Houston vs Notre Dame - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
These are two different admissions games: Notre Dame admits 11.3% of applications, Houston admits 73.9%.
Average aid for an international student is $62,803 (Notre Dame) and $4,456 (Houston).
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Notre Dame starts at $87,295 against $45,970 and ends at $19,440 against $29,520 (Houston).
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Notre Dame: $100K against $62K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Notre Dame is the more selective of the two (11.3% vs 73.92% acceptance). Houston ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#201-300 vs #301-400). Notre Dame graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($100K vs $62K). Houston has lower sticker-price tuition ($27,926 vs $67,607 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Houston for: a higher world ranking, lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Notre Dame for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Notre Dame is more selective (11.3% vs 73.92% acceptance); Notre Dame has a higher median SAT (1510 vs 1240).
Notre Dame graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($100K vs $62K); Notre Dame has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95% vs 64.6%).
Houston has lower sticker-price tuition ($27,926 vs $67,607); Notre Dame offers a larger average aid package ($67,855 vs $16,450).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Houston | Notre Dame |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #201-300 | #301-400 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 73.92% | 11.3% |
| Yield rate | 26.5% | 61.7% |
| Median SAT | 1240 | 1510 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.49 | - |
| Number of applications | 31,716 | 29,942 |
| International students | 5.7% | 7.5% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $62K | $100K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $39K | $68K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $93K | $141K |
| Graduation rate | 64.6% | 95% |
| Retention rate | 87% | 99% |
| Median debt | $18,194 | $19,000 |
| Tuition · year | $27,926 | $67,607 |
| Avg. aid package | $16,450 | $67,855 |
| % of need met | 55.1% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $21,819 | $30,400 |
| Application fee | $75 | $85 |
| Enrollment | 47,980 | 13,042 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Houston or Notre Dame?
It's harder to get into Notre Dame. Houston accepts 73.92% of applicants, while Notre Dame accepts 11.3%.
Do Houston or Notre Dame graduates earn more?
Notre Dame graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $100K vs $62K.
How much is tuition at Houston vs Notre Dame?
Sticker-price tuition is $27,926 per year at Houston and $67,607 per year at Notre Dame.
What SAT score do you need for Houston or Notre Dame?
The median admitted SAT score is 1240 at Houston and 1510 at Notre Dame; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Houston or Notre Dame?
Houston ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #201-300 for Houston vs #301-400 for Notre Dame.
Which university offers more financial aid - Houston or Notre Dame?
The average aid package is $16,450 at Houston and $67,855 at Notre Dame.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern