University of Notre Dame: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

University of Notre Dame

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Notre Dame is a private Catholic research university with an acceptance rate of 15.8%. Located near South Bend, Indiana, Notre Dame is about 90 miles east of Chicago. The university's 1,250 acre campus has two lakes and 137 buildings including Main Building with its recognizable Golden Dome. In athletics, many Notre Dame Fighting Irish teams compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. Notre Dame accepts the Common Application, the Coalition Application, and the Questbridge Application for admission.

Considering applying to Notre Dame? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, the University of Notre Dame had an acceptance rate of 15.8%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 15 students were admitted, making Notre Dame's admissions process highly competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 22,199
Percent Admitted 15.8%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 58%

SAT Scores and Requirements

Notre Dame requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 42% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 680 760
Math 720 790
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of Notre Dame's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Notre Dame scored between 680 and 760, while 25% scored below 680 and 25% scored above 760. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 720 and 790, while 25% scored below 720 and 25% scored above 790. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1550 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Notre Dame.

Requirements

Notre Dame does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that Notre Dame participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject test scores are not required but may be submitted if you believe they will improve your overall application.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Notre Dame requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 58% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Composite 32 35

This admissions data tells us that most of Notre Dame's admitted students fall within the top 3% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Notre Dame received a composite ACT score between 32 and 35, while 25% scored above 35 and 25% scored below 32.

Requirements

Notre Dame does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, Notre Dame superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

Notre Dame does not provide data about admitted students' high school GPAs. In 2019, 90% of admitted students who provided data indicated that they ranked in the top tenth of their high school class.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

University of Notre Dame Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
University of Notre Dame Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Notre Dame. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

The University of Notre Dame has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, Notre Dame has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule which includes AP, IB, and Honors coursework. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside Notre Dame's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green data points represent accepted students. You can see that the majority of admitted students had GPAs in the "A" range, SAT scores of about 1300 or higher (ERW+M), and ACT composite scores of 28 or above. However, many students with high GPAs and test scores still are rejected from Notre Dame. If your academic record includes more than a few "B" grades and your standardized test scores aren't stellar, you should consider Notre Dame a reach school.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Notre Dame University Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "University of Notre Dame: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/notre-dame-gpa-sat-act-data-786727. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 28). University of Notre Dame: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/notre-dame-gpa-sat-act-data-786727 Grove, Allen. "University of Notre Dame: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/notre-dame-gpa-sat-act-data-786727 (accessed March 28, 2024).