University of Notre Dame: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Notre Dame, Indiana · Private nonprofit · Highly selective · CDS 2025-2026
University of Notre Dame is a private nonprofit university in Notre Dame, Indiana that admits about 12% of applicants, making it a highly selective school. The average family pays about $27,823 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Finance and Financial Management Services, Economics and Political Science and Government, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 95% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 6.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Notre Dame is a private institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Notre Dame admits roughly one in four applicants, with an overall admission rate of 12%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1510 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $27,823 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Notre Dame is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about University of Notre Dame right now
The University of Notre Dame admitted 3,320 students out of 35,401 applicants for the Class of 2029, an overall acceptance rate of 9.38%, with a record-low 13% Restrictive Early Action rate from a record 12,917 REA applications. Regular Decision admitted 1,651 of 22,484 applicants at 7.34%. About 92% of admitted students rank in the top 10% of their high school class. The biggest news for parents is the September 2024 launch of Pathways to Notre Dame, a historic financial aid expansion under which Notre Dame became the first selective faith-based university in the U.S. to be need-blind for all students, domestic and international, and eliminated loans from financial aid packages. Beginning in 2026 to 2027, Notre Dame will cover full tuition for undergraduates from families earning under $150,000, and the university already meets 100% of demonstrated need with an average aid package of $67,855 for first-year students with need. Distinctive features include seven undergraduate schools, with the incoming class spread across liberal arts and social sciences (26%), business at Mendoza (26%), science (24%), engineering (21%), and architecture (3%), the only Ivy-caliber Catholic institution in this group, and a residence life system based on lifelong dorm communities rather than Greek life. Robert A. Dowd became president on June 1, 2024. The Campus Crossroads project added 750,000 square feet of student services and academic space, and Notre Dame eliminated coal use in 2019, well ahead of its 2030 carbon target.
What GPA does my child need for University of Notre Dame?
Most admitted students at University of Notre Dame present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Notre Dame weight in admissions?
University of Notre Dame reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Standardized test scores
- • First generation status
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Work experience
SAT and ACT scores University of Notre Dame typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 730–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 730. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1460 |
| 50th percentile | 1500 |
| 75th percentile | 1540 |
| % submitting SAT | % |
| 25th percentile | 33 |
| 50th percentile | 34 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | % |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
How much does University of Notre Dame actually cost?
Published tuition is $62,693 for in-state students and $62,693 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,378 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $27,823 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 12% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | $18,992 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $27,823 |
| Application fee | $85 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Notre Dame
| Regular deadline | Jan 02 |
| Notification date | Apr 01 |
| Reply deadline | May 01 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes (Restrictive) |
| EA deadline | Nov 01 |
Will my child graduate from University of Notre Dame?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of Notre Dame
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Notre Dame, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Finance and Financial Management Services, Economics and Political Science and Government. Across all programs, University of Notre Dame confers roughly 1,291 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $138,141 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 260 | $138,141 |
| Economics | 245 | $120,257 |
| Political Science and Government | 177 | $81,595 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 140 | $149,206 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 132 | — |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | 119 | $130,029 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 116 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 102 | $95,893 |
Is University of Notre Dame safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Notre Dame disclosed 59 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 6.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 10 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of Notre Dame?
About 81% of undergraduates at University of Notre Dame live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Indiana parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Notre Dame
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Notre Dame recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Notre Dame
What GPA do I need for University of Notre Dame?
Most admitted students at University of Notre Dame present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Notre Dame typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 730–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 730. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35.
How much does University of Notre Dame actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Notre Dame after grants and scholarships is $27,823 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Notre Dame realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Notre Dame is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Notre Dame?
University of Notre Dame accepts about 12% of applicants out of roughly 35,401 who apply each year. That makes it a highly selective school.
Is University of Notre Dame test-optional?
Yes. University of Notre Dame is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at University of Notre Dame?
About 95% of students at University of Notre Dame graduate within six years. 98% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of Notre Dame look for in applicants?
University of Notre Dame rates course rigor, class rank, GPA and the application essay as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of Notre Dame a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Notre Dame is a private nonprofit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana.
What are the most popular majors at University of Notre Dame?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Notre Dame by annual graduates are Finance and Financial Management Services, Economics and Political Science and Government. The school awards about 1,291 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Notre Dame safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Notre Dame reported 59 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 6.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of Notre Dame?
At University of Notre Dame, 81% of undergraduates live on campus, 0% of men are in fraternities, 0% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by University of Notre Dame, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.