Baylor alumni overwhelmingly proud of alma mater, survey says

Posted: 10/26/07

Baylor alumni overwhelmingly
proud of alma mater, survey says

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

For observers who always suspected that if cut, Baylor University alumni would bleed green and gold, now there’s empirical data to prove it’s figuratively true.

A new national survey by the Center for Survey Research & Analysis at the University of Connecticut reveals 80 percent of Baylor alumni are “very proud” to be graduates of their alma mater, and 79 percent report a special bond to Baylor.

“I’d say we were pleasantly surprised to have scientific validation for what many of us at the institution already knew anecdotally,” said John Barry, vice president for marketing and communication at Baylor.

More that 600 alumni responded to the survey Barry commissioned, conducted from May 31 through July 14. The overall sample accuracy for the survey is plus or minus 4 percent.

Research showed:

• 82 percent said they would recommend Baylor as a “top choice” to a son or daughter applying for college.

• 70 percent gave Baylor an overall “excellent” rating, and 27 percent rated it “good.”

• 87 percent said the education a student receives at Baylor is “among the best” (41 percent) or “better than most” (46 percent), compared to colleges and universities in general. Compared to other private schools, 35 percent ranked Baylor “among the best” and 48 percent characterized it as “better than most.”

• 86 percent said the word “Christian” either fully (58 percent) or somewhat (27 percent) describes Baylor. 81 percent said the term “Baptist” either fully (57 percent) or somewhat (24 percent) describes the school. Other terms receiving high marks included “caring,” “safe,” “conservative” and “traditional.”

• 81 percent consider Baylor one of the best Baptist universities in the United States, 68 percent consider it one of the best Christian universities in the country and 44 percent would rank it as one of the top private universities in the nation.

One negative perception the survey revealed centers on the price tag for a Baylor education. More than half (52 percent) said current students pay too much to attend Baylor University, and nearly three-fourths said the term “expensive” either fully (37 percent) or somewhat (36 percent) describes Baylor.

“The good news is we’re not looking at having to convince a group of people about something they don’t already believe. Our alumni want to be positive ambassadors for Baylor,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to keep them up-to-date and informed.”