519 | $46,721 |
| Cornerstone University | 37 | $20,301 | $47,314 |
Who Thrives Here
Wayland Baptist enrolls 2,041 students on the books with a 45.7% Pell rate, indicating a working-class student body, with a substantial portion attending part-time at military base extension campuses across the U.S. The fit profile is bifurcated: traditional Plainview, TX main-campus students drawn to the Baptist tradition and small-college experience, and active-duty military or veteran adult learners using GI Bill or tuition assistance to complete credits. The 19.3% completion rate reflects the latter group's transient pattern; traditional students may see meaningfully better outcomes than the aggregate suggests.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Wayland Baptist University scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,590 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $51,838 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 13.2 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 19.3% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 60.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,106 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $41,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Wayland Baptist University: Common Questions
Is Wayland Baptist University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Wayland Baptist University scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,590 a year after aid against $51,838 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 13.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Wayland Baptist University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $20,590 a year, or roughly $82,360 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Wayland Baptist University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $51,838 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,038 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Wayland Baptist University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 13.2 years for Wayland Baptist University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Wayland Baptist University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,106, against average earnings of $41,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Wayland Baptist University?
The six-year graduation rate is 19.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.