Be part of a proud tradition. Founded in 1893, Baylor is a boarding and day school occupying 690 beautiful acres along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Be part of a vibrant campus community. Middle School, Upper School, day students, boarders. There is no one type of Baylor student, but there is one strong Baylor community. And within our community there are plenty of adults dedicated to helping students experience Baylor life to its fullest.
Be inspired by some truly magnificent spaces. Over the years we have invested in a 24/7 learning and living community that includes renovations to dorms, the library, and dining hall, and athletic facilities. The expansive new Scotty Probasco Academic Center is home to most of Baylor’s Upper School English and history classes, a sunlit atrium that is a popular gathering spot, and The Learning Center, where students can seek help on any subject.
Be free to explore. Our spacious campus offers students the chance to stretch their legs and their minds amid trees, trails, and wetlands. Walkabout, our nationallyacclaimed outdoor program, takes you even further afield with rock-climbing and hiking excursions to surrounding mountains each afternoon.
BIG Be part of something
Are you ready? Baylor will test your limits, push you forward, stuff your brain full of knowledge, and give you the chance to do more than just write papers or cram for exams. Get ready for bigger adventures, bolder experiences, and brighter opportunities.
OUR MISSION? To foster in students both the desire and the ability to make a positive difference in the world. It is the thread that weaves through Baylor’s programs and experiences.
LEARNing
LEARNing
“The ethos of our classrooms is to generate interest. Once students are interested, they will do things that they may have once thought they were incapable of.” ~ William Montgomery ’92, Dean of Academic Affairs
Elevate your academic potential. Faculty who are leaders in their field and are devoted to their craft guide students to think beyond the simple answers – a valuable skill for college and the workplace beyond it. Baylor teachers have earned Fulbright Scholarships and the Presidential Award for Excellence. More than 75 percent hold advanced degrees, including 10 Ph.D’s. The Barks-Guerry Faculty Global Study Grant supports faculty travel that enriches classroom instruction and supports Baylor’s mission.
Why coed? The world doesn’t divide down gender lines. We all have to be able to work together. At Baylor we appreciate -- and learn from -- each other’s differences.
With honor. Dating back to 1916, Baylor’s honor code is the moral compass for our entire community. Students, faculty, and staff commit to acting with honesty and integrity.
When you graduate from Baylor, you graduate ready for the world. Our students hail from 14 different countries, and our Global Scholars program connects language learning with a globally-focused curriculum and meaningful international travel experiences.
Ready for MORE? If you want to dive even deeper in our college prep curriculum you may choose to immerse yourself in one of our specialized leading programs and graduate with the special distinction as a Baylor Research Scholar, Global Scholar, or Civic Scholar.
Baylor Research is supported with a $15 million endowment to ensure the most advanced program possible and is led by Ph.D. faculty who are experts in their fields of study.
Global Scholars focuses on learning through an international lens, while Civic Scholars undertake a leadership role outside of the school community. Students in our Baylor Research program work directly with research scientists and engineers to tackle global issues.
Real world experience. Baylor’s prestigious Harris-Stanford Honors Program brings students face-to-face with corporate executives, community leaders, and elected officials in order to hone their leadership and civic engagement skills.
A world view. At Baylor, intercultural learning starts on day one. We teach five world languages in grades 6-12 with post AP level courses in three.
A guiding hand. All Baylor students have a dedicated adviser who meets with them to track their progress, address challenges, and communicate with parents.
Baylor leads to choices. One of the first things you will do is map out your academic courses. In the Upper School, students can choose from Advanced Placement classes in 24 subjects.
A hub for learning. If the Baylor campus had an actual heart, you’d find it in the PAC. Built in 2018, the Scotty Probasco Academic Center is a $14 million, 33,852 square-foot space with flexible, tech-enhanced classrooms and multi-use collaboration spaces. The PAC is home to most of Baylor’s Upper School English and history classes, the Learning Center, as well as a sunlit atrium that’s a favorite campus gathering spot. Over the years the Learning Center has grown from a small classroom tucked away in the basement of a building to a highly visible hub in the Scotty Probasco Academic Center for the Upper School, and a dedicated space in Barks Hall for Middle Schoolers. These Learning Centers underscore Baylor’s commitment to student help, removes the stigma that extra help exists only for the struggling student, and allows for students to interact with their peers in an active learning environment.
