Baker University

Baker faculty encourage students to pursue their passions, challenge themselves, and take charge of their own education.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH
As part of a National Science Foundation grant, biology students have identified and analyzed the DNA of tardigrades. And, during the last four summers, students have written and published peer-reviewed scientific papers, discovered and described species new to science, established new records for Kansas and North America, identified new arboreal ecology for tardigrades, and suggested new distribution patterns.

UNIQUE SOCIOLOGY COURSE
Alongside an associate professor, sociology students can make weekly trips to an area correctional facility as part of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. During this course, students interact with inmates to learn more about the criminal justice system. Baker is the first university in Kansas to participate in such an exchange program. The lessons that come from these often-stifled voices inspire students to take their knowledge far beyond their experience. For example, through her Senior Sociology Semester after completing the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, a Baker student developed and facilitated a poetry-writing workshop for 11 incarcerated writers at the Topeka Correctional Facility.

AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER
In the past decade, the Baker Orange, the university’s weekly student-run newspaper, has repeatedly received high distinctions from the Associated Collegiate Press, Kansas Associated Collegiate Press, and Society of Professional Journalists. Having been recognized with two Pacemaker nominates (one for the print edition and one for the Orange online), the Orange has earned its place in the ACP Hall of Fame. Several Baker Orange staff members also have earned the distinction of KACP journalist of the year.
HANDS-ON PR EXPERIENCE
With their business professor, some students got the opportunity to travel to Atlanta through an interterm course known as Bowl Game Extravaganza: Sport Public Relations in Action. This course showed them the ins and outs of the event operations and strategies connected to the Chick-fil-A Bowl and other organizations.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SERVICE IN HAITI
An associate professor of sociology took 10 students to Haiti for 12 days as part of a Social Justice and Service in Haiti interterm class. The students worked on restoring earthquake damage, helped build a school, taught English and computer literacy, and worked with orphans.

AWARD-WINNING STAGECRAFT
Baker theatre students earned two top honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region 5 competition, winning the Golden C Wrench as Stagecraft Showdown champions as well as the Stagecraft Spirit Trophy.

HONING COMMUNICATION SKILLS
“In a world today that is moving faster than ever before, the ability to communicate effectively has never been in higher demand. At Baker, we want to graduate students who can clearly articulate the ideas they fostered during their years here,” says the assistant professor of communication who developed the Speech Center to fill this need. “Whether students are giving their first individual presentation on campus or are interviewing for internships or job opportunities, we want to be there every step of the way so they can competently articulate their ideas.”

Baker University is a small school that offers big opportunities.

PERFORMING ARTS
Baker University music students have all the advantages that an intimate, small college environment affords along with the performance opportunities of much larger schools. Baker has historically drawn nationally and internationally renowned lecturers, entertainers, and musicians to campus. Before or after the events, the performers frequently hold workshops and master classes with students.

The Annual Christmas Candlelight Vespers has been a beloved tradition for more than 80 years. The program includes performances by Baker choral and instrumental ensembles, the Speech Choir, and the University Community Choir.

Mungano, Baker’s student-run diversity organization leads trips to historic Civil Rights sites during spring break and hosts an annual Gospel Extravaganza that draws musicians from the area to wow students with a culturally rich experience. The same organization also attracts well-known speakers, such as Cheryl Brown Henderson, the president of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

VISUAL ARTS ACROSS CAMPUS
The university’s art collection, which is displayed across campus, contains works created by a variety of renowned artists. Most of the pieces had been gifts to the university from private art collections. Through the year, generous friends and alumni have contributed to Baker’s captivating, diverse collection of art.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Weekly language tables, an international film series, and the International Education Week all allow Baker students to explore cultures and languages from around the world, collectively celebrating international diversity.

SPIRITUAL LIFE
The Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel was moved, stone by stone, from the village of Sproxton, England, in 1996 to serve as the spiritual center of the university. University Ministry is ecumenical in nature, open to all people of faith regardless of practices and denomination. Thursday worship services are lively, musical, joyful, and relevant to students. University Ministry also hosts a variety of leadership and community service opportunities.

