What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

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Notre-Dame de Paris

Work has begun on the hardest part of rebuilding Notre-Dame

Construction workers have started removing 20 tons of melted scaffolding in the latest stage of restoration

Just a week ago, the magnificent forecourt of Paris ’s famous cathedral o pened to the public f or the first time in 13 months. Now Notre-Dame itself is one step closer to being restored to its former glory, as workers yesterday began the hardest part of the job: removing 20 tons of melted scaffolding from the building’s roof.

When the fire broke out in April last year, the cathedral’s spire was due to undergo renovation work and was surrounded by a huge scaffolding structure. The spire and much of the roof collapsed during the blaze, but the scaffolding survived, melting and attaching to the building below. Removing it is one of the major obstacles to restoring the cathedral.

Yesterday, construction workers dangled from ropes 50 metres in the air and used saws to start to carve away the huge metal tangle, made up of 40,000 individual tubes. The scaffolding must be removed without damaging the limestone walls holding the cathedral’s gothic vaults in place.

Of the delicate operation currently under way, Christophe-Charles Rousselot, who runs a charity raising funds to pay for the restoration, said: ‘It's a bit like open-heart surgery, because we are in the middle of the cathedral between the transept and its heart: precisely where the spire crashed.’

This preparatory work will last three to four months and should pave the way for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame’s roof and spire. Once the scaffolding is removed, a temporary roof will be raised and engineers will be able to inspect more closely the damage to the building’s vaults.

French president Emmanuel Macron has said he hopes the cathedral will be fully restored by 2024 – when Paris will host the Summer Olympics. Right now, it looks like they’re on track.

Want to explore Paris from the comfort of your home? These amazing colour photos show the French capital in the 1960s and these are the city’s 25 greatest works of art .

Huw Oliver UK Editor

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University of Notre Dame

Undergraduate Admissions

This is Your Journey

The path to finding your purpose begins with a journey of self-discovery.

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At Notre Dame, we provide the resources and support you need to explore your passions, develop your talents, and build a life lived with purpose. Students come to Notre Dame to learn not only how to think critically and creatively, but also how to live fully.

As a top 20 national research institution, Notre Dame offers a world-class academic experience with opportunities for student research, creative pursuits, and projects that go beyond the classroom. Innovative ideas are celebrated here because we know that exploration is key to discovery. As a Notre Dame student, you’ll join an international community of students, faculty, and alumni who are as dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge as they are to the Notre Dame family. You’ll learn in classrooms and labs under the guidance of faculty who are the leading experts in their fields. You’ll have opportunities for research and internships that turn your knowledge into action.

Here at Notre Dame, we build each other up. The community here motivates you to continue going when you feel low; it challenges you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new; and it encourages you to put good out into the world, helping live out our mission. – Savannah Carr '24

The University of Notre Dame was founded with the intention of serving as a force for good in our world. It is the formation not only of one's mind, but of one's heart that sets a Notre Dame education apart. – Connor Patrick '23

For over 175 years we have been educating and empowering compassionate individuals, following the example of our founder Reverend Edward Sorin, C.S.C., who envisioned the University of Notre Dame to be a powerful force for good in the world. These values direct our mission as we prepare our students with the skills, experience, and confidence to make a difference.

Notre Dame seeks to enroll the creative intellectual, the bold and the ethical, the relentless seekers of social justice. We believe a strong education goes beyond simply gaining intellect. It’s your path to wisdom, the development of your sense of self, and your quest to lead a life with passion and purpose.

University of Notre Dame

Office of the Provost

Notre Dame, Its Mission, Its Faculty

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*Note: This text is also available as a 17.6 kb PDF .

Universities are among the most important institutions of any society. They exercise a formative role as centers of teaching, learning, and research, with excellence at all levels as their goal. Originally, religion informed the structures, people, and practices of the university. Over time, most universities became secular centers that abstracted learning from the religious dimension of the human experience. The University of Notre Dame, however, continues to spring forth from the Catholic mission that created it.

