Students at Belmont University achieve particularly strong earnings outcomes, especially low-income graduates who reach the top 20% nationally for ten-year earnings.
The university combines above-average financial returns with excellent loan repayment performance, reflecting solid career preparation and professional networking.
Belmont University delivers strong long-term earnings outcomes that place it well above average among private institutions nationwide. With graduates earning a median of $55,930 ten years after enrollment, the university demonstrates solid return on investment despite higher net prices typical of private education. What makes Belmont distinctive is its combination of specialized program strengths—particularly in nursing, business, and entertainment management—with the personalized attention and professional networks that come with a medium-sized private university environment.
The university serves a more selective student population, with about 18.5% of students receiving Pell Grants and roughly 16% being first-generation college students. While access is more limited than at public institutions, Belmont delivers strong outcomes for the students it enrolls, with a 71.7% six-year graduation rate and particularly impressive earnings for low-income graduates who reach $54,400 at the ten-year mark.
Located in Nashville, Belmont benefits from proximity to major healthcare systems, the entertainment industry, and growing business sectors. The university's focused program portfolio and strong industry connections help explain why graduates achieve above-average earnings despite the institution's specialized rather than comprehensive academic approach.
Belmont University's program portfolio reflects its strategic focus on professional fields with strong industry connections in Nashville. Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management dominates enrollment with 504 graduates, leveraging the city's music and entertainment industry, though early-career earnings of $31,486 reflect the competitive nature of creative fields. Nursing programs, particularly Adult Health Nursing with 204 graduates, deliver much stronger financial returns at $55,026, benefiting from high healthcare demand and Nashville's major medical centers.
Business programs show the highest earnings potential, with Accounting Technology graduates earning $56,415 despite smaller cohort sizes of just 31 students. This pattern reflects Belmont's strength in professional preparation and industry networking. Music performance programs, while central to the university's identity, show more modest early earnings around $19,419 for brass instrument majors, though this reflects broader industry economics rather than program quality.
The university's concentrated approach creates clear pathways to success in specific industries but requires students to align carefully with these dominant fields. Those who match well with nursing, business, or entertainment management typically see strong outcomes, while students in smaller specialized programs may face more variable career trajectories depending on industry conditions and individual networking success.
Belmont University graduates achieve solid long-term financial outcomes, with median earnings of $55,930 ten years after enrollment placing the institution above average nationally. The university's return on investment reflects its strength in professionally-oriented programs that connect directly to Nashville's key industries. Graduates typically see steady earnings growth from the six-year mark ($42,770) through the ten-year horizon, indicating strong career trajectory development.
Program-level outcomes vary significantly across Belmont's specialized portfolio. Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management represents the university's largest program with 504 graduates, though earnings in this field average $31,486 reflecting the competitive nature of creative industries. Nursing programs deliver much stronger financial returns, with Adult Health Nursing graduates earning around $55,026 and benefiting from high demand in Nashville's healthcare market. Business-focused programs like Accounting Technology show the highest early earnings at $56,415, demonstrating the value of Belmont's professional preparation.
The university's concentrated program mix—heavily weighted toward nursing, business, and entertainment fields—creates a focused but somewhat narrow pathway to career success. Students who align well with these dominant fields typically see strong outcomes, while those in smaller programs like music performance may face more challenging early-career earnings around $19,419, though this reflects broader industry patterns rather than institutional shortcomings.
Belmont University operates with the higher cost structure typical of private institutions, though financial aid helps moderate expenses for many families. Low-income students pay about $19,516 annually after aid, while middle-income families see net costs around $27,345 per year. High-income families face the full private university pricing at approximately $42,908 annually, reflecting Belmont's position as a tuition-dependent institution with limited endowment resources for broad-based aid.
The university's affordability profile requires careful family financial planning, particularly given the debt levels many students carry. Federal student loan debt averages $20,500, which is manageable relative to graduate earnings, but Parent PLUS borrowing averages $55,968—a substantial family investment that requires strong household income to service comfortably. The combination of moderate student debt and high parent borrowing reflects Belmont's strategy of keeping student debt reasonable while expecting significant family contribution.
What makes Belmont's costs more sustainable is the strong earnings trajectory graduates achieve and the university's solid loan repayment performance. With 84.6% of borrowers successfully repaying their loans and zero federal loan default rate, the institution demonstrates that its graduates generally achieve sufficient earnings to manage their debt obligations. The investment requires upfront family resources but typically pays off through career outcomes and professional networks.
Belmont University Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
