Admit rate has ranged 70%–79% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Baldwin Wallace University is a small, private liberal arts school in Berea, Ohio, where nearly three-quarters of applicants get in—but those who do find a surprisingly career-focused education with standout arts programs and a 96% job placement rate. With over 100 student clubs and a campus split almost evenly between residential and commuter students, BW offers a tight-knit community where business majors rub shoulders with conservatory-level performers.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
2,842
In-state tuition
$39,832
Out-of-state tuition
$39,832
Top Majors
Business (44%), Performing Arts
Student Clubs
100+
Campus Housing
51% live on campus
Acceptance Rate
75.7%
Graduation Rate
65%
Career Outcomes Rate
96%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$54,122
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.0×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
67%
First-year retention
84%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
67%
Pell (lower-income) share
51%
First-generation share
32%
Endowment / student
$63,289
Financial health
0.6 / 3.0Below the federal standard — financial stress
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$61,516
Accounting and Related Services$53,984
Finance and Financial Management Services$50,677
Human Resources Management and Services$47,846
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy$44,384
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
94
Summer high
80°F
Winter low
26°F
Annual rain
46.3"
Annual snow
37.1"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
70
Scholarly works
1,093
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.1%
Bottom → top quintile
31%
From bottom quintile
4%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Baldwin Wallace University?
Baldwin Wallace University's acceptance rate is approximately 76% (Berea, OH), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Baldwin Wallace University?
Admitted students at Baldwin Wallace University typically score 1060–1290 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Baldwin Wallace University cost?
At Baldwin Wallace University, the average net price (after aid) is about $27,603 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Baldwin Wallace University?
Baldwin Wallace University enrolls approximately 2,842 undergraduate students.
Where is Baldwin Wallace University located?
Baldwin Wallace University is located in Berea, OH.
Admissions
BW is decidedly not a reach school—with a 75.7% Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants., it's accessible to most applicants who meet basic requirements. The university operates with an open admission policy for in-state students but is selective for out-of-state applicants and certain programs. Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. since at least 2023, BW emphasizes high school GPA (57.7% of admitted students had a 3.75+ GPA) over standardized tests, with middle 50% SAT scores ranging from 1067–1262 and ACT scores from 22–28. About 16% of accepted students submitted ACT scores.
BW offers 60+ undergraduate programs, though it recently sunsetted 16 degree programs (including 9 undergraduate majors) to refocus resources. Business and performing arts dominate: 44% of graduates earn business degrees, while the conservatory-quality music and theater programs anchor the school's identity. The curriculum blends liberal arts with hands-on learning—every major includes internships or portfolio-building opportunities. Notably, BW's "competency curriculum" ensures all students develop career-ready skills regardless of major.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$44,384
Criminal Justice and Corrections$41,937
Marketing$41,007
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
The campus vibe is active but not overwhelming—51% of students live on campus, with the rest commuting. Over 100 clubs range from academic societies to quirky interest groups, all organized under a council system. Arts culture thrives: free theater productions, concerts, and lectures fill the calendar. The Student Life Center keeps weekday hours (8:30 AM–5 PM), reflecting BW's work-hard ethos. TikTok campus tours show a leafy, compact campus where brick academic buildings neighbor practice rooms buzzing with music majors.
BW's 96% career outcome rate (employment or grad school within six months) is its crown jewel. Median earnings for recent grads hover around $40,037—76% earn more than the average high school graduate. The 65% graduation rate outpaces many regional peers, with most finishing in 4.2 years. Nearly half pursue advanced degrees, suggesting BW prepares students well for postgraduate rigor. The university touts these stats aggressively, linking them to its career-skills curriculum and internship mandates.
At $28,190 net price (after aid), BW positions itself as "affordable excellence." Every admitted first-year gets at least $14,000 in renewable merit scholarships—72.54% of students receive financial aid, with average packages totaling $36,568. The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculator reveals stark differences: some pay under $20k, while others face the full $48k sticker price. Salaries account for 44.8% of BW's $118M annual expenditures, suggesting funds flow toward faculty over flashy facilities.
BW punches above its weight in career prep despite modest selectivity. Its Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. policy and high Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. make it accessible, while the near-guaranteed job placement rivals elite colleges. The arts programs—especially music theatre—operate at near-conservatory levels amid a business-heavy student body. This blend creates a campus where future accountants attend Broadway-quality shows between internships. For Ohioans seeking a safe bet with strong ROI, BW delivers.
Baldwin Wallace University logo · sourceBaldwin Wallace University · sourceBaldwin Wallace University · sourceBaldwin Wallace University - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · source
