About
Namesake: Named for the Jesuit priest and cardinal Robert Bellarmine—born Oct. 4, 1542 in Montepulciano, Italy; died Sept. 17, 1621 in Rome; canonized June 29, 1930.
History: From 1950 until 1968, Bellarmine operated as an Archdiocesan all men’s college. In 1968, Bellarmine merged with Ursuline College and became both co-educational and independent. On Sept. 14, 2000, Bellarmine changed its named from Bellarmine College to Bellarmine University.
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Date Opened: Oct. 3, 1950
Affiliation: Independent, Catholic
Colors: Scarlet and Silver
Nickname: Knights
Student Body
Fall 2023 Total Headcount: 2,993
Female: 1,836 (61%)
Male: 1,157 (39%)
Full-time: 2,737 (91%)
Part-time: 256 (9%)
Under-represented Minorities: 757 (26%)*
International: 62 (2%)
Undergraduate Headcount: 2,351
Female: 1,436 (61%)
Male: 915 (39%)
Full-time: 2,223 (95%)
Part-time: 128 (5%)
Under-represented Minorities: 608 (27%)*
International: 51 (2%)
Graduate Headcount: 642
Female: 400 (62%)
Male: 242 (38%)
Full-time: 514 (80%)
Part-time: 128 (20%)
Under-represented Minorities: 149 (23%)*
International: 11 (2%)
Fall 2023 First-Year Cohort: 632
Female: 391 (62%)
Male: 242 (38%)
Under-represented Minorities: 206 (33%)*
International: 10 (2%)
First Generation: 280 (44%)
Pell Eligible: 301 (48%)
Learning Community: 140 (22%)
Honors Program: 91 (14%)
Student Athletes: 154 (24%)
Geographic Origin of Undergraduate Students
Kentucky: 1,676 (71%)
Indiana: 246 (10%)
Ohio: 68 (3%)
Illinois: 60 (3%)
Tennessee: 29 (1%)
California: 27 (1%)
Missouri: 26 (1%)
Other States/International: 219 (9%)
*The denominator in this calculation excludes international and unknown.
Campus Living
Full-Time Undergraduates Living on Campus: 1,039 (47%)
Full-Time First-Year Cohort Living on Campus: 431 (68%)
Faculty
Student-Faculty Ratio: 13:1
Number of full-time faculty: 161
Does not include academic deans or academic administrators
Female: 97 (60%)
Male: 64 (40%)
With terminal degrees: 144 (89%)
Tenured (of tenure track faculty): 85 (68%)
Cost of Attendance for Academic Year 2023-2024
Undergraduate Tuition: $45,190
Fees: $1,590
Part-Time Per Credit Hour: $1,040
Matriculation Fee: $400 (one-time fee in the fall semester for first-time, full-time students)
Room and Board: $9,490 (based on a weighted average cost of BU’s residence halls)
100% of first-year students receive institutional aid
Campus Grounds
Campus size: 145 acres on-campus; 45 acres off-campus
Facilities On-campus: 27 major buildings, 975,200 total square footage
Facilities Off-campus: 31 buildings, 141,600 total square footage
Degrees Awarded
Advanced Certificate in Accounting
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Bachelor of Health Science (BHS)
Bachelor of Music (BM)
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Certificate in Applied Business Analytics
Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science
Master of Arts in Communication (MAC)
Master of Arts in Education (MAEd)
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Health Science (MHS)
Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT)
Master of Science in Digital Media (MSDM)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Graduation and Retention Rates
2nd-Year Retention: 75% (first-year cohort 2022)
3rd-Year Retention: 73% (first-year cohort 2021)
4th-Year Retention: 66% (first-year cohort 2020)
6-Year Graduation Rate: 68% (first-year cohort 2017)
Popular Majors
Top 5 Majors by Percentage of Undergraduate Bachelor Degrees Conferred
Nursing 22%
Psychology 11%
Business Administration 9%
Communication 7%
Biology 5%
Number of Degrees Conferred
2022-2023 Total Degrees Conferred: 915
Bachelor’s Degrees: 545
Bachelor's Certificates: 0
Accelerated Second Bachelor's Degrees: 87
Post-Bachelor’s Certificates: 2
Master’s Degrees: 183
Doctoral Degrees: 98
Note: Students who earn multiple degrees are counted twice.
Alumni
Total number of living alumni/ae: 27,454 (Fall 2023)
Bellarmine University is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)
College Navigator: Bellarmine University