This document seeks to articulate the University’s expectations of how its faculty contribute and will contribute to realizing its contemporary academic ambition of being a truly preeminent and truly Catholic university. The University of Notre Dame flourishes because of the academic achievements of men and women of faith and all seekers of truth: faculty members, both Catholic and those of other faith traditions, have supported and strengthened its Catholic mission; generations of students have received an education of body, mind, and spirit; and learning in service of social justice and human solidarity has thrived. As a vibrant, religiously-inspired university, Notre Dame aims to achieve academic preeminence in both teaching undergraduates and in graduate education and research. Because Notre Dame is committed to attaining greater academic excellence as a Catholic university, fully realizing its religious character and mission is imperative.

The Education of Students

“Education,” said Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., the founder of the Holy Cross Order, “is the art of bringing a young person to completeness.” Notre Dame is committed to the flourishing of the whole person—intellectual, physical, moral, and spiritual. Teaching and learning here seek to foster in students the disciplined habits of mind, body, and spirit that characterize educated, skilled, generous, free human beings. Notre Dame wants to educate and inspire its students to be moral citizens within their communities and the larger world, to use their talents to the best of their ability, and to develop the generous sensibilities needed to relieve injustice, oppression, and poverty in all of their manifestations.

The Fundamental Dialogue Between Faith and Reason

Essential to Notre Dame’s mission is its commitment to sustaining a dialogue between faith and reason across the disciplines. The conviction that there is ultimately no conflict between the truths of faith and those discovered by reason underlies our work as a Catholic university. Indeed, the discoveries of reason enhance our understanding of faith, just as faith enhances our understanding of what reason discovers. Within the academy today, there exists widespread incomprehension of—even hostility toward—the conviction that religious and theological perspectives can speak to and enrich reasoned analysis. The resulting vacuum provides the University of Notre Dame with an opportunity—some might say the responsibility—to even more strongly support the efforts of its students and faculty to explore the intersections between faith and reason, pursuing both as mutually reinforcing rather than mutually exclusive.

In order to achieve this difficult but critical goal, and consistent with the Catholic intellectual tradition, Notre Dame must remain committed to free inquiry and open discussion, always informed by Catholic thought, of all legitimate achievements in the arts, humanities, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity. Questions concerning faith and reason, religion and discovery, the ethical dimensions of human life and works, and the integration of knowledge can arise in many venues, including the classroom, informal conversations between faculty and students, research and creative arts, and deliberations in departmental meetings or in committee discussions. Teaching and learning occur in countless ways in every university. At Notre Dame, the academic enterprise contains numerous opportunities for a fruitful dialogue between faith and reason.

The Role of the Faculty

Notre Dame therefore continues to embrace the challenge of being and becoming a preeminent research university, committed to educating its students, and truly Catholic. In innumerable and essential ways, all faculty members at the University contribute to realizing this vision, each of them able to contribute uniquely out of his or her own beliefs, experiences, expertise, and talents. Working together, all faculty members at Notre Dame must ensure that an ever-wider range of scholarly interests, cultural heritages, social backgrounds, and viewpoints are present and thriving at the University.

The characteristics of universities that set them apart from other types of institutions are educational. For Notre Dame to maintain its commitment to being a Catholic university and not simply a Catholic institution in a broader sense, the educational life of the university must be richly and diversely Catholic. Faculty members are the core of every university’s academic community, sustaining and directing the intellectual dialogue that occurs within this community.

Engaged with all faculty in a common pursuit of truth, Catholic faculty bring to their teaching and research a faith commitment and an intellectual formation that enable them to relate issues in their respective disciplines to the beliefs, practices, and unresolved questions in the Catholic tradition. Along with their primary responsibility of providing the highest level of research and instruction, Catholic faculty members also contribute to the holistic education of their students and the cultivation of their faith. Providing living examples of the legitimate diversity of adult Catholicism for their Catholic students, Catholic faculty offer counsel, engage in conversations relevant to their faith, and help students develop a faith that is informed, mature, and reflective. Catholic faculty members also have a special responsibility to explore the possible relationship of their Catholic faith with their own research and teaching, as well as to promote a more holistic form of education, in their informal interactions with other faculty and students. To fulfill Notre Dame’s commitment to be such a Catholic educational community, the University seeks, in the words of its mission statement, “the continuing presence of a predominant number of Catholic intellectuals.”

The University also needs the contributions of faculty members of other faiths. For Notre Dame to be truly Catholic, it must be truly catholic, home to the rich diversity of human thought, experience, and belief. Faculty members of other faith traditions enrich Notre Dame by sharing both their academic expertise and accomplishments, and their diverse perspectives. Such faculty members also provide examples of lived faith and exhibit the virtues that Notre Dame wants to instill in its students. They can foster in them a respect for other religious traditions and a commitment to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, both of which are now critically needed in the world and essential to the success of a genuinely Catholic and catholic university.

In addition, all seekers of truth are vitally important to the furtherance of the dialogue between faith and reason, a foundational aspect of Notre Dame’s academic mission. Such faculty members enrich, broaden, and advance the conversation between faith and reason so that this dialogue is truly inclusive and complete rather than a self- deceptive and narrow monologue.

Thus faculty members of diverse faiths and all seekers of truth are indispensable in multiple ways to achieving the goals and fulfilling the mission of the University of Notre Dame. Different faculty members will make different contributions. Every faculty member is likely to make varied contributions at various points in her or his career. It is through these combined, diverse contributions that academic excellence will be achieved, a continuing dialogue between faith and reason will be sustained, and the development of the whole person—intellectual, physical, moral, and spiritual—will flourish.

Notre Dame aspires to be a preeminent research university, with a commitment to the complete education of its students, and a distinctive and defining Catholic identity, character, and mission. Our unique educational aspiration demands that we remain true to our heritage and mission by combining the best of the secular and the religious traditions, the highest level of inquiry and ethical reflection, and the commitment to educating and enriching the whole person. The contributions of all faculty members to the University’s mission are at once informed by their unique beliefs, talents, experiences, and expertise and vitally important to Notre Dame’s academic achievement and Catholic character. Only if Notre Dame is home to a community of scholars committed to educational excellence and the pursuit of truth in all of its manifestations, will it be true to its history and realize its aspirations for the future.

Written By Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President Thomas G. Burish, Provost Emeritus

Introduction

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University of Notre Dame

This statement speaks of the University of Notre Dame as a place of teaching and research, of scholarship and publication, of service and community. These components flow from three characteristics of Roman Catholicism that image Jesus Christ, his Gospel, and his Spirit. A sacramental vision encounters God in the whole of creation. In and through the visible world in which we live, we come to know and experience the invisible God. In mediation the Catholic vision perceives God not only present in but working through persons, events, and material things. There is an intelligibility and a coherence to all reality, discoverable through spirit, mind, and imagination. God’s grace prompts human activity to assist the world in creating justice grounded in love. God’s way to us comes as communion, through the communities in which men and women live. This community includes the many theological traditions, liturgies, and spiritualities that fashion the life of the Church. The emphasis on community in Catholicism explains why Notre Dame historically has fostered familial bonds in its institutional life.

A Catholic university draws its basic inspiration from Jesus Christ as the source of wisdom and from the conviction that in him all things can be brought to their completion. As a Catholic university, Notre Dame wishes to contribute to this educational mission.

Mission Statement

The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The University is dedicated to the pursuit and sharing of truth for its own sake. As a Catholic university, one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where, through free inquiry and open discussion, the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity.

The intellectual interchange essential to a university requires, and is enriched by, the presence and voices of diverse scholars and students. The Catholic identity of the University depends upon, and is nurtured by, the continuing presence of a predominant number of Catholic intellectuals. This ideal has been consistently maintained by the University leadership throughout its history. What the University asks of all its scholars and students, however, is not a particular creedal affiliation, but a respect for the objectives of Notre Dame and a willingness to enter into the conversation that gives it life and character. Therefore, the University insists upon academic freedom that makes open discussion and inquiry possible.

Mission Inline

The University prides itself on being an environment of teaching and learning that fosters the development in its students of those disciplined habits of mind, body, and spirit that characterize educated, skilled, and free human beings. In addition, the University seeks to cultivate in its students not only an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, but also a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice.

Notre Dame also has a responsibility to advance knowledge in a search for truth through original inquiry and publication. This responsibility engages the faculty and students in all areas of the University, but particularly in graduate and professional education and research. The University is committed to constructive and critical engagement with the whole of human culture.

The University encourages a way of living consonant with a Christian community and manifest in prayer, liturgy, and service. Residential life endeavors to develop that sense of community and of responsibility that prepares students for subsequent leadership in building a society that is at once more human and more divine.

A student on a bench by the lake with a bike in the fall.

Notre Dame’s character as a Catholic academic community presupposes that no genuine search for the truth in the human or the cosmic order is alien to the life of faith. The University welcomes all areas of scholarly activity as consonant with its mission, subject to appropriate critical refinement. There is, however, a special obligation and opportunity, specifically as a Catholic university, to pursue the religious dimensions of all human learning. Only thus can Catholic intellectual life in all disciplines be animated and fostered and a proper community of scholarly religious discourse be established.

In all dimensions of the University, Notre Dame pursues its objectives through the formation of an authentic human community graced by the Spirit of Christ.

University of Notre Dame

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Notre Dame, University of

University of Notre Dame , private institution of higher learning in Notre Dame (adjacent to South Bend), Indiana , U.S. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church . Formerly a men’s university , it became coeducational in 1972. Comprising colleges of arts and letters, science, engineering, and business, schools of architecture and law, and a graduate school, Notre Dame offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in a range of disciplines . Research institutes and facilities include the Center for Social Concerns, the Institute for Church Life, the Jacques Maritain Center, and the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values. The study-abroad program sends students to Australia, Africa, the Middle East , Europe, Asia, and Latin America . Total enrollment at the university exceeds 11,000.

University of Notre Dame

The university was founded in 1842 by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, a French religious community led by Father Edward Sorin (president from 1842 to 1865). It included a men’s college, an elementary school, a college-preparatory school, a vocational (“manual labour”) school, and a novitiate. A sister school for women, St. Mary’s Academy (later St. Mary’s College ), was opened in 1844. The university added science, law, and engineering departments, an academic press, and a library in the 1860s and ’70s. In the 1920s the secondary school was discontinued, and the university was reorganized into colleges. It was in the 1920s that Notre Dame’s reputation in intercollegiate gridiron football was first built, under the famous coach Knute Rockne . Under the presidency (1952–87) of the Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh , the faculty and student body increased in number and the university’s physical facilities and academic programs were greatly expanded. In 1967 governance of the school passed from the Congregation of the Holy Cross to a lay board of trustees.

Notable alumni of the university include Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , television personality Regis Philbin , author Nicholas Sparks , biologist and Nobel laureate Eric Wieschaus , and basketball coach Ray Meyer .

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What is the University of Notre Dame Known For?

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Overview of notre dame admissions, unique aspects of notre dame.

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

Founded on Catholic principles, the University of Notre Dame is an institution grounded in tradition and rigorous academic programs. The popular institution draws thousands of students annually and boasts amuni like Condoleezza Rice, Regis Philbin, Nicholas Sparks, Kevin Ford, Catherine Hicks, and many other acclaimed professionals.

What else is Notre Dame known for? And what does it take to get in? Keep reading to find out.

Location: Notre Dame, Indiana

Undergrad Enrollment: 8,600

Acceptance Rate: 19%

Middle 50% SAT: 1420-1530

Middle 50% ACT: 33-35

While you certainly don’t have to be Catholic to attend Notre Dame, the university does take its Catholic history seriously. Even if you’re not religious, you should convey your dedication to advocacy, justice, and community on your application; these are principles Notre Dame sees as central to the Catholic tradition. Finding creative (and non-cliche) ways of expressing a commitment to these values will help your application stand out.

