HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Baylor University vs Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University clears +$847K in 30-year net value, Baylor University +$620K — both pay off, Texas Christian University by +$227K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Baylor University · Waco, TX

30-year net value
+$620K
Total cost of attendance
$276,316
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$64,480
Breaks even by age
—

Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX

clears more

30-year net value
+$847K
Total cost of attendance
$288,080
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$67,942
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Baylor University vs Texas Christian University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/baylor-vs-tcu

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Questions

Is Baylor University or Texas Christian University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Texas Christian University clears +$847K and Baylor University +$620K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Texas Christian University comes out ahead by +$227K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Texas Christian University pay off than Baylor University?
About +$227K over a 30-year horizon (+$847K vs +$620K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Baylor University?
+$620K at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $276,316, median earnings ten years out $64,480. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.