Is Notre Dame or WashU harder to get into?

Notre Dame is harder to get into than WashU. Notre Dame's 11.3% acceptance rate is lower than WashU's 12.1%.

Which is cheaper, Notre Dame or WashU?

WashU costs less on average. After grants and scholarships, WashU's average net price is $21,786 vs $26,780 at Notre Dame.

Which has higher post-graduation earnings, Notre Dame or WashU?

Notre Dame graduates earn more on average. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $99,980 at Notre Dame and $86,182 at WashU.

Notre Dame vs. WashU: Acceptance Rate, SAT, Cost & Outcomes Compared

Metric	Notre Dame	WashU
Acceptance rate	11.3%	12.1%
SAT mid-50%	1450–1550	1500–1570
ACT mid-50%	33–35	33–35
Cost of attendance	$84,047	$91,290
Avg net price (after aid)	$26,780	$21,786
Undergrad enrollment	9,112	8,132
6-yr graduation rate	95.2%	94.3%
Median earnings (10yr)	$99,980	$86,182
Setting	Notre Dame, Indiana	St. Louis, Missouri

The Real Differences

Selectivity is essentially the same. Notre Dame's 11.3% acceptance rate and WashU's 12.1% are within a percentage point of each other. For an unhooked applicant, the difference is statistical noise. Apply to whichever you genuinely prefer.

Notre Dame graduates earn $13,798 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. WashU grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Notre Dame is in Notre Dame, Indiana; WashU is in St. Louis, Missouri. 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.

Student Body Composition

The two schools have different student body compositions. Notre Dame is 48.7% women, 6.9% international, and 5.7% Asian-American. WashU is 54.5% women, 9.0% international, and 20.9% Asian-American.

Demographic	Notre Dame	WashU
Women	48.7%	54.5%
International	6.9%	9.0%
White	59.4%	39.7%
Asian	5.7%	20.9%
Hispanic	15.3%	13.2%
Black	4.7%	8.7%

Personalized estimate

What are your odds at Notre Dame vs. WashU?

Get a probability for both schools calibrated to your full profile, not the headline rate.

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The Verdict

Pick Notre Dame if

Higher median post-grad earnings ($99,980 vs $86,182)
Higher 6-year graduation rate
Catholic intellectual tradition

Pick WashU if

Your odds are realistic at WashU (slightly easier admit)
Net price matters: WashU costs $4,994 less per year on average
flexibility to pursue multiple majors across schools

Headline numbers favor one school or the other on each axis, but neither is unambiguously “better.” The right answer depends on your major fit, geographic preference, financial need, and personal odds at each. Most applicants who get into one of these schools also get into the other.

Full School Pages

For complete admissions data, supplemental essay strategy, and class profile breakdowns:

Full profile

University of Notre Dame

11.3% accept · Notre Dame, Indiana

Full profile

Washington University in St. Louis

12.1% accept · St. Louis, Missouri

Sources

U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard for acceptance rates, test ranges, financial aid, demographics, completion, and earnings.
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) for the underlying federal data.
Each school's most recent published Common Data Set for cycle-specific admissions stats.

Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect each school's most recent publicly published admit cycle.

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University of Notre Dame vs. Washington University in St. Louis