Notre Dame admits approximately 12% of applicants. The average admitted student has a 4.06 weighted GPA. Notre Dame has one of the highest retention and graduation rates in the country, which reflects its academically homogeneous and committed student body.
University of Notre Dame is one of the most prestigious private universities in the country and the most well-known Catholic research university globally. The 12% acceptance rate puts it in the highly selective tier. The average admitted student has approximately 4.06 weighted GPA with 97% of admitted students ranking in the top 10% of their high school class. Notre Dame's admissions process gives some consideration to Catholic school and faith background, but academic excellence remains the primary driver.
College of Arts and Letters: Most accessible path into Notre Dame. 3.9+ unweighted with strong rigor typical.
Mendoza College of Business: Among the best undergraduate business programs in the country. 3.9+ unweighted with strong quantitative performance and leadership achievement typical.
College of Engineering: Competitive. 3.9-4.0+ unweighted with strong math and science AP coursework typical.
College of Science: Competitive. Pre-med tracks at Notre Dame are rigorous. 3.9+ unweighted with strong science performance typical.
Below 3.8 at Notre Dame is a significant challenge given the 12% acceptance rate and the high academic profile of the admitted class. Notre Dame's holistic process does consider the full applicant profile, but the academic floor is very high. Legacy status and Catholic background can provide marginal advantages at the edges of the admit pool.
Notre Dame's academic culture is intense. The university has famously high graduation rates which reflects strong institutional support, but the coursework is genuinely demanding. Building structured study habits from the first week is essential to maintaining the GPA that qualified you for admission. StudyEdge AI builds your weekly study plan from your syllabi, tracks your grades in real time, and generates practice exams for your specific courses.
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