Belmont University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Knoxville, Tennessee · Public · Selective · CDS 2024-2025

Acceptance rate
46%
59,764 applicants
Avg SAT
1290
Mid 50: 1210–1360
In-state tuition
$13,484
per year, before aid
Net price (avg)
$18,109
after aid, what families pay
Quick answer

Belmont University is a public university in Knoxville, Tennessee that admits about 46% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $18,109 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Research and Experimental Psychology and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 74% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.8 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.

Belmont University is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Belmont University admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 46%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1304 and an ACT composite around 28. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,109 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Belmont University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.

What GPA does my child need for Belmont University?

Admitted students at Belmont University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.

Actual GPA distribution of admitted students
4.00
72.1%
3.75–3.99
12.9%
3.50–3.74
8.1%
3.25–3.49
4.5%
3.00–3.24
1.6%
2.50–2.99
0.7%
Below 2.50
0.1%
From the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Belmont University.

What does Belmont University weight in admissions?

Belmont University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.

Very Important3 factors
  • Rigor of secondary school record
  • Academic GPA
  • Standardized test scores
Important3 factors
  • Application essay
  • Character/personal qualities
  • State residency
Considered6 factors
  • Recommendations
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Talent/ability
  • Geographical residence
  • Volunteer work
  • Work experience
Not Considered6 factors
  • Class rank
  • Interview
  • First generation status
  • Alumni/ae relation
  • Religious affiliation/commitment
  • Level of applicant's interest

SAT and ACT scores Belmont University typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 630. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–31. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.

SAT Composite
25th percentile1210
50th percentile1290
75th percentile1360
% submitting SAT24%
ACT Composite
25th percentile25
50th percentile28
75th percentile31
% submitting ACT81%
Current testing policy
  • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
  • • Policy detail: Required

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

Top 10% of class40%
Top 25% of class70%
Top 50% of class93%
% submitting class rank26%

How much does Belmont University actually cost?

Published tuition is $13,484 for in-state students and $31,974 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,500 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $18,109 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 21% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.

In-state tuition
Room and board
Average net price (after aid)$18,109
Application fee$75 (waivers available)

Application deadlines and early decision data for Belmont University

Regular admission
Regular deadline11/1
Notification dateDecember/March
Reply deadline1-May
Early admission
Offers Early ActionYes
EA deadline11/1

Will my child graduate from Belmont University?

Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.

Freshman retention
91.9%
returned for sophomore year
4-year graduation
56.62%
finished on time
6-year graduation
73.85%
finished within 6 years

Most popular majors at Belmont University

The most popular undergraduate programs at Belmont University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Research and Experimental Psychology and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Across all programs, Belmont University confers roughly 2,349 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $79,000 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.

MajorGraduates / yearMedian earnings (5 yrs out)
Business Administration, Management and Operations470$79,000
Research and Experimental Psychology378
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness358$61,292
Biology, General259$58,414
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing257$74,229
Marketing240$62,427
Finance and Financial Management Services198$78,862
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods189$88,397
Bachelor's-degree completions from federal IPEDS data; earnings from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Is Belmont University safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Belmont University disclosed 85 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.8 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 15 violent offenses and 41 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.

Total offenses
85
2.8 per 1,000 students
Violent crime
15
0.49 per 1,000
Sexual assault / VAWA
41
1.35 per 1,000
Burglary
12
reported incidents
Clery Act disclosures (2024) cover on-campus, noncampus, and adjacent public-property incidents; rates use an enrollment of 30,418 students.

What is campus life like at Belmont University?

About 37% of undergraduates at Belmont University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 22% of men join a fraternity and 43% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Live on campus
37%
of undergraduates
In fraternities
22%
of men
In sororities
43%
of women
From the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Belmont University.

Other colleges in Tennessee parents ask about

How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Belmont University

Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Belmont University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.

Common questions parents ask about Belmont University

What GPA do I need for Belmont University?

Admitted students at Belmont University typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.

What SAT or ACT score does Belmont University typically admit?

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 590–670, with an EBRW midpoint near 630. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 25–31.

How much does Belmont University actually cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Belmont University after grants and scholarships is $18,109 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.

Is Belmont University realistic for my child?

Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Belmont University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.

What is the acceptance rate at Belmont University?

Belmont University accepts about 46% of applicants out of roughly 59,764 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.

Is Belmont University test-optional?

No. Belmont University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.

What is the graduation rate at Belmont University?

About 74% of students at Belmont University graduate within six years, and 57% finish in four years. 92% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.

What does Belmont University look for in applicants?

Belmont University rates course rigor, GPA and test scores as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.

Is Belmont University a public or private school, and where is it located?

Belmont University is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee.

What are the most popular majors at Belmont University?

The largest undergraduate majors at Belmont University by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Research and Experimental Psychology and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. The school awards about 2,349 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.

Is Belmont University safe? What is its campus crime rate?

Belmont University reported 85 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.8 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.

What is campus life like at Belmont University?

At Belmont University, 37% of undergraduates live on campus, 22% of men are in fraternities, 43% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.

Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Belmont University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.