Illinois vs. Notre Dame

Should I go to University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign or University of Notre Dame? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Illinois 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 Urbana Champaign vs. University of Notre Dame comparison
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign University of Notre Dame College 3 College 4
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign University of Notre Dame
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Overview

 Illinois Notre Dame
Location Champaign, IL Notre Dame, IN
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 56,563 13,174
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #120 #31
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website illinois.edu nd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Illinois Notre Dame
Tuition (In State) $12,712 $62,186
Tuition (Out of State) $31,208 $62,186
Room & Board $13,938 $17,378
Avg Net Price $14,297 $29,083
Avg Grant Aid $17,524 $51,128
% Receiving Grant Aid 48% 59%

Admission

 Illinois Notre Dame
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 67,398 28,353
Admitted 29,446 3,510
Acceptance Rate 43.7% 12.4%
Enrolled % 28.3% 59.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.79 3.91
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 29/34 33/35
SAT Range 1270/1510 1440/1540
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 5, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Illinois Notre Dame
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 Illinois Notre Dame
Graduation Rate 82% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,500 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $211 $222

Diversity

 Illinois Notre Dame
% Men 21% 18%
% Women 16% 14%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 48% 69%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 16% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Illinois Notre Dame
% In-State 73% 6%
% Out-of-State 12% 83%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is larger than than Notre Dame based on total student enrollment (56,563 students vs. 13,174 students)

Illinois vs. Notre Dame Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Illinois or Notre Dame ?

  • University of Notre Dame is 389.2% more expensive to attend than Illinois for in-state tuition ($62,186.00 vs. $12,712.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 99.3% higher at Notre Dame than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($62,186.00 vs. $31,208.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign than Notre Dame ($14,297 vs. $29,083)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign are 24.7% lower than costs at University of Notre Dame ($13,938 vs. $17,378)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Notre Dame than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (59% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Notre Dame students is 191.8% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($51,128 vs. $17,524)

Illinois vs. Notre Dame Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Notre Dame (1455) is 150 points higher than at Illinois (1305)
  • Incoming Notre Dame students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Illinois (29)
  • Accepted freshman Notre Dame students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Illinois (3.79)
  • Illinois has a higher acceptance rate (43.7%) than Notre Dame (12.4%)

Illinois vs. Notre Dame Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Illinois 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 Illinois.

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (96% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of Notre Dame earn on average $23,300 more per year than Illinois graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $66,500)
  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame graduates. ($20,500 vs. $21,500)
  • Illinois graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame graduates. ($211 vs. $222)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Illinois students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 78%)

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