Wayland Baptist University

What Wayland Baptist University does

Wayland Baptist University is a private Christian institution of higher education founded in 1908, headquartered in Plainview, Texas, and affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The university delivers instruction across 13 physical campuses in six states (Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, and Alaska) plus a national online platform, WBUonline, serving approximately 2,809 students as of Fall 2024 with more than 65 academic programs spanning associate through doctoral degrees, including a PhD in Management, Doctor of Strategic Leadership, MBA, MSN, and MA programs. Federal designations include Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Minority Serving Institution (MSI), and Military Friendly School (Gold 2024, Silver 2025), with accreditations from SACSCOC, ACEN (nursing), NASM (music), and ACBSP candidate status (business).

Name

Wayland Baptist University

Legal name

Wayland Baptist University

Website

https://wbu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wayland Baptist University is a private Christian university operating 13 campuses across six states plus WBUonline, serving roughly 2,809 students with 65+ programs from associate to doctoral level, anchored by military-friendly, HSI/MSI designations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Online university programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Undergraduate college education
• Military-friendly university

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition charged to students for undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Fee-based services include graduation fees, transcript fees, and credit card processing fees (2.75% domestic, 4.25% international).
2. Room and Board: Revenue from housing and dining services for on-campus students. Students enrolled for 7+ hours must live in residence halls unless exempted.
3. Career Services and Job Fairs: Free services for students/alumni with employer partnerships for recruitment events. College Central Network job board.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wayland Baptist University is a private Christian institution of higher education that delivers accredited associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degree programs through 13 physical campuses across Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, and Alaska, and through the WBUonline platform for fully online study nationwide. Offerings span traditional residential undergraduate education, online degree completion for working adults, graduate and doctoral programs in business, nursing, leadership, and ministry, plus certificate programs, with curriculum integrated through a Christian worldview.

Product overview

Wayland Baptist University is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs across multiple delivery formats: traditional on-campus instruction at 13 campuses across six states, fully online degree programs through WBUonline, and hybrid combinations. The core academic offerings span doctoral programs (PhD in Management, Doctor of Strategic Leadership with multiple concentrations including Athletic Administration), master's degrees (MBA, MSN, MA programs in various disciplines), bachelor's and associate degrees, and certificate programs. Student support services include the Pioneer Career Center (job search, career fairs via CareerEco), Pioneer Leadership Institute (leadership development), WBUonline (learning management via Blackboard), and student health services. The institution operates from its home campus in Plainview, Texas, with external campuses in Amarillo, Lubbock, San Antonio, Wichita Falls, Arizona, and Hawaii, serving a diverse student population including military personnel. WBU emphasizes Christian principles throughout its curriculum and maintains accreditation from SACSCOC, ACEN for nursing, and ACBSP for business programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WBUonline WBUonline is Wayland Baptist University's online learning platform that delivers degree programs fully online, with rolling admissions, five 8-week sessions per year, courses ranging from associate through doctoral levels, and serves students nationwide without residency requirements.
• Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) A 100% online 54-credit-hour doctoral degree emphasizing communication, leadership, structure, team building, and cultural understanding from a Christian perspective, designed for experienced professionals in commercial, ministry, government, military, education, healthcare, and arts sectors, completable in as few as 2 years.
• Doctor of Strategic Leadership - Athletic Administration (DSL-AA) A concentration within the DSL focused on athletic administration, NIAAA-compliant, preparing leaders for athletic director and similar positions; covers Title IX compliance, facilities management, strategic finance, fundraising, and athletic leadership ethics.
• PhD in Management A doctoral degree program with three pathways: PhD in Management, PhD in Management with Organizational Leadership specialization, and PhD in Management with Human Resources and Organizational Behavior specialization, preparing leaders from a Christian perspective for various organizational sectors.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) Graduate business degree program available through WBUonline, offered by the School of Business with a Christian approach to business practice.
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Graduate nursing degree program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and available through WBUonline.
• Traditional Undergraduate Programs Residential undergraduate degree programs offered at the Plainview home campus and external campuses across Texas, Arizona, and Hawaii, encompassing associate and baccalaureate degrees across more than 65 areas of study.
• Pioneer Leadership Institute Student and working-professional leadership development program that includes Curry Pioneer Leaders (a free one-year program with an experiential training retreat in New Mexico) and academic offerings connected to leadership doctoral work.
• Pioneer Career Center Career services center offering resume assistance, mock interviews, job search resources, in-person and virtual career fairs via CareerEco, and access to the College Central Network job portal, partnered with Upkey for additional career resources.
• Certificate Programs Post-baccalaureate and post-graduate certificate programs including Post-Graduate Principal Certificate, Superintendent Certificate, and Title IX Training.
• Military & Veterans Programs Specialized incentives and programs for active duty military, veterans, and spouses including Yellow Ribbon Program participation, Military Friendly designations, and VA benefits administration, delivered through campus locations near military installations.
• WBU Campus Locations Thirteen physical campus locations delivering face-to-face instruction across Texas (Plainview, Amarillo, Lubbock, San Antonio, Wichita Falls), Arizona (Phoenix), Hawaii (Kapolei), and Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks), plus military site locations including Sierra Vista/Fort Huachuca, Lackland AFB, Sheppard AFB, Luke AFB, and Call Field.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.5% course completion rate (Fall 2022/Spring 2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Baptist General Convention of TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayland Baptist University is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which provides denominational oversight and support. The university aligns its mission with Baptist values and conventions.
• National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in NC-SARA, enabling the university to offer online programs to students in other SARA member states under consistent quality standards.
• Council for Christian Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, providing networking and resources for Christian higher education institutions.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional accrediting body that grants accreditation for the university to award degrees at associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels.
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body for the university's baccalaureate nursing program.
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of TexasminorOthersEmployee benefit provider for faculty and staff health insurance.
• Central Plains CenterminorOthersLocal mental health services partnership providing referral resources for students including psychiatric help, counseling, and case management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University is a large for-profit Christian university based in Phoenix, Arizona with extensive online programs and a College of Doctoral Studies. Broad incumbent that overlaps WBU's online and Arizona-market offerings with a significantly larger scale, setting the competitive ceiling for online Christian higher education.
• Liberty University: Liberty University is the largest private non-profit university in the US and a major online Christian higher-education provider with substantial doctoral offerings. Broad incumbent that competes with WBU's online programs in business, education, and ministry, especially for adult and military learners using GI Bill benefits.