“After only a few days of coming to the Learning Center, I became more comfortable with answering questions in class and was proud of my work when I turned it in to my teachers.”
“When I first walked into the new Scotty Probasco Academic Center, I felt so grateful for such a beautiful campus and beautiful building. It shows how much students are valued at Baylor.” ~ Elizabeth Lau ’21
SEIZING THE DAY At Baylor, it’s about balance: between deep learning and exuberant activity, .
between caring support and the room to take risks. We pay close attention to our students’ mental, physical, and emotional well-being, because we know that healthy, happy kids are successful learners.
THRIVing
THRIVing
Baylor Players’ production of Bye Bye Birdie.
Make the most of every single moment.
Baylor students spend roughly 12,000 hours collectively a year lending a hand and helping others, tutoring underserved kids in Chattanooga, working in an Asheville shelter for people experiencing homelessness, or raising money for children in Jamaica to attend school.
It’s easy to do at Baylor, because there is so much to do. Be a tennis player and a Baylor Player. Bring a story to life in the writers’ collective. Get your hands dirty in organic gardening. Cheerlead, then help kids learn to read. Participation in after-school activities is a requirement, so your only challenge is deciding how to spend your time. With a huge variety of options, from student-led clubs and organizations to more than 70 sports teams, there’s something for everyone.
Raiders Against Prejudice. RAP is just one of Baylor’s dozens of clubs. RAP members meet for dinner discussions to put into practice the idea that political and opposing viewpoints can spark worthwhile dialogue, tolerance, and understanding.
An abundance of arts. Sixth graders don’t dabble in the arts, they dive in headfirst. Every sixth-grade student rotates through all of Baylor’s art offerings, from sculpture and painting to dance and choir.
We welcome and respect all faiths. At Baylor School we believe that faith is central to every person’s life and that the study of religion is an essential part of a complete education. While the majority of Baylor’s students and faculty are Christian, all major world religions are represented in the school. Students have opportunities both on campus and off to practice their faith.
Get Outside: the classroom, your comfort zone, expectations.
Burning up the track, eco-style. Several Middle School students spent a semester engineering an electric Indy car – and took first place in Chattanooga’s annual “Green Prix.”
40 years of leading the way in experiential learning. Walkabout is Baylor’s boundary-defying outdoor program that could take you backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, surfing in Panama, or trekking through India. Taught by a team of adventure leaders that includes a Wilderness First Responder and a Whitewater Rescue Technician, Walkabout students love discovering the great outdoors.
“Baylor was our second family. Sarah is still friends with many of her classmates today. They often call or text each other and get together whenever they’re in the Chattanooga area.” ~ Pamela Talley, mother of boarding student Sarah Talley ’18
There’s no one way to “be” Baylor. Middle School, Upper School, day students, boarders. There’s no one type of Baylor student, but there is one strong sense of community that runs deep here. For some students, it begins in Middle School. Instead of sitting in one room with one teacher, you’ll move through your day following your class rotation, seeing different people, and learning in different environments. But you won’t be by yourself, you’ll always be on the move with classmates and teachers. In the Upper School, our community expands to include a blend of day students and boarding students who share much more than classes. From spirit events in the quad and athletic practices and competitions, to play practices or club meetings that end with or a late-night snack at Miss Kitty’s Grille, our campus is the ideal setting for building lifelong friendships.
One Baylor On average, Baylor welcomes students from 14 countries, 24 states, and dozens of area neighborhoods. There are six dorms, diverse families and faiths, divergent backgrounds and cultures and numerous traditions. But there is just one Baylor.
A home away from home. Baylor has six dormitories, each welcoming in its own way, with stone patios, comfy common areas, and plenty of nooks where you can hole up and read some Shakespeare (or quantum theory, depending on your taste). More than 40 faculty members live on campus, with their kids and pets and families, and when the school day ends, they turn into mentors – as well as cooks, counselors, and mediators.
up your Game
Our athletes are nationally recognized for excellence on the field and in the classroom, so it's not surprising that more than 100 Baylor graduates are competing for their college programs, many at highly selective schools such as Stanford, Virginia, Harvard, and Penn.
WINning
Photo: Lawson Whitaker
photo: Lawson Whitaker
One of the top high school programs in the country – but don’t take our word for it. WINning
Third best overall high school sports program in the nation, according to MaxPreps.com
Sports Illustrated top 25
high school programs in the U.S.
