Notre Dame: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, Indiana · Private nonprofit · Most selective · CDS 2025-2026
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Test-optional
- Restrictive Early Action
- 35,401
- Applicants
- 3,320
- Admitted9%
- 2,118
- Enrolled
- 64%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Most selective9% admittedRanked #20 (tie) in National Universities; Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs #42 (tie), Business Programs #15 (tie), Computer Science #44 (tie), Economics #36 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by University of Notre Dame (see the source), read on 2026-10-21. The admission-factor grid was re-read from that file to confirm each weighting.
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Notre Dame is a private nonprofit university in Notre Dame, Indiana that admits about 9% of applicants, making it a most selective school. The average family pays about $26,780 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.
Notre Dame is a private institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Notre Dame admits fewer than 1 in 10 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 9%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1500 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $26,780 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What parents should know about 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 Notre Dame?
Successful applicants to Notre Dame typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
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What does Notre Dame weight in admissions?
Notre Dame reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
9- Rigor of secondary school record
- Class rank
- Academic GPA
- Application essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurricular activities
- Talent/ability
- Character/personal qualities
- Volunteer work
Important
3- Standardized test scores
- First generation status
- Religious affiliation/commitment
Considered
4- Alumni/ae relation
- Geographical residence
- State residency
- Work experience
SAT and ACT scores Notre Dame typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 735–790, 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.
- • Test-optional for fall 2027 entry. SAT or ACT will be REQUIRED for fall 2028 applicants.
- • Changing for 2027-2028 applicants: tests will be required.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on Notre Dame's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 92% |
| Top 25% of class | 100% |
| Top 50% of class | 100% |
| % submitting class rank | % |
How much does Notre Dame actually cost?
Published tuition is $65,025 for in-state students and $65,025 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,900 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $26,780 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $69,280 |
| Room and board | $18,992 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $26,780 |
| Share of financial need metaverage, for students with need | 100% |
| Average need-based grant | $60,952 |
| Average merit award, no financial need43 first-year students received one | $16,616 |
| Graduates who borrowed | 32% |
| Average debt at graduationamong those who borrowed | $27,861 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA and CSS Profile (incl. noncustodial parent)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $85 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Notre Dame
| Regular deadline | 1/2 |
| Notification date | 4/1 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes (Restrictive) |
| EA deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from Notre Dame?
These predict outcomes at Notre Dame better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at Notre Dame
The most popular undergraduate programs at 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, 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. What these figures mean
| 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 | n/a |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | 119 | $130,029 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 116 | n/a |
| Mechanical Engineering | 102 | $95,893 |
Is Notre Dame safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), 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. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
What is campus life like at Notre Dame?
About 81% of undergraduates at 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
Next steps for Notre Dame
Common questions parents ask about Notre Dame
What GPA do I need for Notre Dame?
Successful applicants to Notre Dame typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
What SAT or ACT score does Notre Dame typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 735–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 730. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35.
How much does Notre Dame actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Notre Dame after grants and scholarships is $26,780 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $65,025. Budget against the net figure.
Is Notre Dame realistic for my child?
Notre Dame admits 9% of applicants, so 735–790 SAT Math is target range and below 735 is a reach. Then check the $26,780 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at Notre Dame?
Notre Dame accepts about 9% of applicants out of roughly 35,401 who apply each year. That makes it a most selective school.
Is Notre Dame test-optional?
Yes. Notre Dame is test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered. That changes for the 2027-2028 cycle, when tests become required.
What is the graduation rate at Notre Dame?
About 95% of students at Notre Dame graduate within six years, and 90% finish in four years. 98% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Notre Dame look for in applicants?
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 Notre Dame a public or private school, and where is it located?
Notre Dame is a private nonprofit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana.
What are the most popular majors at Notre Dame?
The largest undergraduate majors at 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 Notre Dame safe? What is its campus crime rate?
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 Notre Dame?
At 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.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by University of Notre Dame, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers