Admit rate has ranged 12%–19% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
The University of Notre Dame is a powerhouse of Catholic intellectual tradition, undergraduate teaching, and football-fueled school spirit. With a fiercely loyal alumni network, a top-ranked business program, and a residential system that rivals Hogwarts for camaraderie, Notre Dame offers a distinctive blend of academic rigor, faith-based community, and career outcomes that compete with the Ivy League.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
8,818
In-state tuition
$65,025
Out-of-state tuition
$65,025
Acceptance Rate
9% (Class of 2029)
Catholic Students
82%
Residential Halls
33 single-sex communities
Student-Faculty Ratio
9:1
4-Year Graduation Rate
97%
Average Starting Salary
$80,000
Need-Based Aid Recipients
70%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$99,980
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.7×
Median debt at graduation
$19,000
Graduation rate
95%
First-year retention
99%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
93%
Pell (lower-income) share
30%
First-generation share
10%
Endowment / student
$2,069,100
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer and Information Sciences, General$89,968
Finance and Financial Management Services$86,375
Mathematics and Statistics, Other$80,273
Computer Engineering$79,598
Chemical Engineering$76,460
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
8
Per 1,000 students
0.91
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
88
Summer high
81°F
Winter low
23°F
Annual rain
43.7"
Annual snow
33.1"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
747
Scholarly works
99,051
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Future-scholar output
Humanities & social-science PhDstop 35 nationally
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
0.9%
Bottom → top quintile
62%
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at University of Notre Dame?
University of Notre Dame's acceptance rate is approximately 11% (Notre Dame, IN), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for University of Notre Dame?
Admitted students at University of Notre Dame typically score 1455–1560 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does University of Notre Dame cost?
At University of Notre Dame, the average net price (after aid) is about $26,780 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend University of Notre Dame?
University of Notre Dame enrolls approximately 8,818 undergraduate students.
Where is University of Notre Dame located?
University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, IN.
Admissions
Notre Dame's admissions process is brutally selective, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. plummeting to 9% for the Class of 2029 (from a record 35,401 applicants). The middle 50% SAT range is 1470-1540, and ACT scores fall between 33-35. Demographically, the enrolled class is 52% male, 48% female, with 82% identifying as Catholic and 20% first-generation or Pell-eligible. The university emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone. but clearly rewards academic superstars—94% of admitted students rank in the top 10% of their high school class.
Notre Dame punches above its weight academically, ranked by U.S. News with particular strength in undergraduate teaching (#10). The Mendoza College of Business is frequently cited as "" for networking and prestige, while economics dominates as the most popular major. With a and , ND combines intimate mentorship with rigorous scholarship. The core curriculum emphasizes Catholic intellectual tradition, offering unique programs like Catholic Social Tradition and Theology.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$75,518
Management Information Systems and Services$74,307
Mechanical Engineering$71,320
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
From bottom quintile
1%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Dorm life is the heartbeat of Notre Dame—100% of freshmen and 80%+ of upperclassmen live in single-sex residence halls, which function like cross between families and fraternities (minus Greek life, which ND bans). Students rave about "dorm pride" shaping their social identity, with traditions like SYR (formal dances) and inter-hall rivalries. The Catholic ethos permeates campus: Mass is widely attended, and faith-based service organizations thrive. However, critiques of limited racial diversity persist (the student body is predominantly white and affluent).
Notre Dame delivers jaw-dropping ROI: 98% of graduates secure jobs, grad school, or service work within six months, with a median starting salary of $80,000. The four-year graduation rate is an Ivy-comparable 97%, among the top 5% nationally. The university's alumni network—particularly in finance, consulting, and tech—rivals elite coastal schools, with graduates flooding firms like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Google.
At $69,280 for tuition (plus $514 in fees), Notre Dame isn't cheap—but it's generous with Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements.. 70% of undergrads receive financial assistance, with a median scholarship of $64,200 for first-years. The average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. after aid is $28,325, and ND proudly avoids loans in its aid packages, offering grants instead. For middle-class families, it often ends up cheaper than public flagships.
Notre Dame is the rare school that blends top-20 academics, D1 sports mania, and Catholic mission into a cohesive identity. Its residential system fosters unparalleled loyalty (alums donate at rates exceeding the Ivy League), while Mendoza Business and engineering pipelines offer Wall Street and Silicon Valley credibility. For students who thrive on tradition, community, and football Saturdays, ND delivers an experience unmatched by secular elites—but the homogeneity and conservative lean aren't for everyone.
University of Notre Dame logo · sourceCampus Tour | University of Notre Dame · sourceMain Building | Locations | Campus Tour | University of Notre Dame · sourceNotre Dame Campus Crossroads - College Football Stadium Renovation · source
