Belmont University

No — Belmont is not very selective. It admitted about 94% of applicants in the most recent cycle, roughly 8,561 offers out of 9,140 applications, with about 1,787 students enrolling. The bigger factor is academic fit: admitted first-years average around a 3.89 GPA, and the rigor of your course load and your grades are the two most heavily weighted parts of the review.

Enrolled first-years at Belmont average about a 3.89 high school GPA, so a strong A-/A record is the norm. Among the 19% who reported a class rank, roughly 36% were in the top tenth and 64% in the top quarter of their graduating class. There is no hard cutoff, and both academic GPA and the rigor of your courses are weighed as very important factors.

No — Belmont is test-optional, so you can apply without scores and decide whether to send them. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1160–1360 on the SAT and 24–30 on the ACT. Scores are only 'considered' when submitted, behind grades and course rigor in the review.

Yes — a 1260 sits right at the median for Belmont. The middle 50% of enrolled first-years who submitted scores ranged from 1160 to 1360 on the SAT (24–30 ACT), so a 1260 lands squarely in the middle. Because Belmont is test-optional, you only need to send a score if it strengthens your application.

Getting admitted to the university is broadly accessible at about a 94% acceptance rate, and the academic application is the main bar. Visual and performing arts is Belmont's signature strength and its single largest field, accounting for roughly 35% of all bachelor's degrees. Many of its music and theatre tracks add a separate audition or portfolio review on top of the general application, so plan to prepare for that step if you're targeting a performance program.

Tuition and required fees run about $45,200 per year, with food and housing adding roughly $16,130 on top. About 61% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, with an average need-based package near $37,665, and Belmont meets about 78% of demonstrated financial need on average.

Visual and performing arts is by far the most popular field at about 35% of bachelor's degrees, reflecting Belmont's identity in Music City. Business and marketing (about 11%), interdisciplinary studies (8%), the health professions (8%), and communication technologies (7%) round out the largest areas.

Yes, though it sits below grades in the review. Belmont rates the application essay as a 'considered' factor, while academic GPA and the rigor of your high school record are weighed as very important and recommendations as important. With a test-optional policy and an academics-first review, a specific, well-revised essay is a clear place to show fit beyond your transcript.

Esslo gives free line-by-line feedback on your draft. Try it now