Notre Dame emphasizes admissions essays and looks for creativity and a demonstration of skills. It also seeks students with a narrower extracurricular focus—those who demonstrate strengths in a particular area rather than a wide breadth of activities but less depth.

Notre Dame has excellent retention and graduation rates, with 98% of students returning for their second year and 95% of students graduating on time.

Notre Dame has top programs in areas like business, economics, anthropology, and Irish language and literature, housed across colleges and schools within the university, including:

Additionally, there are several dual-degree programs, such as the Five Year Dual Degree Program in Arts and Letters/Engineering, one of the earliest programs of its kind. Through it, students are able to merge professional training with studies in humanistics, artistic, and social scientific perspectives.

Students also have the option of pursuing dual degree programs through the College of Science and either the College of Engineering or the College of Business. In the first option, students earn two Bachelor of Science degrees, one from each college. In the second, students earn a BS and an MBA.

Notre Dame emphasizes real-world experience, with 86% of students participating in internships or conducting research before they graduate — and they excel in these arenas, just as they do in the classroom. The university is a top producer of Fulbright students, with 27 students and alumni awarded Fulbright scholarships in the 2020–21 academic year.

Football is one of the first things people associate with Notre Dame. The university has one of the top three D1 football programs in the top 30 colleges, along with the University of Southern California and University of Michigan. And the Fighting Irish excel in a wide variety of sports, from basketball to fencing, winning 34 national championships since 1924.

Athletics aren’t limited to varsity sports. Sports Illustrated ranked Notre Dame’s intramural program as the best in the nation.

While Notre Dame doesn’t have Greek life, there are more than 400 student clubs and organizations available, including The Observer , Notre Dame’s student newspaper; College Mentors for Kids; the Entrepreneurship Society; a cappella; Quiz Bowl; rock climbing; and much more.

What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

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Given its Catholic roots, Notre Dame has several religious and spiritual traditions, with 47 chapels across campus, including one in every residence hall. One fun tradition is the Thursday Dillon Hall Milkshake Mass, during which students gather outside the Dillon residence hall chapel to enjoy milkshakes prepared by Rev. Paul Doyle.

Other traditions are secular, such as the annual Polar Bear Plunge. In February, students run into St. Joseph’s Lake to benefit charity (participation costs $5). At the end of the academic year, the community celebrates the last full week of classes with An Tostal, a celebration featuring events like concerts, picnics, mattress races, games, and more. During Muddy Sunday, an annual volleyball tournament, students play volleyball in the mud.

There are also plenty of traditions associated with football. For example, players hit the “Play Like a Champion Today” sign before they head out on the field, while attendees rush out onto the field after victories. Meanwhile, “Victory March” is considered one of the best college “fight songs.”

Notre Dame has 33 residence halls, which serve as centers for social, religious, and intramural events and activities. Each residence has long-standing traditions — Dillon Hall, for example, hosts the first pep rally of football season, while Fisher Hall is known for an annual Regatta — and serves as a community for its students.

Most students, including 100% of first-year students and 80% of upperclassmen, live on campus.

Notre Dame’s campus is home to numerous events and resources for students, such as the Snite Museum of Art (which sometimes showcases student work and hosts events) and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, a haven from music, dance, films, and theater.

The university aims to “foster personal spiritual growth” and provides and supports different forms of worship, opportunities for retreats, service, and pilgrimages, and more.

Meanwhile, the Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) office supports underrepresented students through cultural enrichment programs, student organizations, events, initiatives, and more.

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at Notre Dame?

Notre Dame is a highly selective institution. Your personal chances of acceptance, however, vary based on a number of factors, including your GPA, test scores, and extracurriculars. Remember, too, that the university values admissions essays and focused interests, demonstrated through a narrow extracurricular focus and strong achievements.

If you’re curious about your actual chances of admission to Notre Dame, try CollegeVine’s chancing engine . Not only will this tool show you your real odds of getting into the university, but it will also offer tips for improving your profile. Sign up for free!

What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

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What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

College Profiles

What is Notre Dame Known For? Is Notre Dame a Good School?

