How to get into University of Notre Dame

How to get into Notre Dame: Catholic identity is a real factor

11.3%

Acceptance rate

$65,025

In-state cost

What makes University of Notre Dame admissions different

Notre Dame is the most explicitly Catholic top US university. Roughly 80% of students identify as Catholic and the school's culture, mission, and admissions are deeply shaped by it. Non-Catholic applicants can absolutely get in (and many do), but applications that don't engage with Notre Dame's mission or community read as misaligned.

What an actually competitive application looks like

  1. 1.

    Address Notre Dame's mission and community in your 'why' supplement. Service, faith, leadership for the common good — these aren't optional themes.

  2. 2.

    Show service that's sustained, not resume-building. Catholic-school service trips, parish work, Habitat for Humanity, etc. matter.

  3. 3.

    Maintain 3.9+ GPA, 1480+ SAT / 33+ ACT.

  4. 4.

    Apply Restrictive Early Action — slight acceptance bump and Notre Dame respects demonstrated interest.

  5. 5.

    Get a teacher recommendation that speaks to character and ethics, not just academic performance.

Common mistakes that hurt applicants here

  • ✕

    Skipping engagement with Notre Dame's Catholic identity in essays. Even non-Catholic applicants need to show they understand the community they'd be joining.

  • ✕

    Treating Notre Dame like a backup to top private schools. The culture is different and admissions reads for fit.

  • ✕

    Underestimating the Mendoza College of Business — among the top business programs and competitive within Notre Dame.

If you're on the bubble

Notre Dame admissions are unusually fit-driven. Applicants with median stats who connect authentically with Notre Dame's mission have stronger odds than the headline 12% acceptance rate suggests. The reverse: high-stat applicants with no service or mission engagement underperform here.

Next steps

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Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.

KidToCollege is free to use and editorially independent. Data sourced from public records including IPEDS, Common Data Sets, College Board and FAFSA.gov. Always verify deadlines and requirements directly with institutions. Not a guarantee of admission or financial aid.