Northwestern vs. Notre Dame

Should I go to Northwestern University or University of Notre Dame? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northwestern or Notre Dame is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Georgetown UChicago Duke Vanderbilt WUSTL Johns Hopkins Cornell Villanova Michigan Purdue Stanford Loyola
Northwestern University vs. University of Notre Dame comparison
Northwestern University University of Notre Dame College 3 College 4
Northwestern University University of Notre Dame
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Northwestern Notre Dame
Location Evanston, IL Notre Dame, IN
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 23,161 13,105
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #15 #31
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website northwestern.edu nd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northwestern Notre Dame
Tuition (In State) $62,391 $59,794
Tuition (Out of State) $62,391 $59,794
Room & Board $19,440 $16,710
Avg Net Price $22,095 $28,474
Avg Grant Aid $61,716 $49,859
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 57%

Admission

Northwestern Notre Dame
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 51,261 26,509
Admitted 3,695 3,421
Acceptance Rate 7.2% 12.9%
Enrolled % 55.2% 59.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.91
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 33/35 32/35
SAT Range 1490/1570 1450/1550
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2024 Jan 1, 2024

Academics

Northwestern Notre Dame
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Northwestern Notre Dame
Graduation Rate 94% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,378 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $200 $222

Diversity

Northwestern Notre Dame
% Men 46% 53%
% Women 54% 47%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 50% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 12% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 8% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Northwestern Notre Dame
% In-State 22% 6%
% Out-of-State 67% 84%

Campus

Northwestern Notre Dame
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than Notre Dame based on total student enrollment (23,161 students vs. 13,105 students)

Northwestern vs. Notre Dame Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or Notre Dame ?

  • Northwestern University is 4.3% more expensive to attend than Notre Dame for in-state tuition ($62,391.00 vs. $59,794.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.3% higher at Northwestern than University of Notre Dame ($62,391.00 vs. $59,794.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than Notre Dame ($22,095 vs. $28,474)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Notre Dame are 16.3% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($16,710 vs. $19,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Notre Dame than Northwestern University (57% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 23.8% larger than aid received University of Notre Dame ($61,716 vs. $49,859)

Northwestern vs. Notre Dame Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Northwestern or Notre Dame ? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Notre Dame or Northwestern .

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 5 points higher than at Notre Dame (1455)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Notre Dame (33)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Notre Dame (3.91)
  • Notre Dame has a higher acceptance rate (12.9%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

Northwestern vs. Notre Dame Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern or Notre Dame ? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Notre Dame and Northwestern.

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than Northwestern University (96% vs. 94%)
  • Graduates of Northwestern University and Notre Dame have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($89,800 vs. $89,800)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $2,122 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame graduates. ($19,378 vs. $21,500)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame graduates. ($200 vs. $222)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 87%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/