I am not going to tell you whether this university is "good" or "bad." No federal data can answer that question, and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. What I can do is explain, with a reassuring hand on your shoulder, what kind of institution Belmont is, what numbers it operates with, and what questions are yours to ask before your child makes a decision that the two of you will pay for together.
What Kind of School It Is, and Where It Stands
Let us start with the basics, because the basics already say quite a bit. The Carnegie system, which is how the United States classifies its colleges and universities according to what they do, places Belmont University among doctoral and professional institutions. In the same system, using data from 2019-20, it appears as a medium-size, four-year, highly residential school: at that time, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in university-owned or university-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. In its undergraduate profile, Carnegie also places it in the selective-admissions group.
This has an immediate practical consequence, and I will tell you before we go any further: if your child is going to live on campus, room and board are almost never included in the number you first see on the university's website. Ask for that amount separately, including the meal plan, before comparing Belmont with any other school.
Belmont is in Nashville, Tennessee, within Davidson County, in the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is right downtown or in a quieter area, or what getting around there is like from day to day. If your child plans to live at home while attending, do yourself a favor: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the time your child would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. The highest level it reports offering is the doctorate, and the government classifies it as a degree-granting institution that is primarily at the bachelor's degree level or above. That is a general institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific program your child is interested in extends through graduate study or whether there is a connected path between the two levels. That must be asked program by program.
And one more thing before moving on: Belmont is not listed as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a Tribal College or University, or a land-grant institution. Those are three different designations with different histories, and among the 3,012 colleges and universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of the three. The fact that Belmont has none of them does not say which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations currently exist.
The Size of the Community, and Who Makes It Up
Belmont had 8,862 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is neither a small school nor an enormous one: it falls within the range of 5,000 to 9,999 students. But compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this same national census, Belmont is among the largest: no more than one in ten schools in that group has more students.
Of that total, 7,330 are undergraduates and 1,532 are graduate students. Above all, it is a four-year undergraduate institution, not a school dominated by graduate programs.
Now, who makes up that community? Among the undergraduate students reported in the fall of 2023, 9 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with those same 941 selective private schools, Belmont falls below the group's midpoint, though not in the bottom quarter. There are very few adult students: only 4 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. And there are more women than men: 66 out of every 100 undergraduate students are women.
I want to be clear about something, because it is easy here to draw a conclusion the data does not support: having few Latino students does not make the school bad, and having many would not, by itself, make it good. This number only counts who is enrolled. If your child will be among the few, the question to ask during the visit is specific: which student groups exist, what support is available, and whether your child can speak with a Latino student who is already there before deciding.
How the Academic Year Is Organized, and What the School Offers
Belmont operates on semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its official report, the university indicated that it accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit based on life experience. It also reported enrolling high school students in college courses for credit outside a formal dual-enrollment program, treating them as regular students in those courses. And it does report accepting credit for military training.
Here is a useful warning: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam or every score. This report does not tell us how many points are required or whether those credits will count toward your child's specific program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrollment, and do not assume any savings of time or money until you have it in hand.
As for degrees: between July 2022 and June 2023, Belmont awarded 1,522 bachelor's degrees across 26 academic program families. But the distribution is not even. The program family with the most degrees was visual and performing arts, accounting for 624 of those 1,522—41 out of every 100 degrees awarded over the full year. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, Belmont falls within the quarter with the most program families represented in its reported offerings. That suggests a broad catalog, but outcomes are concentrated: many open doors, with one accounting for nearly half of the degrees actually awarded. If the program your child is interested in is not visual and performing arts, it is worth asking directly how many degrees that specific program awards each year rather than making assumptions based on the catalog's overall size.
As for class size: the officially reported ratio is 12 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a low ratio in absolute terms. But compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, Belmont is above the median: half the group or more reported the same ratio or a lower one. Both things are true at the same time, which is why I am giving them to you separately. What this number does not tell you is the actual size of a first-year classroom. Ask about that directly, by course and by program.
