
Louisville, KYprivate nonprofitbellarmine.edu
Admit rate has ranged 66%–94% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Bellarmine University, a private Catholic institution in Louisville, KY, blends liberal arts rigor with career-focused programs—particularly in health sciences and business. With an 86% acceptance rate and a lively campus hosting 90+ student organizations, it offers an accessible yet engaged college experience where graduates see strong returns: alumni earn $1.9M more over their careers than peers with only high school diplomas.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Bellarmine’s admissions are moderately selective, with an 86% acceptance rate (per multiple sources). The university is test-optional, except for homeschooled and non-native English-speaking international applicants. Mid-50% SAT scores range from 1030–1225, while ACT composites fall between 19–26. Admitted students typically have GPAs of 3.75+, though the university emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone.. Applications are due by August 15 for regular decision.
Bellarmine offers 40+ undergraduate majors anchored in liberal arts but leans heavily into health professions (nursing tops the list) and business programs. The Princeton Review repeatedly recognizes it for undergraduate teaching. Small class sizes foster close faculty interaction, though specific student-faculty ratios aren’t disclosed in sources. Popular majors include:
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
The curriculum integrates Catholic intellectual traditions but welcomes diverse perspectives.
Campus life thrives with 90+ student organizations and 3,000 annual events, from academic clubs to volunteer drives (students log 20,000+ service hours yearly). About 46% of students live on campus in residence halls praised for fostering community. Social hubs include NCAA Division I athletics (the Knights joined the ASUN Conference in 2020) and Louisville’s urban amenities. One quirk: the tight-knit vibe means “everyone knows everyone by sophomore year,” per student reviews.
Bellarmine boasts a 68% six-year graduation rate (top 30% nationally), with Pell Grant recipients graduating at a 50% rate. Alumni outcomes are a standout: graduates earn $1.9M more over 40 years than high school peers, per university-cited research. The school ranks #2 in Kentucky for alumni median earnings. Notably, 94% of 2022 graduates were employed or in grad school within six months, though specific salary data isn’t publicly broken down by major.
Tuition and fees total $69,664 annually, but 72% of students receive aid, bringing the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. to $24,432. The university emphasizes affordability through merit scholarships (averaging $46,377 per aided student) and need-based grants. Use their Net Price Calculator for personalized estimates. While costs are steep, the ROI argument is central—Bellarmine highlights long-term earnings gains to justify the investment.
Bellarmine’s edge lies in its balance of accessibility and outcomes: it admits most applicants but delivers strong graduation rates and alumni earnings. The health sciences programs leverage Louisville’s medical hub status, while the Catholic identity (minus rigid doctrine) adds a values-driven layer. Unlike cutthroat elites, it’s a place where D1 sports and Greek life coexist with nerdy clubs—a “small pond” where students carve big opportunities.