University of Notre Dame vs. New York University

NYU is modestly harder to get into. The 2.1-point gap matters at the margin but doesn't change the overall difficulty tier. Both schools draw similar applicant pools and admit similar profiles.

Notre Dame is significantly cheaper after aid. The average net price gap is $10,270 per year, $41,080 over four years. For most families that difference is the deciding factor when both schools admit you.

Notre Dame graduates earn $17,471 more on average at the 10-year mark. This usually reflects major distribution more than school quality — schools that concentrate in CS, engineering, and finance pull higher medians than schools with more humanities and social science graduates. NYU grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

NYU is substantially larger with 28,663 undergrads vs 9,112 at Notre Dame. Bigger universities have more major options and broader research opportunities; smaller ones offer more access to faculty and tighter-knit communities.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Notre Dame is in Notre Dame, Indiana; NYU is in New York, New York. Climate, cost-of-living, and proximity to job markets in your target field shape the four-year experience and post-grad pipeline more than most prospective students realize.

NYU has a more international student body (26.1% non-resident students vs 6.9%). For applicants who value global exposure or have international academic interests, that mix shows up in classroom culture and alumni network.

Notre Dame's graduation rate is meaningfully higher (95.2% vs 87.6% 6-year completion). Graduation gaps at this level usually reflect support-system differences, financial aid adequacy, or degree-flexibility — worth verifying with each school's first-year retention and major-change policies.