University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
The Holy Grail of higher education for many Roman Catholics. ND’s heartland location and 80-percent-Catholic enrollment make it a bastion of solid education and equally solid values, religious and otherwise. Offers business, science, architecture, and engineering in addition to the liberal arts. ND’s personality is much closer to Boston College or Holy Cross than Georgetown. Only school ever ranked #1 in both football and graduation rates.
Founded in 1842 by the French priest Edward Sorin from the Congregation of Holy Cross, the University of Notre Dame has come a long way from its fledgling days in a rustic log cabin. While described as “a Catholic academic community of higher learning,” its students need not be affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church (though about 80 percent are). Notre Dame takes pride in fostering a culture that values open discussion of religious, spiritual, and social issues, and it appeals to non-Catholics who are committed to social justice or seek a broadly spiritual dimension to their education. A soft spot for football doesn’t hurt either.
With 1,250 acres of manicured quads, twin lakes, and woods, the university offers a peaceful setting for studying. The lofty Golden Dome that rises above the ivy-covered Gothic and modern buildings and the old brick stadium, where Knute Rockne made the Fighting Irish almost synonymous with college football, are national icons. The university recently completed a $1.1 billion construction spree that added 20 new buildings in less than a decade, including several new academic buildings and residence halls. The nine-story Duncan Student Center overlooks the football stadium and boasts a career services center, dining facilities, a fitness center with a massive rock-climbing wall, and premium new stadium seating for football VIPs. Notre Dame’s $12 billion endowment is the largest of any of the country’s Catholic colleges and universities.
Liberal education is more than just a catchphrase at Notre Dame. No matter what their major, students must take the First Year of Studies, one of the most extensive academic and counseling programs of any university in the nation. The core of the program is a one-semester writing-intensive university seminar limited to 20 students per section. The remainder of each freshman’s schedule is reserved for the first of a comprehensive list of general education requirements covering writing and mathematics, natural science, theology, philosophy, history, social science, and fine arts. Academic and peer advisors are assigned to each student, as are tutors if necessary. Administrators are quick to point out that, due in part to the success of the first-year support program, a whopping 98 percent of freshmen make it through the year and return for sophomore year.
In the College of Arts and Letters, highly regarded departments include English, theology, and philosophy. Physics and chemistry are tops in the College of Science, bolstered by the first-rate equipment in the Nieuwland and Jordan Science Halls. Within the engineering school, chemical engineering rules, while the Mendoza College of Business’s accountancy program is ranked among the nation’s best. Another standout is the School of Architecture’s five-year undergraduate degree program, in which students spend their entire junior year in Rome. The most popular majors overall are economics, political science, finance, and computer science. Students describe the academic climate as fairly competitive but not cutthroat by any measure. “The workload is very demanding,” says a senior. “It requires the student to have very good time-management skills.” Sixty-two percent of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, and students praise faculty members for being dynamic, personable, knowledgeable, and accessible. “The professors here care a great deal about their students, and it shows,” says a biology major.
Notre Dame offers a variety of special academic programs and options. One of the most popular is the Program of Liberal Studies, in which students study art, philosophy, literature, and the history of Western thought within their Great Books seminars. The Summer Comprehensive Grant program awards up to $4,500 to students wishing to spend their summer focusing on independent research. Roughly two-thirds of undergrads take part in Notre Dame’s extensive international study program, which includes opportunities at the university’s Global Gateways in London, Dublin, Rome, Beijing, and Jerusalem.
With a predominantly lay board of trustees and faculty, Notre Dame remains committed to “the preservation of a distinctly Catholic community,” and it has a more self-consciously Catholic identity than any other major research university, including Boston College and Georgetown. The president and several other top administrators are priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and each dorm has its own chapel with daily masses, though attendance is not required. The main social issues discussed on campus include abortion; gender, racial, and LGBTQ issues; and faith. African Americans make up 4 percent of the undergraduate student body, Hispanics 12 percent, Asian Americans 5 percent, and multiracial students 6 percent. Despite its relative cultural homogeneity, Notre Dame recruits from all over the country; 87 percent of the students are from states outside of Indiana, and 6 percent hail from other countries. Competitive merit awards, averaging $12,600, are offered to students with outstanding high school records, and the university meets 100 percent of accepted students’ demonstrated financial need. The Division I powerhouse deals out hundreds of athletic scholarships as well.
Seventy-eight percent of ND students live on campus, which is required for their first three years. For their freshman year, students are assigned to a residence hall, mixed among the other classes, and they are encouraged to stay in the same one until graduation. Since ND has never had Greek organizations, the single-sex dorms become surrogate fraternities and sororities that breed a similar spirit of community and family. “The dorm culture is a unique part of ND’s personality,” comments a sophomore. Notre Dame has been co-ed since 1972, and parietal rules (midnight on weekdays, 2 a.m. on weekends) are still strictly enforced-and the subject of many student complaints. Students eat in the North or South dining halls or take their pick from 26 other restaurants, cafes, and to-go locations. As for safety, “The campus is self-contained and well-lit,” reports a student.
ND’s social life isn’t as rambunctious as it once was, thanks to policies that forbid alcohol at campus social events. The rules relating to alcohol in the dorms are a bit more relaxed. For those who choose not to indulge, there are several groups dedicated to good times without alcohol. Most activities take place on campus and include parties, concerts, and movies. A popular event is the An Tóstal (Gaelic for “the pageant”) festival, which comes the week before spring finals and guarantees to temporarily relieve academic anxiety with its “childish” games, such as pie-eating contests and Jell-O wrestling. The annual Notre Dame Forum brings internationally known speakers to campus to address timely topics like sustainability and the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis. Students are involved in the community through volunteer work-more than 10 percent of grads enter public service positions. The best outlet for culture is nearby Chicago, about 90 minutes away. South Bend, with a metro area population of 315,000, offers plenty of opportunities for entertainment as well.
Notre Dame competes in the Division I Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports except football and ice hockey. There’s nothing like Notre Dame football, with its proud gridiron heritage and legends from Knute Rockne and the Gipper right on down to modern-day greats such as Joe Montana. ND’s name may be French, but the spirit of the Fighting Irish reigns supreme and has regained its former glory under head coach Brian Kelly. “Notre Dame football is massive,” cheers a sophomore. It wasn’t intentional-at least that’s what they say-but the giant mosaic of Jesus Christ on the library lifts his hands toward the heavens as if to signal yet another Irish touchdown. Tailgate parties are celebrated events, occurring before and after the game. Aside from football, Notre Dame offers a solid all-around athletic program. Men’s cross-country took home a recent ACC championship, and women’s basketball won the national title in 2018. Die-hard jocks who weren’t recruited for varsity teams will find plenty of company in ND’s very competitive club and intramural sports. The Bookstore Basketball Tournament, the largest 5-on-5, outdoor hoops tournament in the world with more than 700 teams competing, lasts for a month.
Although temperatures here can drop below freezing, few dispute that Notre Dame is red-hot. Everyone at the university, from administrators to students, is considered part of the “Notre Dame family.” Traditions are held in high esteem. For those looking for high-quality academics; a friendly, caring environment with a Catholic bent; and an excellent athletic scene, ND could be an answer to their prayers.
-Fiske Guide