Bellarmine is Kentucky’s highest-ranked private institution in its category 

Bellarmine University ranks No. 26 among regional universities in the South, according to the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, making it the highest-ranked private institution in Kentucky in that category. 

Among Southern regional universities, Bellarmine also ranks No. 10 for Best Value, No. 14 among Top Private Colleges and No. 11 among Best Colleges for Veterans. The university appears this year in a new overall U.S. News category, so its No. 26 institutional ranking cannot be directly compared with last year’s ranking. 

“This recognition reflects what matters most about a Bellarmine education – helping students thrive while they are here and preparing them to lead successful, meaningful lives after graduation,” said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine’s president. “We remain focused on making an exceptional private education accessible and delivering the personal support, academic experiences, and career preparation that help our students succeed.” 

Bellarmine’s academic programs also showed significant year-over-year gains in nationwide rankings. Bellarmine improved compared to last year in each of the three undergraduate program rankings included in the university’s 2027 U.S. News data: 

  • Psychology climbed 132 places, from No. 568 to No. 436 in the nation. 
  • Nursing rose 49 places, from No. 385 to No. 336. Bellarmine is the highest-ranked private Kentucky institution appearing in the national undergraduate Nursing ranking. 
  • Business went up 25 places, from No. 370 to No. 345, tying for the largest year-over-year improvement among Kentucky institutions appearing in the undergraduate Business ranking. 

The rankings also highlight measures tied closely to Bellarmine’s focus on student success and career readiness. Bellarmine has a 71% six-year graduation rate – the highest among Kentucky institutions in Regional Universities South – compared with a U.S. News predicted graduation rate of 67%. Bellarmine also ranks No. 20 on U.S. News’ earnings-by-major measure within the category. 

Bellarmine’s No. 10 Best Value ranking reinforces the university’s focus on affordability and access. The results complement Bellarmine’s Carnegie classification as an Opportunity College – Higher Access, Higher Earnings, which recognizes institutions that provide strong access to students while producing competitive earnings outcomes for graduates. 

U.S. News evaluates colleges and universities using measures of academic quality and student outcomes. 

For more information about the U.S. News rankings, visit Bellarmine’s profile.