Bellarmine Fast Facts

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 name 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 2026 Total Headcount: 3,255
Female: 2,401 (63%)
Male: 1,214 (37%)
Full-time: 3,033 (93%)
Part-time: 222 (7%)
Under-represented Minorities: 1,084 (36%)*
International: 71 (2%)

Undergraduate Headcount: 2,516
Female: 1,573 (63%)
Male: 943 (37%)
Full-time: 2,383 (95%)
Part-time: 133 (5%)
Under-represented Minorities: 904 (40%)*
International: 60 (2%)

Graduate Headcount: 739
Female: 468 (63%)
Male: 271 (37%)
Full-time: 650 (88%)
Part-time: 89 (12%)
Under-represented Minorities: 180 (25%)*
International: 11 (1%)

Fall 2026 First-Year Cohort: 672
Female: 420 (63%)
Male: 252 (37%)
Under-represented Minorities: 278 (45%)*
International: 10 (1%)
First Generation: 344 (51%)
Pell Eligible: 372 (55%)
Learning Community: 146 (22%)
Honors Program: 105 (16%)
Student Athletes: 163 (24%)

Geographic Origin of Undergraduate Students
Kentucky: 1,919 (76%)
Indiana: 186 (7%)
Ohio: 68 (3%)
Illinois: 36 (1%)
California: 29 (1%)
Tennessee: 28 (1%)
Georgia: 24 (1%)
Other States/International: 226 (9%)

*The denominator in this calculation excludes international and unknown.

Campus Living

Full-Time Undergraduates Living on Campus: 997 (40%)
Full-Time First-Year Cohort Living on Campus: 403 (60%)

Faculty

Student-Faculty Ratio: 14:1

Number of full-time faculty: 141
Does not include academic deans or academic administrators
Female: 92 (65%)
Male: 49 (35%)
With terminal degrees: 105 (80%)
Tenured (of tenure track faculty): 69 (66%)

Cost of Attendance for Academic Year 2025-2026

Undergraduate Tuition: $50,660
Fees: $1,600
Part-Time Per Credit Hour: $1,080
Matriculation Fee: $400 (one-time fee in the fall semester for first-time, full-time students)
Room and Board: $10,770 (based on a weighted average cost of BU’s residence halls)
100% of first-year students receive institutional aid

Campus Grounds

Campus acreage: 184 acres total -- 134 on campus, 50 off campus
On-campus facilities: 27 major buildings, 943,222 total square footage
Off-campus facilities: 27 buildings, 155,366 total square footage

Credentials Awarded

Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Bachelor of Health Science (BHS)
Bachelor of Music (BM)
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Post-Bachelor’s Certificate in Accounting
Graduate Certificate in Applied Business Analytics
Graduate Certificate in Financial Analysis and Decision Making
Graduate Certificate in Health Professions Education
Graduate Certificate in Organizational and Marketing Dynamics
Master of Arts (MA)
Master of Arts in Education (MAEd)
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Education (MEd)
Master of Health Science (MHS)
Master of Science (MS)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Post-Master's Adult Gerontology - Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate 
Post-Master's Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate
Post-Master's Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate
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: 77% (first-year cohort 2025)
3rd-Year Retention: 69% (first-year cohort 2024)
4th-Year Retention: 62% (first-year cohort 2023)
6-Year Graduation Rate: 65% (first-year cohort 2020)

Popular Majors

Top 5 Majors by Percentage of Undergraduate Bachelor Degrees Conferred
Nursing 25%
Psychology 7%
Business Administration 7%
Communication 3%
Sports Administration 3%

Number of Degrees Conferred

2025-2026 Total Degrees Conferred: 831
Bachelor’s Degrees: 493
Accelerated Second Bachelor's Degrees: 113
Post-Bachelor’s Certificates: 0
Graduate Certificates: 8
Master’s Degrees: 130
Post-Master's Certificates: 0
Doctoral Degrees: 87

Note: Students who earn multiple degrees are counted twice.

Alumni

Total number of living alumni: 29,192 (Fall 2026)

 

 

Bellarmine University is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)

College Navigator: Bellarmine University