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Families comparing colleges want to know what they’ll actually pay. It's important to focus on net price – not sticker price – and use net price calculators to make it easier for students to see their personalized cost in minutes. 

At Bellarmine, 100% of first-year students receive an institutional scholarship, typically $19,000–$32,000 awarded by the university upon admission with no separate application. Students can get a fast estimate through the university’s Scholarship Estimator and a fuller out-of-pocket picture via the Net Price Calculator. 

“Families deserve simple, accurate answers about cost,” said Lauren Keeling, Bellarmine’s vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communication. “Our message is straightforward: every first-year student receives a Bellarmine scholarship; most families should focus on the net price after aid; and our price-match and access programs can lower costs even further.” 

Bellarmine offers two signature programs that reduce uncertainty for cost-conscious students: 

Keeling also highlighted Bellarmine Direct, which offers automatic admission with a minimum scholarship of $19,000 and a personalized aid package for qualified Louisville high-school graduates with at least a 2.75 GPA. This program makes it easier for local families to discover how affordable a private college education can actually be.  

“Never judge affordability by a posted tuition,” said Keeling. “Start with your merit scholarship, add your state and federal aid, and then apply programs like Public Price Promise or HOPE. For many families, Bellarmine is very competitive compared to public universities — and sometimes even more affordable than them.” 

To help families reconcile figures they see across the web, Keeling noted that many third-party sites display average net price from prior years. For example, the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard currently lists an average annual net price near $23,587 for Bellarmine — a federal average, not a personalized quote. The College Board lists a different average price after aid is applied. For that reason, the university urges families to use Bellarmine’s estimator and calculator for individual results, then speak to a counselor if they have questions.  

At Bellarmine, affordability pairs with unrivaled outcomes to deliver an excellent return on investment: 99% of Bellarmine graduates report being employed or in graduate school within six months of commencement — 16% higher than the average for all U.S. colleges and universities. Measured over a career, a Bellarmine degree delivers a $1.93 million return on investment, and graduates earn more on average than alumni from other Kentucky institutions at 6 months, 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years after graduation.