More state championships than any school in Tennessee
More than 100 graduates
playing at the collegiate level
Four alums who are currently playing on the PGA tour
You will compete and train in exceptional facilities. Baylor offers every student the opportunity to train and compete in facilities that rival or eclipse those of most college campuses. • A state-of-the-art training and fitness center • A football stadium with artificial turf and a seven-lane track • Three baseball fields and a softball diamond • A three-field soccer complex, including artificial and natural turf fields • A short-game golf practice center • A field house with cardio room, dance studio, erg room, athletic training room, equipment room, and film room • An expansive three-mat wrestling facility • An on-campus cross-country course winding through the woods and along the Tennessee River • 24 indoor and outdoor tennis courts • An aquatic center featuring 25- and 50-meter courses and seating for 700 spectators • Four basketball courts – historic Duke Arena and three others that convert to volleyball and fencing venues • An outdoor rowing center including a boat house and dock adjacent to the Tennessee River
Up your game. Baylor offers 17 sports, and we field 74 teams in grades 6-12. Our athletes train to win, but they also commit to the development of character, life skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork. As a Baylor athlete you will: Commit to exemplary sportsmanship Add to a tradition of winning state championships and national titles Work with coaches committed to the safety and physical and emotional health of their athletes Compete and play in one of the most competitive sports leagues in the country Have access to some of the best game venues and performance training facilities in the country at any level of sports competition Belong to an alumni network of 100+ college athletes who are thriving in the PAC-12, SEC, ACC, and Ivy League among many other prestigious conferences across the country. Have access to a sports medicine facility supported by three full-time athletic trainers and access to leading sports physicians in Tennessee.
Work with exceptional coaches. Baylor head coaches bring a wealth of experience from the highest levels of high school and collegiate coaching. Our coaches bring a true college preparatory approach to physical development, practice, and competition, while maintaining a healthy life balance.
What difference
WILL YOU MAKE IN THE WORLD? Baylor college counselors will help you find out.
They’ll work with you to determine what you’re good at, passionate about, committed to. They’ll help you zero in on the colleges that fit your goals and further your dreams. And when you graduate? You’ll be a citizen of the world – ready to lead at colleges and universities around the globe.
LEADing
Lead like a Baylor alum. They set the bar high. And so will you. Natalie Brackett ’09 is making a positive difference in the world, and it all started with a Baylor trip to India, where she was deeply moved by her visit to the Sikkim Happiness Home, a refuge for orphaned and disadvantaged Himalayan girls. At Washington University in St. Louis, Natalie started out as a Classics major but kept thinking about India. She eventually switched her major to Anthropology and Religious Studies, went on to teach in Thailand, and earned her M.Ed. in International Education Policy and Management from Vanderbilt University.
LEADing
Today Natalie works as a Standards and Practice Coordinator for the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). INEE provides education in times of great strife, whether war, poverty, natural disaster, or refugee crisis.
“I ended up in the humanitarian sector because I developed such strong relationships with the communities I got to know in the Himalayas.” ~Natalie Brackett ’09
“When I look back on the schedule I had as a Baylor student, I think, ‘Oh my gosh... how did I do all those things?’ I had a full plate, but I was encouraged to make the most of all the opportunities and everything I was involved in. And that has paid off for me in spades.”
BaylorWorks Internship Program Our alumni office connects graduating seniors and college-age alumni with business and industry experiences, like spending a summer researching at the Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta, Ga. Recent placements have included internships in education, finance, sports marketing, and nonprofit management.
Tiffany Williams ’07 is building community in Atlanta’s art scene. In 2016 she founded TILA Studios, a visual arts incubator that provides emerging black female artists with studio and gallery space.
Keith Mitchell ’10 is playing golf at the highest level, claiming his first PGA tour victory when he won the 2019 Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Luke List ’03, Harris English ’07, and Stephan Jaeger ’08 play alongside Keith on the PGA Tour.
It’s time to
#leadlike Baylor
Visit baylorschool.org/admission or call (423) 267-5902 to schedule a campus visit.
171 Baylor School Road Chattanooga, TN 37405 t: 423.267.5902 f: 423.757.2525
baylorschool.org #LeadLikeBaylor
Baylor School admits students of any race, sex, color, religion, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Baylor does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs.