Houston Baptist University vs Harding University

Houston Baptist University and Harding University, both rooted in Christian values, offer distinct educational experiences. Houston Baptist University, located in the vibrant city of Houston, Texas, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on community engagement. Harding University, nestled in the scenic town of Searcy, Arkansas, emphasizes academic excellence and spiritual growth. While both universities share a commitment to providing a Christ-centered education, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Harding University	Houston Baptist University
Overview
Location	Searcy, Arkansas	Houston, Texas
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	68.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	54.1%	84.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1050 - 1300	1040 - 1250
ACT range	20 - 28	22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	2,200	9,685
Total number of admissions given out	1,191	8,220
Admitted students who chose to enroll	748	802
Yield rate	62.8%	9.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$34,538	$52,270
Average net price	$20,533	$20,089
Tuition	$21,690	$33,250
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,068 Meal plan: $4,658	Room/dormitory: $4,950 Meal plan: $4,386
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,769	100.0% Average amount $24,068
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,607	56.0% Average amount $4,791
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $12,585	4.0% Average amount $14,162

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,684 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%	2,780 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Graduate students	1,289 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	1,340 Men 24.5% Women 75.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	5.0%
International students	6.2%	5.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,867	1,026
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Texas Louisiana California Florida Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Communication and Journalism Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Theology
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.2%	43.9%
Dropout rate	31.7%	14.0%
Transferred out	N/A	40.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,748 Year 2: $124,539 Year 3: $127,639 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,011 Year 2: $106,978 Year 3: $105,028 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,933 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $88,179 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $69,415 Year 2: $68,618 Year 3: $71,365 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,335 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $69,942 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,533 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $67,054 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,156 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $65,082 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,219 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,125 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,088 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,592 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,124 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,778	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,430 Year 2: $80,022 Year 3: $99,948 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,190 Year 2: $72,510 Year 3: $86,451 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $83,750 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,241 Year 2: $69,770 Year 3: $73,176 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,979 Year 3: $63,199 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,344 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $54,044 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,179 Year 3: $53,965 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,192 Year 2: $50,201 Year 3: $51,852 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,921 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $46,700 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $42,928

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