University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
University of Notre Dame
NOTRE DAME, IN
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Notre Dame - US university comparison

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Champaign, Illinois
World rank · ARWU#55
Acceptance42.37%
Median SAT1470
Graduation rate85.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K
University of Notre Dame
NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame, IN
World rank · ARWU#301-400
Acceptance11.3%
Median SAT1510
Graduation rate95%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$100K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Notre Dame
#55 World rank · ARWU #301-400
#46 Rank · THE -
42.37% Acceptance rate 11.3%
1470 Median SAT 1510
85.1% Graduation rate 95%
59,238 Enrollment 13,042

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 11.3%
28.8% Yield rate 61.7%
1470 Median SAT 1510
- Avg. GPA -
73,742 Number of applications 29,942
14.9% Int'l students 7.5%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $100K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $68K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $141K
85.1% Graduation rate 95%
94.8% Retention rate 99%
$19,500 Median debt $19,000
$38,400 Tuition · year $67,607
$23,217 Avg. aid package $67,855
0.8% % of need met 100%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $30,400
$50 Application fee $85
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $62,803
At a glance
Notre Dame leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics
% of need0.8% vs 100%
Acceptance42.37% vs 11.3%
Aid$23,217 vs $67,855

The verdict, from the data

The lower acceptance rate belongs to Notre Dame: 11.3% against 42.4% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

The larger international cohort belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: 14.9% of students against 7.5% (Notre Dame).

Average aid for an international student is $62,803 (Notre Dame) and $5,836 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Notre Dame starts at $87,295 against $57,284 and ends at $19,440 against $34,067 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

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 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #301-400). Notre Dame graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($100K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 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 Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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

Admissions

Notre Dame is more selective (11.3% vs 42.37% acceptance); Notre Dame has a higher median SAT (1510 vs 1470).

Graduate outcomes

Notre Dame graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($100K vs $81K); Notre Dame has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95% vs 85.1%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $67,607); Notre Dame offers a larger average aid package ($67,855 vs $23,217).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

$35k$76k$117k$158k$11k$35k$59k$83kIllinois Urbana-ChampaignNotre Dame TUITION · YEAR → MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10 YRS →
Each dot is a comparable US university; Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Notre Dame highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Notre Dame
World rank · ARWU#55#301-400
Rank · THE#46-
Acceptance rate42.37%11.3%
Yield rate28.8%61.7%
Median SAT14701510
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications73,74229,942
International students14.9%7.5%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$100K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$68K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$141K
Graduation rate85.1%95%
Retention rate94.8%99%
Median debt$19,500$19,000
Tuition · year$38,400$67,607
Avg. aid package$23,217$67,855
% of need met0.8%100%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$30,400
Application fee$50$85
Enrollment59,23813,042

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Notre Dame?

It's harder to get into Notre Dame. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Notre Dame accepts 11.3%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Notre Dame graduates earn more?

Notre Dame graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $100K vs $81K.

How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Notre Dame?

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $67,607 per year at Notre Dame.

What SAT score do you need for Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Notre Dame?

The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1510 at Notre Dame; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Notre Dame?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #301-400 for Notre Dame.

Which university offers more financial aid - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Notre Dame?

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $67,855 at Notre Dame.

Compare Illinois Urbana-Champaign with
Harvard Stanford Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton Yale Cornell Penn Johns Hopkins Washington University Northwestern
Highest-ranked in ARWU. Click "↻ Change university" in the cards above to choose from all 47 universities (+35).
All metrics come 100% from College Council Atlas (canonical) - admissions, SAT, GPA, graduate outcomes, financial aid and costs from IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25; rankings from ARWU 2024 and THE 2025. Zero manual fields. "-" = not yet in canonical.