Quick Facts about Notre Dame

Notre Dame is much more than its statistics. Historically, it has grown from the vision of its founder, Father Edward Sorin, who sought to establish a great Catholic university in America. The school Sorin founded has been faithful to both its religious and intellectual traditions. Over the years, Notre Dame has been a place where the Catholic Church could do its thinking. The first national study of Catholic elementary and secondary education was done at Notre Dame, as was the most extensive study of Catholic parish life and a landmark historical study of the Hispanic Catholic community in the United States.

The aerodynamics of glider flight and the transmission of wireless messages were pioneered at the University in the past, and today researchers are achieving breakthroughs in laser technology and the creation of new semiconductor materials. The formulae for synthetic rubber were discovered at Notre Dame, and today the University is a world leader in radiation chemistry. The combination of ground-breaking research and a long tradition of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education has attracted world-class teachers and scholars in theology, philosophy, accountancy, nuclear physics, Latin American studies, medieval studies and other disciplines. The University's most recent commitment to teaching is Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning based in DeBartolo Hall, an 84-classroom complex with state-of-the-art computer and audio-visual equipment that makes it among the most technologically advanced teaching facilities in higher education.

Notre Dame always has been heavily residential, with more than four in five undergraduates living on campus. Students come to Notre Dame to learn not only how to think but also how to live, and often the experiences alumni carry from residence hall communities at Notre Dame remain vivid over a lifetime. The University always has attracted scholars who are interested in teaching and scholarship, men and women who know that a Notre Dame education is more than what is taught in classrooms and laboratories.

Notre Dame has a unique spirit. It is traditional, yet open to change. It is dedicated to religious belief no less than scientific knowledge. It has always stood for values in a world of fact. It has kept faith with Father Sorin's vision.

Notre Dame is one of a handful of truly national universities, with a student body drawn from all 50 states and some 87 foreign countries. About 80 percent of the undergraduates and 50 percent of advanced students live on campus, and some 80 percent are active in service learning and community volunteer activities. There are no social fraternities or sororities at Notre Dame - the residence hall is the focus of social, religious and intramural athletic activities. About three-quarters of the undergraduate student body receive some form of financial aid, which in the academic year 2000-2001 totaled more than $106 million from all sources - scholarships, athletic grants-in-aid, loans, campus work and ROTC awards. More than 80 percent of the graduate students received graduate and research assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, loans and grants-in-aid totaling about $53 million in 2003-2004.

2003 First Year Students

32 percent ranked 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 in their graduating class; 85 percent were in the top 10 percent of their class and 95 percent in the top 20 percent.

Median Scholastic Aptitude Test scores of entering first year students: Verbal 665, Mathematics 685

Median American College Test (ACT) score of entering first year students: Composite 31

Geographic distribution: Midwest-44 percent; Northeast-22 percent; West-11 percent; Southeast 9 percent; Southwest-10 percent; and 4 percent from U.S. territories and 50 foreign countries. Faculty

In 2000-2001 Notre Dame's teaching and research faculty numbered 726 full-time and 355 part-time. Other faculty, such as administrative, special professional, library and special research, numbered 372 full-time and 75 part-time. In addition, there were 331 adjunct Faculty. Faculty to student ratio: 1-to-12.