Bellarmine University is one of the nation's best colleges, according to The Princeton Review. The rating is based in part on a survey measuring student satisfaction with Bellarmine's academics and campus life.
Yesterday, the education services company released the 2020 edition of its college guide, "
The Best 385 colleges." Only 13% of U.S. colleges qualify for
inclusion in the book, based on demonstrated academic excellence and 140,000 student survey responses.
"Bellarmine's inclusion on The Princeton Review's list of the top U.S. universities is meaningful because it focuses on our students' evaluation of their academic and campus life experiences at Bellarmine," said Dr. Paul Gore, Bellarmine's vice president
for academic affairs and provost. “According to the survey, Bellarmine students know their professors care about their success, they understand how their classroom experiences will connect them to their career goals, and they’re deeply
involved in the life of our campus and our city.”
The publication contains a
two-page profile of Bellarmine (PDF), which includes quotes that the book's editors selected
from the surveys of Bellarmine students:
Campus Life
- Bellarmine offers "a niche, club or activity for everyone" and "encourages and supports any club a student would like to create."
- Students "hang around Café Ogle in between classes, sipping on coffee and working on their laptops."
- "Most all the athletes are also amazing students."
Academic Excellence
- Bellarmine has a "superb teaching staff," offering a "challenging but rewarding" academic experience.
- "Insightful and dedicated [professors] want their students to pass their class with as much knowledge as possible."
- Career Development efforts "really [establish] an ability to grow closer to future employers," including professors who "help you find internships and jobs."
Commitment to Equity and Inclusion
- Bellarmine is "welcoming to every single person and makes an effort to include everyone."
- "We are exposed to different cultures and customs from around the world seeing that our student body is so diverse."
Experiencing Louisville
- Student Affairs offers "free tickets to events or places around Louisville, such as to Dracula at Actors Theatre, a day at Kentucky Kingdom, or a day horseback riding."
"We salute Bellarmine University for its outstanding academics and we are truly pleased to recommend it to prospective applicants searching for their personal ‘best-fit’ college," said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief
and lead author of "The Best 385 Colleges."
According to the publisher, the annual guide of best colleges -- first published in 1992 -- is intended to help prospective students and their families find schools that fit academically, socially and financially.