The mission of Baylor University is to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.
Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas and affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Baylor is both the state's oldest institution of higher learning and the world's largest Baptist university. Established to be a servant of the church and society, Baylor seeks to fulfill its calling through excellence in teaching and research, in scholarship and publication, and in service to the community, both local and global. The vision of the University’s founders and the ongoing commitment of generations of students and scholars are reflected in the motto inscribed on the Baylor seal: Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo (For the Church, For Texas, for the World).
Pro Ecclesia
Baylor is founded on the belief that God's nature is made known through both revealed and discovered truth. Thus, the University derives its understanding of God, humanity, and nature from many sources: the person and work of Jesus Christ, the biblical record, and Christian history and tradition, as well as scholarly and artistic endeavors. In Baylor’s service to the Church, the University’s pursuit of knowledge is strengthened by the conviction that truth has its ultimate source in God and by a Baptist heritage that champions religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Without imposing religious conformity, Baylor expects the members of its community to support its mission. Affirming the value of intellectually informed faith and religiously informed education, the University seeks to provide an environment that fosters spiritual maturity, strength of character, and moral virtue.
Pro Texana
Integral to Baylor’s commitment to God and to the church is the University's commitment to society. In the mid-1800s, at the time of Baylor’s founding, this focus was centered in Texas and remained so for decades. During that time, Baylor’s educational programs were shaped to affect Texas, partnerships were formed to more fully serve Texas, and the student population primarily came from cities and towns across the Lone Star State. Today, the University remains committed to developing responsible citizens, educated leaders, dedicated scholars, and skilled professionals who are sensitive to the needs of a pluralistic society. Similarly, Baylor remains proud to contribute to the growth of Texas, engaging in research and educational initiatives that complement the work of both public and private organizations and collaborating with other institutions dedicated to improving the lives of Texans.
Pro Mundo
Over the course of its existence, Baylor's sphere of influence has become worldwide. It is a reflection of the University’s founding and the vision of the Baptist leaders who established a university “fully susceptible to enlargement and development to meet the needs of all the ages to come.” The University occupies a distinctive position and has a unique voice in higher education as a comprehensive Christian research university dedicated to the traditional responsibilities of dissemination of knowledge, transmission of culture, search for new knowledge, and application of knowledge - while recognizing the global proportions these responsibilities have assumed. As the University’s size, impact and reach have grown across the United States and around the world, so too has its responsibility to serve humankind and contribute solutions to big challenges. In acknowledgement of this, Pro Mundo was added to the University motto in May 2024.
Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo
Baylor University is committed to excellence at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. Within the undergraduate programs, the University seeks to familiarize students with the principal bodies of knowledge, cultural viewpoints, belief systems, and aesthetic perspectives that affect the world in which they live. Within the graduate and professional programs, the University provides advanced educational opportunities to develop ethical and capable scholars and practitioners who contribute to their academic disciplines, professional fields, and society. Baylor encourages all its students to cultivate their capacity to think critically, to assess information from a Christian perspective, to arrive at informed and reasoned conclusions, and to become lifelong learners. Beyond the intellectual life, the University fosters the social, physical, ethical, and spiritual development of each student.
Aware of its responsibility as the largest Baptist educational institution in the world and as a member of the international community of higher learning, Baylor promotes exemplary teaching, encourages innovative and original research, and supports professional excellence in various specialized disciplines. As Baylor advances the frontiers of knowledge while cultivating a Christian worldview, the University holds fast to its commitment to remain Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, Pro Mundo.