UIC vs. Notre Dame vs. Northwestern

Should I go to University of Illinois at Chicago or University of Notre Dame? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UIC 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.
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University of Illinois at Chicago vs. University of Notre Dame vs. Northwestern University comparison
University of Illinois at Chicago University of Notre Dame Northwestern University College 4
University of Illinois at Chicago University of Notre Dame Northwestern University
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Overview

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
Location Chicago, IL Notre Dame, IN Evanston, IL
Setting Large City Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 33,522 13,174 23,203
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #198 #31 #16
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website uic.edu nd.edu northwestern.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
Tuition (In State) $11,178 $62,186 $64,887
Tuition (Out of State) $26,200 $62,186 $64,887
Room & Board $14,600 $17,378 $20,334
Avg Net Price $11,499 $29,083 $23,341
Avg Grant Aid $15,421 $51,128 $64,463
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 59% 52%

Admission

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
Applied 25,420 28,353 51,769
Admitted 19,955 3,510 3,703
Acceptance Rate 78.5% 12.4% 7.2%
Enrolled % 23.3% 59.1% 57%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.91 3.92
Typical High School Grades B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 25/32 33/35 33/35
SAT Range 1120/1340 1440/1540 1490/1560
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
Graduation Rate 54% 96% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $89,800 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 92% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $21,500 $19,378
Median Loan Payment $193 $222 $200

Diversity

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
% Men 14% 18% 27%
% Women 20% 14% 33%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium High
HBCU No No No
% White 34% 69% 50%
% Black 8% 4% 6%
% Hispanic 28% 11% 12%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4% 5%
% International 2% 6% 8%
% Unknown Race 2% 1% 2%

Students

 UIC Notre Dame Northwestern
% In-State 89% 6% 22%
% Out-of-State 4% 83% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than Notre Dame based on total student enrollment (33,522 students vs. 13,174 students)

UIC vs. Notre Dame Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UIC or Notre Dame ?

  • University of Notre Dame is 456.3% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($62,186.00 vs. $11,178.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 137.4% higher at Notre Dame than University of Illinois at Chicago ($62,186.00 vs. $26,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than Notre Dame ($11,499 vs. $29,083)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Chicago are 19% lower than costs at University of Notre Dame ($14,600 vs. $17,378)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than University of Notre Dame (72% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Notre Dame students is 231.5% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Chicago ($51,128 vs. $15,421)

UIC vs. Notre Dame Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Notre Dame (1455) is 363 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming Notre Dame students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman Notre Dame students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than Notre Dame (12.4%)

UIC vs. Notre Dame Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UIC 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 UIC.

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (96% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Notre Dame earn on average $27,900 more per year than UIC graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $61,900)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame graduates. ($18,750 vs. $21,500)
  • UIC graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame graduates. ($193 vs. $222)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 68%)

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