In addition to conventional academics, Belmont reports offering study abroad, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, teacher-certification preparation below the bachelor's degree level, the ability to complete certain teacher-specialization areas at the institution itself, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program.
What It Takes to Get In: The Door Is More Open Than You Might Think
Here is one of the figures that most changes the conversation for many families. In the 2023 admissions report, Belmont counted 8,950 first-time applicants and offered admission to 8,624. That means 96 out of every 100 applicants were admitted.
Compared with the 942 selective private schools in this census, Belmont is among those that accept the most applicants: at least nine out of ten of those schools accepted an equal or smaller percentage of their applicants. Put another way, almost everyone who applies gets in. Even so, 326 of those 8,950 applicants did not receive an offer of admission. The door is open, but admission is not automatic.
Belmont does not have open admission: it reviews specific components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked five as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory curriculum required by the university, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: your child's class rank, personal essay, work experience, and whether a family member previously attended. Your child cannot change that last factor. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it; spend that energy on what is within your child's control: the academic record, essay, and letters. The published application fee is $50.
Now for a figure that changes the tone of the story. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 19 ultimately enrolled at Belmont that fall. The other 81 had a place but did not take it. Compared with those same 942 similar schools, this percentage is among the most common: it falls right in the middle of the group. Do not read it as a blemish. The fact that most admitted students did not enroll says nothing about the school's quality; the federal record does not explain why each person chose what they chose. What matters for you is this: what other families decided does not predict what your family will be offered. Wait for your own letter with the net price—the amount the year will actually cost you—before deciding whether Belmont stays on the list.
As for standardized tests: Belmont is test optional. The SAT and ACT are not required; if submitted, they are considered, but an application remains valid without them. Among enrolled first-time students, only 20 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores. Among those students, the middle half scored between 600 and 690 in reading and writing, and between 560 and 660 in math. Be careful: those ranges apply to students who enrolled and submitted scores, not to all applicants, and they do not prove that the scores were used to admit anyone. That 600 is not a minimum you must reach, and that 690 does not guarantee anything either.
As for transfers: in the fall of 2023, Belmont reported 321 undergraduate students who arrived there for the first time after studying at another institution. Compared with the 942 similar schools, it is among those reporting the most arriving transfer students—although this is a count, not a proportion, and a large school counts more people simply because of its size. What we do not know, because the file does not contain it for this school in this cycle, is how many Belmont students leave for other institutions. That is not reported, and missing data never means zero.
The List Price, and What You Might Actually Pay
At Belmont University, among 197 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $19,516. Among 113 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $27,345; among 355 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $42,908. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $23,392 between the average for the lowest-income band (197 students) and the average for the highest-income band (355 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $37,558.
$19,516 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent to you is what matters.
How It Is Paid For: Grants, Loans, and What You Still Need to Ask
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Belmont, 83 received a grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid. That is a large share. But compared with the 942 similar selective private schools, Belmont falls within the quarter where grant or scholarship aid reaches fewer students. Among those who received it, the average for the year was $22,037.
There is an important distinction to make carefully here: Pell, the federal aid for students from low-income families, reached only 19 out of every 100 students. That means at least 64 out of every 100 received aid, but it was not Pell—it came from another source, possibly the university itself. The report groups all aid together without saying exactly where each dollar came from, so it cannot tell you what your family would receive. Ask directly: who awards that grant or scholarship, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year.
As for loans: 35 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 school year. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,326 that year. Compared with the 942 similar schools, Belmont is on the low side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, had a larger share of students with debt.
That average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, credit cards, or the debt accumulated by graduation—that would require adding up several years, and that number is not in this report. This percentage does not determine which of the two groups your child will fall into, with debt or without it: the financial aid letter sent specifically to your child will determine that.
Belmont also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan as an additional way to manage the cost.
