Belmont University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1160–1350 · ACT 23–30 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
Students focused on Visual & Performing Arts (the school's signature program)

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1160, or ACT below 23, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

Doctoral/Professional Universities

Total enrollment

7,137

5,000 - 9,999

In-state tuition

$42,540

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$42,540

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

96.4%

Accepts the majority

SAT middle 50%

1160–1350

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

23–30

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$55,930

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$42,770

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$55,930

4-year completion

71%

Median debt (completers)

$20,500

Cost of attendance

$62,570

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

21%

💰 True ROI

4.2× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)

$132,588

$33,147/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$117,692

vs sticker $250,280

10-yr earnings total

$559,300

$55,930/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

2.4 yrs

at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Belmont University, the average net price is $33,147/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$22,950/yr

Family income $30-48k

$24,723/yr

Family income $48-75k

$28,009/yr

Family income $75-110k

$32,153/yr

Family income $110k+

$43,606/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Belmont University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Belmont University →

Opens on Belmont University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Belmont University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Belmont University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Visual & Performing Arts

629 degrees · 51.8%

Typical career outcomes

Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k

Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.

2. Health Professions

227 degrees · 18.7%

Typical career outcomes

Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k

Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.

3. Business, Management, & Marketing

176 degrees · 14.5%

Typical career outcomes

Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k

Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.

4. Communications Technologies

97 degrees · 8.0%

Typical career outcomes

Broadcast Technician $56k Sound Engineering Technician $59k Audio / Video Equipment Tech $51k

Broadcast tech, sound engineering, AV production.

5. Communication, Journalism, & Related

86 degrees · 7.1%

Typical career outcomes

Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k

Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Belmont University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Finance and Financial Management Services.	Bachelor's Degree	21	—	$124,270
Accounting and Related Services.	Bachelor's Degree	19	—	$93,688
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	Bachelor's Degree	175	$67,072	$79,069
Business/Managerial Economics.	Bachelor's Degree	18	$43,422	$76,276
Marketing.	Bachelor's Degree	21	$46,968	$71,561
Business Administration, Management and Operations.	Bachelor's Degree	23	—	$71,384
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.	Bachelor's Degree	23	—	$67,040
Biology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	42	—	$63,792
Business/Commerce, General.	Bachelor's Degree	28	$39,325	$62,666
Design and Applied Arts.	Bachelor's Degree	43	$28,702	$58,314

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Belmont University

CS degrees (annual)

7

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Belmont University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Belmont University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Belmont University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public

39 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas Tech University

TX · Public

31 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Alabama

AL · Public

23 auto-merit scholarships on file

Mississippi State University

MS · Public

19 auto-merit scholarships on file