ATHLETICS
Baker athletic teams know how to win. In the past two years, the Wildcats have sent two teams to the NAIA national title game: women’s basketball and football. In 2016, the women’s soccer team reached the NAIA Fab Four, and the Competitive Dance team finished third in the NAIA and won the NAIA Champions of Character Team Award. Baker athletes also excel in the classroom, with numerous scholar-athlete and scholar-team awards each year.

SCHOOL LOCATION
Baker University is located in Baldwin City, Kansas, a community of 4,100 people. It is 20 minutes south of Lawrence and 45 minutes west of Kansas City.

ATHLETICS
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics | 20 Varsity sports

Men: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, wrestling, spirit squad

Women: basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, spirit squad

Mascot: Wildcats  Colors: Orange

The foundation of Baker’s liberal arts education is teaching students how to think, speak, write, and find answers so that they may contribute actively to a global community.

FOLLOWING A PASSION FROM HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL
Lauren, a psychology major, has studied eating disorders and body image issues since she was in high school, where she co-founded REbeL, a nonprofit organization that educates students about body image issues and creates mentorship programs. She carried this interest to Baker and became the first American to receive an honorary research fellowship at Huntercombe Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she worked on the Ravello Project, a major study about the neuropsychological underpinnings of anorexia nervosa. She was one of two George Mason University Ph.D. students awarded the National Science Foundation’s 2014 Graduate Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious grants for graduate researchers.

USING SOCCER TO HELP IMMIGRANTS
Five years after graduating from Baker University, an alumnus named Mark gained national attention for developing a program in California that uses soccer to motivate young immigrants and survivors of war to transition to a better life through education and leadership. Eager to share the success and inspiration behind YALLA, which means “Let’s go” in Arabic and stands for Youth and Leaders Living Actively, Mark delivered the keynote address at Baker’s commencement ceremony. “I wanted to let the graduates know that their education at Baker has prepared them to accomplish anything they want to do,” said Mark, who studied international relations and political science. “I wanted to encourage them to take risks, believe in themselves, and to follow their passions and dreams. I’ve learned that when you do that, you are motivated, and when you pursue what you want to do is when you are the happiest.”

STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE LEADS TO PEACE CORPS ASSIGNMENT
Sam, a sociology major, learned about sustainable farming methods during his study abroad semester in New Zealand. He was able to combine his love of travel and interest in farming during his two-year Peace Corps assignment in Zambia. “Joining the Peace Corps has been a lifelong goal,” he said. “I got to implement sustainable farming techniques. My job was to encourage farmers to plant perennial trees and shrubs that will not only provide fruit but also help with soil fertility, structure, stop soil erosion and increase food security.”

WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION PREPARES GRADUATES FOR MED SCHOOL
For generations, Baker University has earned a reputation for preparing students for medical school. Seventy-eight percent of the pre-med students who apply to med school are accepted. Two recent graduates were accepted into the University of Kansas School of Medicine’s early decision program. “Brandon got involved in undergraduate research and has published papers on his work,” his advisor noted. “Abbey took advantage of a study abroad opportunity to learn more about the medical system in the United Kingdom. Both students demonstrated a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity about the world. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they are both brilliant.”

“I feel my experience at Baker has fully equipped me to take on the adventure of medical school,” Brandon said. “The factual knowledge I’ve learned is obviously important, but it’s also been a place where I’ve experienced a lot of emotional and spiritual growth, which is equally vital for success.”

FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 460 | 75th Percentile: 540
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 490 | 75th Percentile: 570
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 21 | 75th Percentile: 25
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 21 | 75th Percentile: 26
ACT English
25th Percentile: 20 | 75th Percentile: 26

TUITION & COST
Tuition: $28,430
Fees: $530
Room: $3,910
Board: $4,400