Campus Life, Athletics, and What Is Documented
Belmont does have institution-owned housing, with a reported capacity of 4,374 students. It does not require all first-time students to live there—but that does not mean no program or class year has such a requirement; ask about the specific rule for your child's year and program. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies depending on the plan selected.
As for military service: Belmont checked all three ROTC branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force—something only 135 of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this directory do. But a checked box does not confirm that the program is offered on this specific campus, or confirm available spots or scholarships. Ask each branch directly.
In athletics, Belmont competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not identify every current team or the division in which each one competes. If athletics are part of the plan, contact the coach for that sport directly and ask for a written response.
As for course delivery: Belmont offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes that way; the other 99 take at least one class in person. The library operates with paid staff, reports spending above the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government, has physical and digital collections, and participates in interlibrary lending. Reported services also include combined academic and career counseling, employment support for current students and graduates, the Yellow Ribbon program and a point of contact for veterans and military families, and a services webpage for students with disabilities.
Who Stays, and Who Finishes
This may be the most important part of this entire conversation.
Among the class that entered Belmont in the fall of 2022 as full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 1,910 students made up the initial cohort. One year later, 84 out of every 100 were still enrolled there or had already completed their bachelor's degree. Compared with the 930 similar selective private schools, Belmont ranks in the upper part of that group.
This number does not separate those who have already graduated from those who are simply still studying, and it also does not say what happened to everyone else. At a four-year school, only students who began seeking a bachelor's degree are included in the count, and no one else is. Not returning for the second year is not the same as dropping out: someone who transferred to another university and remains enrolled there is counted differently from someone who stopped studying altogether, even though this figure does not distinguish between them.
Now, graduation. The cohort that started in 2017, consisting of 1,594 full-time, first-time students, reached this result six years later: 1,140 had a degree in hand, or 72 out of every 100. With the shorter four-year timeframe, the figure falls to 61 out of every 100—a difference of 11 points showing that a substantial share of those who finish do so after taking a little more time than the "ideal" calendar suggests. Compared with the 920 similar schools in this census, Belmont falls within the top quarter: three out of four similar schools reported an equal or smaller share of graduates.
A high figure is not a promise. It is what happened to the cohort of 2017, not what will happen to your child. What is within your control, and your child's, is starting with credits well organized from the first semester, knowing who the academic advisor is, and learning from the outset when enrollment opens for the courses the program requires.
There is one more figure, covering an even longer period. IPEDS tracked for eight years a cohort of 2,051 students who entered Belmont between July 2015 and June 2016, including both first-time students and students with prior college experience, as well as full-time and part-time students. As of August 2023, 70 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Compared with the 935 similar schools, Belmont is above the median.
Here a gap appears that is worth naming without embellishment: among the students in that cohort who received a Pell Grant, only 62 out of every 100 had earned a credential within eight years—nine points below the group that did not receive Pell. A family's qualifying for Pell today does not determine the outcome for its child, but if your family is in that situation, it is worth asking the university directly: what advising, emergency aid, and renewal of internal grants and scholarships are specifically available to those students? And ask for the answer in writing.
What Is Up to You, What Is Up to Your Child, and What Is Up to the University
It is up to Belmont to admit students, set its requirements, establish its list price, and decide how much aid to offer. You have now seen how it does each of those things: admission is easy, the price on paper is high, and the aid provided is uneven depending on each family's income. It is up to your child to build the academic record, write the essay, understand which program to pursue, and approach this process seriously. The money is up to you: complete the FAFSA, request the financial aid letter in writing, compare the net price—not the list price—among the schools you are considering, and ask the specific questions this report cannot answer: about the particular program, housing, internal grants and scholarships, each ROTC branch, or each athletic team if those matter to your plan.
You now know in detail one of the pieces you need to decide: what Belmont University really is, according to its own official reports. Combine that with what your child wants to study, what your child has already built, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan emerges from that combination, not from any one of those three things alone.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official reports submitted to IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the U.S. Department of Education, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Belmont University or any agency of the U.S. government; this article is for informational purposes.