Notre Dame vs Yale - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Yale admits 4.7%, Notre Dame admits 11.3%.
Real money goes to international students at Yale ($84,185 on average), while Notre Dame stops at $62,803.
Candidates with higher SAT scores go to Yale: a midpoint of 1540 against 1510, a difference of 30 points.
The lower full cost of study, not tuition alone, belongs to Notre Dame: $87,295 against $98,900.
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
Yale is the more selective of the two (4.7% vs 11.3% acceptance). Yale ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #11). Median earnings 10 years after enrollment are effectively tied ($100K vs $101K). Notre Dame has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,607 vs $72,500 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 Notre Dame for: lower tuition.
Choose Yale for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Yale is more selective (4.7% vs 11.3% acceptance); Yale has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1510).
Yale graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($101K vs $100K); Yale has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.7% vs 95%).
Notre Dame has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,607 vs $72,500); Yale offers a larger average aid package ($74,353 vs $67,855).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Notre Dame | Yale |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #301-400 | #11 |
| Rank · THE | - | #10 |
| Acceptance rate | 11.3% | 4.7% |
| Yield rate | 61.7% | 68.4% |
| Median SAT | 1510 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 29,942 | 50,264 |
| International students | 7.5% | 10.6% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $100K | $101K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $68K | $66K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $141K | $194K |
| Graduation rate | 95% | 95.7% |
| Retention rate | 99% | 99.4% |
| Median debt | $19,000 | $12,975 |
| Tuition · year | $67,607 | $72,500 |
| Avg. aid package | $67,855 | $74,353 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $30,400 | $22,185 |
| Application fee | $85 | $80 |
| Enrollment | 13,042 | 15,657 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Notre Dame or Yale?
It's harder to get into Yale. Notre Dame accepts 11.3% of applicants, while Yale accepts 4.7%.
Do Notre Dame or Yale graduates earn more?
Earnings are practically equal - 10 years after enrollment, the median is $100K at Notre Dame and $101K at Yale.
How much is tuition at Notre Dame vs Yale?
Sticker-price tuition is $67,607 per year at Notre Dame and $72,500 per year at Yale.
What SAT score do you need for Notre Dame or Yale?
The median admitted SAT score is 1510 at Notre Dame and 1540 at Yale; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Notre Dame or Yale?
Yale ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Notre Dame vs #11 for Yale.
Which university offers more financial aid - Notre Dame or Yale?
The average aid package is $67,855 at Notre Dame and $74,353 at Yale.
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