The Premier Independent Catholic University in the South
Bellarmine University is a vibrant community of educational excellence and ethical awareness that consistently ranks among the nation's best colleges and universities.
Our students pursue an education based in the liberal arts – and in the distinguished, inclusive Catholic tradition of educational excellence, the oldest and most rewarding in the Western world. It is a lifelong education worthy of the university's namesake, Saint Robert Bellarmine, and of his invitation to each of us to learn and live in veritatis amore – in the love of all that is beautiful, true and good in life.
The Bellarmine Impact
Bellarmine is growing rapidly, not only with great new campus amenities and academic programs, but also in regional and national prominence. BU is named after Roberto Bellarmino (1542-1621), the brilliant Jesuit, who was a Cardinal and canonized in 1930.
The Louisville Advantage
On the edge of downtown Louisville, Bellarmine is set on three beautiful hills in the artful and eclectic Highlands neighborhood. We are within walking distance of the Bardstown Road corridor, where coffee houses, restaurants and one-of-a-kind shops add to the overall Bellarmine experience. Downtown Louisville is just minutes away and offers world-class theatre, arts, sports, museums and gorgeous riverfront parks. Louisville is situated on the mile-wide Ohio River, at the gateway to the South and the crossroads of the Midwest.
Teaching You'll Never Forget
Bellarmine faculty scholars are passionate about teaching. Approximately 85% of faculty members hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field.
Student Excellence
A diverse student body from across the nation and world attends Bellarmine. Our total enrollment is approximately 3,000.
A Human Scale Learning Environment
Our student-faculty ratio is 13 to 1. Our average class size at Bellarmine is 20. There are 29 students or fewer in 84 percent of our classes. Teaching and learning like this just doesn’t take place at the universities, and it shows in our high four-year graduation rates and the successful careers of more than 27,000 graduates working throughout the world.
Academic Excellence
US News & World Report
Category: National Universities
#273 overall
Top 150 in Physical Therapy
Top 150 in Nurse Anesthesia
Top 200 in Teacher Education
Top 200 in Nursing Practice
Top 400 in Top Performers on Social Mobility
Princeton Review
Bellarmine among nation's best 391 colleges
One of the best colleges in the South
College Choice
#1 among best respiratory therapy bachelor’s degree
Top 25 Catholic Colleges in U.S.
Best Colleges
#1 among best respiratory therapy graduate degrees
#1 Best College Location in Kentucky
#5 Best College for Student-Athletes in Kentucky
#72 Best College Locations in America
#91 Best College Athletics in America
