Exploring Enrollment: Bellarmine University's Student Population

Bellarmine University is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky, with an undergraduate enrollment of around 2,351 students and a total enrollment of around 3,000 students. The university was founded in 1950 and has a campus size of 145 acres. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees in more than 50 academic majors, along with seven doctoral degrees. The university is organized into seven colleges and schools and its athletic teams are known as the Knights.

Bellarmine University's total student population

Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, is a private Catholic university. It was founded in 1950 as Bellarmine College, named after Saint Robert Bellarmine. The college was established by Archbishop John A. Floersh and initially welcomed 115 freshmen. In 2000, Bellarmine College became Bellarmine University.

The university has experienced growth and expansion over the years. For the 2022-2023 academic year, Bellarmine University had a total student population of 2,970, comprising 2,343 undergraduate and 627 graduate students. This is a notable increase from the previous year's undergraduate enrollment of 2,351. The gender distribution for the 2022-2023 academic year showed 1,107 male and 1,863 female students, with a higher proportion of female students.

The university's campus covers 135 acres and includes over 40 buildings. Bellarmine University offers a range of academic programs and is organised into seven colleges and schools, conferring bachelor's and master's degrees in more than 50 academic majors, along with seven doctoral degrees. The university's athletic teams are known as the Knights, and they compete in various sports, including basketball, soccer, and swimming.

Undergraduate and graduate student numbers

Bellarmine University is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky, founded in 1950. The university has an enrollment of around 3,000 students, including both undergraduate and graduate students.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, a total of 2,970 students enrolled, with 2,343 undergraduate and 627 graduate students. The gender breakdown for this year was 1,107 male and 1,863 female students, with a male-female ratio of 37:63.

The undergraduate enrollment figure for fall 2023 is 2,351, a slight increase from the previous year. This figure reflects the total number of undergraduate students expected to attend Bellarmine University for the fall semester of 2023.

Bellarmine University offers a range of academic programs and is organized into seven colleges and schools. The university confers bachelor's and master's degrees in more than 50 academic majors, along with seven doctoral degrees. The university's various colleges and schools, such as the Bellarmine College of Arts and Sciences, the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education, and the College of Health Professions, contribute to the diverse academic offerings.

Gender distribution

Bellarmine University, a private Catholic liberal arts university in Louisville, Kentucky, has a total enrollment of 3,149 students for the 2022-2023 academic year. Of these, 1,146 are male, and 2,003 are female, giving a gender distribution of 36.39% male and 63.61% female. This gender distribution is reflected across both undergraduate and graduate schools.

The gender gap at Bellarmine University is consistent with broader educational trends, which often show higher enrolment rates for women than men. This trend is also reflected in the university's acceptance rates, with female acceptance rates at around 93.7% compared to 66.1% for male applicants in 2024. The gender distribution among new undergraduates in 2024 was 61.9% female and 38.1% male. This slight change from the previous year may reflect broader trends in higher education enrolment as more women pursue degrees.

The university's student-faculty ratio is 13:1, and the school offers a range of popular majors, including Health Professions, Business, Psychology, and Education. Bellarmine University emphasises its commitment to the liberal arts, encouraging critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and a sense of social responsibility among its students.

Racial/ethnic distribution

Bellarmine University has approximately 3,293 students enrolled in total. The university has been reported to have below-average racial and ethnic diversity. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Black population and a low number of students of colour (15-19%). The exact racial/ethnic breakdown of the student population is not publicly available. However, the university also has international students from 28 countries, with the majority coming from Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.

The university's faculty also has low racial/ethnic diversity, with a similar breakdown to the student body.

In terms of gender diversity, there are significantly more female students than male students at Bellarmine University. Among undergraduates, 64% are women, and 36% are men. For graduate students, the gender ratio is closer to even, with 58% women and 42% men. Overall, the university has a higher percentage of female students (63%) compared to the US average of 56% for colleges.

The university also has high student age diversity, with 55.63% of students falling within the traditional college-age range of 18-21. This is slightly lower than the national average of 60%.

Age distribution

Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, has an enrollment of around 3,000 students, with a total of 2,970 students enrolled for the 2022-2023 academic year. Of these, 2,426 students were under 25 years old, and 544 students were over 25 years old.

Breaking this down further, there were 2,183 undergraduate students aged under 25 and 160 students aged 25 and over. The graduate program had 243 students under 25 and 384 students aged 25 and above.

The university has seen significant growth since its early years, with enrollment rising from 115 in 1950 to 1,033 in 1959. By the 1980s, enrollment numbers ranged from 2,284 to 2,660. In 2009, enrollment reached a record high of 2,881 students, with more than 700 living on campus. The university's strategic plan, Vision 2020, called for even higher enrollment numbers, aiming to triple the student population.

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