Direct peers

• Abilene Christian University: Abilene Christian University is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas affiliated with the Churches of Christ. Compared to WBU, it serves a similar West Texas footprint, offers comparable associate-to-doctoral programs, and shares a faith-based residential and online model targeting overlapping student segments.
• Howard Payne University: Howard Payne University is a small private Baptist university in Brownwood, Texas affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas—the same denominational body as WBU. Closest match on state, denomination, scale, and program mix, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Oral Roberts University: Oral Roberts University is a private charismatic/Pentecostal Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma offering undergraduate through doctoral programs including a College of Business, College of Theology, and online options. Direct peer on faith-based mission, program breadth from associate to doctorate, and use of online to expand beyond regional footprint.
• Bob Jones University: Bob Jones University is a private non-denominational fundamentalist Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina offering K-12 through graduate programs. Compares to WBU on faith-based integration, conservative Christian worldview, regional private-university scale, and undergraduate-to-graduate program breadth.
• Regent University: Regent University is a private Christian university in Virginia Beach, Virginia with a strong online doctoral and graduate portfolio (including a PhD in Organizational Leadership/Strategic Leadership akin to WBU's DSL). Comparable online-first Christian doctoral delivery model targeting working professionals.
• Houston Christian University: Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University) is a private Baptist university in Houston, Texas. Comparable to WBU in denominational tie, faith-centered curriculum, breadth of programs from undergraduate to doctoral, and reliance on tuition. Together with WBU and DBU, it anchors the Texas Baptist higher-education landscape.
• Hardin-Simmons University: Hardin-Simmons University is a private Baptist university in Abilene, Texas offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs (including a DPT and EdD). Direct peer on Baptist affiliation, similar mid-size private university scale, comparable faith-based residential model in Texas.
• Dallas Baptist University: Dallas Baptist University is a private Baptist university in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Direct peer on Baptist affiliation, faith-integrated curriculum, and Texas-centric delivery, with comparable doctoral and online programs that compete for the same traditional and adult learner segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WaylandBaptist
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaylandBaptistUniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/waylandbaptistuniversity
• Xx.com/waylandbaptist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wayland-baptist-university

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wayland Baptist University