Notre Dame vs. Harvard

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

Notre Dame Harvard
Location Notre Dame, IN Cambridge, MA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 13,105 30,631
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #31 #4
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nd.edu harvard.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Notre Dame Harvard
Tuition (In State) $59,794 $52,659
Tuition (Out of State) $59,794 $52,659
Room & Board $16,710 $19,502
Avg Net Price $28,474 $19,491
Avg Grant Aid $49,859 $61,801
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 56%

Admission

Notre Dame Harvard
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 26,509 61,221
Admitted 3,421 1,984
Acceptance Rate 12.9% 3.2%
Enrolled % 59.5% 83%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 34/36
SAT Range 1450/1550 1490/1580
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 1, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Notre Dame Harvard
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Mathematics (6%)

Outcomes

Notre Dame Harvard
Graduation Rate 96% 97%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $136,700
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $222 $67

Diversity

Notre Dame Harvard
% Men 53% 46%
% Women 47% 54%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 44%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 11% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Notre Dame Harvard
% In-State 6% 15%
% Out-of-State 84% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Harvard University is larger than than Notre Dame based on total student enrollment (30,631 students vs. 13,105 students)

Notre Dame vs. Harvard Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Notre Dame or Harvard?

  • University of Notre Dame is 13.5% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($59,794.00 vs. $52,659.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13.5% higher at Notre Dame than Harvard University ($59,794.00 vs. $52,659.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than Notre Dame ($19,491 vs. $28,474)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Notre Dame are 16.7% lower than costs at Harvard University ($16,710 vs. $19,502)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Notre Dame than Harvard University (57% vs. 56%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 24% larger than aid received University of Notre Dame ($61,801 vs. $49,859)

Notre Dame vs. Harvard Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 42 points higher than at Notre Dame (1455)
  • Incoming Harvard students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Notre Dame (33)
  • Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Notre Dame (3.91)
  • Notre Dame has a higher acceptance rate (12.9%) than Harvard (3.2%)

Notre Dame vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Notre Dame or Harvard? 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 Harvard and Notre Dame .

  • The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than University of Notre Dame (97% vs. 96%)
  • Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $46,900 more per year than Notre Dame graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $89,800)
  • Harvard University students graduate with a $15,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Notre Dame graduates. ($6,500 vs. $21,500)
  • Harvard graduates are paying $155 less per month on federal student loans than Notre Dame graduates. ($67 vs. $222)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 70%)

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