University of Notre Dame: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
University of Notre Dame is a private nonprofit college in Notre Dame, IN. Students pay about $26,780 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $99,980 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.4 years and adds $406,680 over a decade, ranking it #17 of 918 (top 3%) by value added.
What is University of Notre Dame's acceptance rate?
University of Notre Dame has an acceptance rate of 11.3%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Notre Dame, IN enrolling about 8,818 students, with a 96.0% graduation rate.
How much does University of Notre Dame cost?
University of Notre Dame costs about $26,780 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $126,120. Published sticker cost of attendance is $83,271 per year.
How much do University of Notre Dame graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median University of Notre Dame student earns $99,980 per year. That is $53,280 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is University of Notre Dame worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
University of Notre Dame pays back its roughly $126,120 cost in about 2.4 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $406,680 net of cost, a 4.22x return on the money invested. That ranks it #17 of 918 (top 3%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
University of Notre Dame graduation rate and student debt
96.0% of University of Notre Dame students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $19,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 19% of one year of median graduate earnings.
University of Notre Dame by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How University of Notre Dame compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $26,780 | $20,299 | cheaper than 26% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $99,980 | $54,768 | 98th |
| Graduation rate | 96.0% | 57.0% | 99th |
| Acceptance rate | 11.3% | 75.7% | more selective than 97% |
| 10-yr value added | $406,680 | -$28,192 | 98th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 4.22x | 0.73x | 95th |
| Payback period | 2.4 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 94% |
How University of Notre Dame compares with its nearest rivals
University of Notre Dame ranks #17 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 2 of them cost less per year and 4 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
University of Notre Dame is a private nonprofit college in Notre Dame, IN with 8,818 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $83,271 a year, but the average aided family pays $26,780, a 68% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $19,000, equal to 19% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at University of Notre Dame: 11.3% of applicants are admitted.
- Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ; #16 of 918; 88.2% graduate) costs $14,566 more per year ($41,346 net), and its graduates earn $8,792 more ten years out ($108,772). Stevens Institute of Technology adds $21,656 more ten-year value than University of Notre Dame. Stevens Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 3.1 years.
- Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA; #18 of 918; 88.2% graduate) costs $23,282 more per year ($50,062 net), and its graduates earn $9,203 more ten years out ($109,183). University of Notre Dame adds $1,260 more ten-year value than Santa Clara University. Santa Clara University pays back its cost in 3.5 years.
- Yale University (New Haven, CT; #15 of 918; 96.0% graduate) costs $3,003 less per year ($23,777 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($100,533). Yale University adds $23,567 more ten-year value than University of Notre Dame. Yale University pays back its cost in 2 years.
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA; #19 of 918; 92.9% graduate) costs $13,299 less per year ($13,481 net), and its graduates earn $7,534 less ten years out ($92,446). University of Notre Dame adds $16,144 more ten-year value than University of California-Berkeley. University of California-Berkeley pays back its cost in 1.5 years.
- Cornell University (Ithaca, NY; #14 of 918; 95.3% graduate) costs $1,910 more per year ($28,690 net), and its graduates earn $4,063 more ten years out ($104,043). Cornell University adds $37,990 more ten-year value than University of Notre Dame. Cornell University pays back its cost in 2.2 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | #14 | $28,690 | $104,043 | 95.3% | $444,670 |
| Yale University | #15 | $23,777 | $100,533 | 96.0% | $430,247 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | #16 | $41,346 | $108,772 | 88.2% | $428,336 |
| University of Notre Dame | #17 | $26,780 | $99,980 | 96.0% | $406,680 |
| Santa Clara University | #18 | $50,062 | $109,183 | 88.2% | $405,420 |
| University of California-Berkeley | #19 | $13,481 | $92,446 | 92.9% | $390,536 |
Paying for University of Notre Dame
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is University of Notre Dame worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, University of Notre Dame ranks #17 of 918 (top 3%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 4.22x the money invested over a decade.
Is University of Notre Dame expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $26,780 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 26% of them.
Do University of Notre Dame graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $99,980 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 98% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into University of Notre Dame compared to other colleges?
Its 11.3% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 97% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.