This Tennessee University Just Entered America’s Top 100 Private Universities For The First Time
A college bell tower here once worked as a water tower, then served as a signal tower during the Civil War. Today it holds the first carillon in Tennessee.
That same campus just landed at No. 99 on the U.S. News & World Report list of top private universities.
It’s the school’s first time cracking the top 100, and I have to admit, that sounds like a pretty sweet birthday present for a place founded in 1890.
The campus sits about two miles from downtown Nashville, close to Music Row. Students play music in cast-iron gazebos, and an 1850 mansion still welcomes visitors for tours.
I find that especially appealing because the history and the music feel so close together. So what exactly pushed this school into such elite company?
No. 99 Never Looked So Good On A Report Card
Rankings rarely make anyone cheer, but this one deserves a little applause. Belmont University earned the No. 99 spot among private universities in the U.S. News and World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings.
The announcement came on September 22, 2026. It marked the first time the Nashville school entered that top 100 group.
The good news didn’t stop there. Belmont also placed No. 25 for Undergraduate Teaching Programs and No. 29 for First-Year Experiences.
It landed at No. 59 for Best Value Schools nationally too. The school earned mentions for nursing, business, veterans, and social mobility as well.
Why does this matter to regular families? Rankings can help students compare schools when choosing where to spend four big years.
A strong teaching score suggests professors really focus on students. Belmont openly puts teaching ahead of heavy research, and the numbers seem to back that choice.
College Factual also ranks Belmont No. 6 in Tennessee for 2027. College Factual also ranked Belmont No. 260 out of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 rankings.
My advice? Treat rankings as a starting point, not the final word.
Still, a first-ever top 100 finish is a pretty loud signal worth hearing.
Good Luck Walking This Campus Without Stopping For Photos
Architectural Digest put this campus at No. 11 on its 2024 list of the 64 prettiest college campuses in America. That’s a big compliment in a country packed with leafy quads.
The 93-acre campus mixes historic charm with modern buildings. The lawn features cast-iron gazebos, statues, and careful landscaping.
Some of those lawn elements date back to 1865. So yes, a few of the decorations are older than most family recipes.
The gazebos aren’t just for show either. Students frequently play music in them, which feels perfect for a school in Music City.
Graduation photos here are a whole thing for good reason. The setting gives photographers plenty of backdrops without leaving the grounds.
Planning a visit? Morning light can make the gardens and white ironwork really pop in pictures.
Comfortable shoes help too. The campus has some hills, and you’ll want to wander more than you planned.
Families touring colleges often judge a school by its first impression. Belmont University makes a strong one before anyone even opens a brochure.
Bring a phone with plenty of storage space. You’ll probably need it.
An 1850 Mansion Sits Right In The Middle Of Campus Life
Plenty of colleges have old buildings. Few have a pre-Civil War mansion that works as a museum open for tours.
Belmont Mansion dates back to 1850. Inside, visitors find Victorian art and furnishings that show how wealthy Nashville families lived long ago.
The university itself grew from this estate. In 1890, Susan Ledley Heron and Ida Emily Hood founded Belmont Women’s College on the mansion grounds.
That means today’s students study right beside the school’s starting point. Not many campuses can point to their birthplace from a dorm window.
I’d be tempted to book a tour just to see the rooms. Historical interpreters guide visitors and share stories about the house and its items.
History fans should add this to any Nashville trip. It pairs nicely with a stroll across the campus lawn afterward.
Here’s a practical tip for families visiting for college tours. Seeing the mansion helps explain why Belmont feels so rooted in its past.
It also gives younger siblings something interesting to do. Victorian furniture beats waiting in an admissions lobby any day.
That Bell Tower Has Had More Jobs Than Most Resumes
First it held water. Then it helped send signals during the Civil War.
Now the Belmont Bell Tower houses a 42-bell carillon, one of only five in Tennessee. A carillon is a musical instrument made of many bells played from a keyboard.
That career path is wild when you think about it. Water storage to military messages to music is quite the glow-up.
The tower fits Belmont’s personality perfectly. The school has deep history, yet it keeps finding fresh ways to use it.
Fun fact for history buffs: Belmont has another early first. In 1922, Ward-Belmont College became home to Nashville’s first radio station, WDAA.
So this campus has been sending out sound for a long time. Bells, radio waves, and now student songs in the gazebos.
When you visit, make the tower a stop on your walking route. It works as an easy landmark if you get turned around on campus.
It also makes a great photo for anyone touring colleges. Few towers come with a backstory this unusual.
Honestly, the tower deserves its own ranking.
Music Row Is Basically The Neighbor Next Door
Brad Paisley graduated from here in 1995. Josh Turner is an alumnus too, and Lee Brice attended the school.
That star power makes sense once you see the map. Belmont University sits close to Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee.
The music business program started back in 1971. Today the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business made Billboard’s 2026 Top Music Business Schools list.
Students can study music business, performance, production and engineering, and entertainment industry studies. The college works with Nashville’s busy music industry to give students real connections.
The College of Music and Performing Arts also shines. The Hollywood Reporter named it among the top 20 music schools in the world in 2024.
Belmont’s School of Music is celebrating its 75th anniversary during the 2026–27 academic year.
Aspiring songwriters, producers, and managers should take note. Learning the business side can matter as much as playing a great song.
The school also launched an Animation and Media Arts degree program. Creative students have more options than just a guitar case and a dream.
Nurses, Lawyers, And Business Whizzes Get Serious Results Here
A 98 percent pass rate on a tough nursing exam is no small feat. Belmont’s 2025 nursing graduates hit that mark on the NCLEX, and all of them ultimately earned licensure.
The Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing also appears among top BSN programs in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Former U.S. Congresswoman Diane Black is a nursing alumna.
Law students have numbers to brag about too. The College of Law reached a 94 percent first-time bar passage rate in Tennessee in 2024.
Business students get something rare. Belmont is the only private college in Tennessee accredited by AACSB International for both business and accounting.
The Jack C. Massey College of Business offers 12 undergraduate majors.
Its accounting programs ranked among the top 50 nationally for 2025.
Medicine joined the lineup recently. The Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine building opened in Fall 2024.
Overall, Belmont offers more than 190 programs across 12 colleges. Students can explore before picking a path.
And 97 percent of graduates report positive career outcomes. Parents tend to love that statistic.
Showtime Gets A Seriously Fancy Stage
At 150,000 square feet, the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts is not some tiny auditorium. It’s a full performance venue on the Belmont campus.
The space hosts concerts and touring shows that draw the public, not just students. That makes it a fun reason to visit even without a college tour planned.
Sports fans have their own stage. The Curb Event Center opened in 2003 and serves as a home for big events and athletics.
Belmont’s teams are called the Bruins. They compete in NCAA Division I within the Missouri Valley Conference.
One quirky detail stands out. The men’s tennis team plays in the Horizon League instead.
The Curb Event Center has hosted history too. Belmont welcomed U.S. presidential debates in 2008 and 2020.
Hosting the nation’s attention twice is pretty impressive. Not many campuses get that kind of spotlight.
Want to make the most of a visit? Check the event calendar before you go and catch a show or game.
A tour plus a performance makes for a memorable Nashville day.
Climbing Walls And Coffee Shops Keep Students Fueled
Picture study breaks that involve scaling a rock wall. At the Beaman Student Life Center, that’s an actual option.
The center includes a fitness area with strength training, cardio machines, and aerobics and dance spaces. It also has two racquetball courts and a recreational gym.
Students can grab snacks at the convenience store inside. Organization offices and plenty of gathering spots make it a natural hangout hub.
Bookworms have a home base too. The Lila D. Bunch Library offers four floors, seating for about 500 students, study rooms, and an art gallery.
It even has a casual spot called Bruin Grounds. Studying goes better with a snack nearby.
The Jack C. Massey Center adds Bruin Bites Cafe and open-air study spaces.
It’s also where the admissions center lives, so many visits start there.
Housing options include Belmont Commons. It offers 30 fully furnished, four-bedroom townhouses.
Touring families should peek inside these buildings, not just walk past. Daily life matters as much as rankings.
After all, nobody spends four years living inside a brochure.
Plan Your Visit Before Everyone Else Hears The News
Record crowds are already here. The Fall 2026 semester opened with the largest first-day enrollment in Belmont history.
Nearly 9,000 students attend, coming from all 50 states and over 30 countries. The school keeps growing, with a 700 million dollar Hope Transforms campaign underway.
Belmont University sits at 1900 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212. Downtown Nashville is just about two miles away.
Offices typically open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Weekends are closed for most office business, so plan tours on weekdays.
The school has changed names and shapes over time. It became Ward-Belmont College in 1913, Belmont College in 1951, and Belmont University in 1991.
Recent additions include the O’More College of Architecture & Design and the Watkins College of Art. The family tree keeps branching.
Belmont remains a Christ-centered, student-focused community. Student retention sits at 87 percent, which says plenty about how students feel.
Tennessee has many good colleges, but only one just made this first top 100 leap. I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see why.