Belmont University College of Law
Nashville, Tennessee · Private · ABA-approved since 2013 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Belmont University College of Law is a private law school in Nashville, Tennessee, approved by the American Bar Association since 2013. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 161, higher than 57% of ABA-approved schools, saw 96.5% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 87.3% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 16.6 points above the average for the states where its graduates sat.
- A median scholarship of $40,710, larger than at 95% of schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Belmont University received 1,337 completed applications and made 503 offers, an acceptance rate of 37.6%. 136 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 158 | 161 | 163 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.66 | 3.84 | 3.94 |
A quarter of the class scored 158 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 163 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 161, is in the stronger half of this class; one below the 25th percentile is a long shot unless something else in the file stands out.
Where would your numbers fall in this class?
Enter an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. We compare them with the class that entered in fall 2025. This shows where your numbers sit, not your chances: admissions offices read the whole file.
Tuition, living costs and scholarships
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $57,705 a year. That is more than 65% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $32,026 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $55,500 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $2,205 |
| Living costs, on campus | $32,026 |
| Living costs, off campus | $32,026 |
| Living costs, at home | $32,026 |
In 2024-25, 62% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $40,710, and the middle half of awards ran from $27,140 to $54,280. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $16,995 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary and some students get nothing.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 9% |
| Half to full tuition | 24% |
| Full tuition | 28% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Belmont University awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 47 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 10 had it reduced or eliminated (21%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 11 of 55. Ask any school that offers you one exactly what you must do to keep it.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $269,193. With the median scholarship every year, about $147,063. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 114 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 110 passed: 96.5%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 79.9%, so the school finished a full 16.6 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 98 | 95 | 96.9% | 79.7% |
| 14 other jurisdictions | 16 | 15 | 93.8% | 81.2% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 112 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 111 had passed one within two years: 99.1%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 118 2025 graduates, 103 (87.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 3 more (2.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 3 (2.5%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 118 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 13 (11%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Tennessee (93), followed by Arizona (2) and Georgia (2).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 13 first-year students left Belmont University: 8 for academic reasons (6%) and 5 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (3%).
Transfers run both ways: 1 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Belmont University offered 73 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 62% had fewer than 25 students and 4% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 4 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 4 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 138 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 694 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 9 |
The school reports 23 full-time faculty and 32 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 372 J.D. students, that is about 16 students per full-time faculty member.
How Belmont University compares in Tennessee
Tennessee has 5 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Belmont University ranks 3rd in median LSAT, first in first-time bar passage, 3rd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 4th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 170 | $78,799 | 94.6% | 98.2% |
| University of Tennessee | 164 | $20,562 | 85.6% | 88.7% |
| Belmont University | 161 | $57,705 | 96.5% | 87.3% |
| University of Memphis | 155 | $21,228 | 72.6% | 79.8% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 153 | $48,861 | 78.7% | 74.5% |
More on each, and on the Tennessee bar exam: law schools in Tennessee.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Belmont University's, so an applicant who fits here is likely to be a similar fit there. Compare what each costs and how its graduates fare.
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont University | 161 | 3.84 | $57,705 | 96.5% | 87.3% |
| University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | 162 | 3.85 | $26,865 | 94.2% | 91.3% |
| Florida International University Miami, FL | 161 | 3.80 | $21,129 | 85.9% | 84.1% |
| University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE | 160 | 3.81 | $18,102 | 84.9% | 86% |
| University of San Diego San Diego, CA | 163 | 3.84 | $67,751 | 86.7% | 88.6% |
| University of Connecticut Hartford, CT | 162 | 3.78 | $31,600 | 82.8% | 81.7% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Belmont University College of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 161, with the middle half scoring 158 to 163. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.84. The school accepted 37.6% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Belmont University College of Law?
96.5% of Belmont University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 79.9%. Within two years of graduating, 99.1% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Belmont University College of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $57,705 a year. Most students pay less: 62% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $40,710.
Do Belmont University College of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 87.3% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 2.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 2.5% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Belmont University College of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Belmont University College of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 2013, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.