[11] The initial piece of land for the campus, overlooking Mountain Creek Lake in the hill country of southwest Dallas, was donated by John Stemmons, Roland Pelt, and associates.

While in its early years, the school had the reputation of being a commuter college, today's DBU has well over 2,000 students living on campus.

The structure is used for various events such as chapel services and concerts, and houses office space for the Graduate School of Ministry along with classrooms and a large multipurpose room.

The inspiration for the exterior of the building came from the First Baptist Church in America, located in Providence, Rhode Island.

[17] In 2001, DBU-North[18] opened in Carrollton, Texas as DBU's first regional academic center, serving North Dallas and Collin County.

[30] The Institute for Global Engagement was founded at DBU in 2015 to be "a Christian, non-partisan think tank dedicated to addressing issues in the public square with biblical distinctiveness" and to be "a moral and spiritual catalyst for renewal in our culture."

The goal of the institute is to be interdisciplinary in bringing together experts and practitioners from a variety of fields to address issues from a distinctively Christian worldview.

[31] Since its founding, the IGE has held several seminars and lectures featuring a variety of individuals, including author Eric Metaxas, former presidential speech writer Michael Gerson, political commentator Matthew Dowd, former UN Ambassador Samuel Brownback, and former Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis.

[32][33] The organization also produces The Daily Briefing, an email that goes out three times a week covering the news of the day with a Christian perspective.

This anticipated event, formerly named Mr. Big Chief from 1981 to 2018, allows male students to display their skills, humor, and creativity.

Magic tricks, lip-syncing, and musical interpretations are just some of the ways contestants have attempted to gain points in the past.

The contestant with the most points at the end wins the coveted title and has the right to wear the coat and hat that have replaced the headdress on display in the Dean Learning Center as the prize.

Families are invited to fellowship with their students as well as the university faculty and staff through community activities and other fun events.

Although the baseball team played as an independent for several years, they accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference for the 2013 season.