Notre Dame vs NorthWestern

Nestled in the heart of Indiana, the University of Notre Dame, and Northwestern University, situated in the vibrant city of Evanston, Illinois, stand as two beacons of academic excellence. While both institutions share a commitment to providing a rigorous education, they offer distinct experiences that cater to different student aspirations. Notre Dame, steeped in Catholic tradition, boasts a tight-knit community and a strong emphasis on undergraduate teaching, while Northwestern, known for its research prowess, offers a diverse range of graduate programs and a vibrant campus culture. With acceptance rates of 18% and 9%, respectively, these universities attract top students from across the nation. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the nuances that set these prestigious institutions apart, from their popular majors and student body demographics to their graduation rates and notable alumni. Discover which university aligns best with your academic pursuits and personal preferences, embarking on a journey toward success at either of these esteemed establishments.

	Northwestern University	University of Notre Dame
Overview
Location	Evanston, Illinois	Notre Dame, Indiana
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Quarter	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	99.0%	98.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	7.0%	15.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1470 - 1570	1410 - 1550
ACT range	34 - 35	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	43.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	36.0%
Total number of applicants	47,636	23,642
Total number of admissions given out	3,321	3,562
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,086	2,059
Yield rate	62.8%	57.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$83,838	$78,347
Average net price	$29,999	$30,513
Tuition	$60,276	$58,336
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,271 Meal plan: $6,993	$16,304
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	57.0% Average amount $51,087	57.0% Average amount $46,306
Students receiving federal student loan	23.0% Average amount $4,625	30.0% Average amount $4,134
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $38,595	12.0% Average amount $8,564

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,847 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%	8,973 Men 51.6% Women 48.4%
Graduate students	14,562 Men 47.3% Women 52.7%	4,166 Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	93.1%
International students	17.8%	12.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	4,409	6,919
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois California Texas Indiana New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Communication and Journalism Engineering Health Professions Legal Profession	Business Engineering Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	95.2%	95.9%
Dropout rate	4.2%	3.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $150,242 Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $221,242 Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $216,176 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $187,194 Year 2: $170,971 Year 3: $206,288 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $120,709 Year 2: $189,565 Year 3: $194,961 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $162,478 Year 2: $163,561 Year 3: $177,652 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,200 Year 2: $157,779 Year 3: $159,304 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $140,321 Year 2: $141,586 Year 3: $154,556 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,288 Year 2: $118,465 Year 3: $132,325 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,780 Year 2: $111,323 Year 3: $130,124 Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $115,760 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $128,046	Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $124,439 Year 2: $123,601 Year 3: $135,572 Finance and Financial Management Services (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $89,269 Year 2: $89,674 Year 3: $126,773 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $120,074 Year 2: $108,092 Year 3: $123,182 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $87,638 Year 2: $85,243 Year 3: $110,135 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $80,593 Year 2: $89,968 Year 3: $105,831 Mathematics and Statistics, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,224 Year 2: $80,273 Year 3: $99,815 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,618 Year 2: $86,375 Year 3: $95,904 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,178 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $92,866 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,118 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $87,393 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,070 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $85,821

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