Located in South Bend, IN, the University of Notre Dame is a private university founded in 1842. The college’s vast, suburban campus spans 1,265 acres, conveniently placed a mere 100 miles outside Chicago.

First-year students at Notre Dame are required to live in one of the 30 single-sex residence halls on campus. From the second year of study onward, however, students are permitted to choose to live off-campus.

Many opt to continue to live in campus housing beyond their first year. This is because the school’s residence halls play a significant role in the social life on campus, serving as a place for students to meet and interact.

As of the fall of the 2020 academic year, Notre Dame has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,874 students.

With more than 2,200 current graduate students, the Notre Dame student body includes a total of over 10,000 students — equal to about one-tenth of South Bend’s population .

The cost of attending Notre Dame, including tuition, housing, dining, and other fees, is estimated to be $80,211. It is worth noting, however, that nearly half — or 48% — of full-time undergraduate students at the school receive some form of need-based financial aid.

Further, the average need-based tuition assistance award at Notre Dame is $45,565. This means that although the college’s price tag may be shocking to many, half of the students do not have to pay the full costs anyway.

The University of Notre Dame is known across the world for being one of the most prestigious colleges out there.

For any students interested in learning more about what Notre Dame has to offer, in this article, we will discuss its most well-known academic programs, strongest sports teams, most prominent clubs, and much more.

What Majors & Academics Are Notre Dame Known For?

University of Notre Dame

Finance is one of the two most popular undergraduate majors at Notre Dame, with 8% of 2020 graduates at the school earning degrees in this field.

An additional 8% of Notre Dame students opt to major in econometrics and quantitative economics.

The two top major programs — both of which relate to the field of business — are closely followed by the political science and government program, with these majors making up an additional 6% of Notre’s Dame undergraduate student body.

Looking at rankings for individual programs, however, it can be seen that Notre Dame’s most highly-ranked academic program is its accounting program. According to the most recent rankings, the university is #7 among universities with the best undergraduate accounting programs in the United States.

According to the most recent edition of the US News and World Report’s annual list of best national universities , Notre Dame is currently ranked #19 among all colleges in the country.

The school offers 74 different undergraduate degrees, distributed across 58 major programs under more than 20 general fields of study. With so many different programs for students to choose from, it is hard to say just which of them the school is best known for.

Notre Dame is also well-known for the very high quality of education its skilled professors provide, ranking in the #11 spot in terms of best undergraduate teaching .

Also worth noting is the fact that Notre Dame’s four-year graduation rate is the single highest of all universities in the entire United States. An impressive 93% majority of undergraduate students at the school are able to earn a bachelor’s degree within the expected four-year period.

Is Notre Dame a Good School?

There is no doubt about it: the University of Notre Dame is not only a good school, but one of the best schools out there.

The student-to-faculty ratio at Notre Dame is a mere 8:1, meaning that students have ample opportunities to receive one-on-one attention and support from professors, allowing them to develop strong academic relationships with the school’s many esteemed faculty members.

With a regular-decision acceptance rate of 19% and an early acceptance rate of 24.2%.

To add to that, the median high school GPA of students who are accepted as first-year students at this school is an astonishing 4.06.

To be a competitive applicant to Notre Dame, students must maintain almost perfect grades in all of their classes, including honors, AP, and IB courses.

These statistics show that Notre Dame has very high standards regarding the caliber of academic ability they expect from all of their students.

As a result, the atmosphere on campus is one of both great camaraderie and friendly competition between some of the greatest young minds in our time.

Notre Dame Traditions

With over 80% of the student body living on campus, it is no surprise that many of the University of Notre Dame’s most well-loved traditions revolve around the college’s residence halls. Each residence hall has its own nickname, pride colors, and even a mascot.

The individual residence halls are also responsible for hosting a signature event every year. One of the most popular of these is Dillon Hall’s annual pep rally, which is always the first of the football season.

For over 40 years and counting, the Dillon Hall Pep rally has served as a way of kicking off the new academic year, while also encouraging students to show their school pride by cheering on the Fighting Irish.

Always well-attended, the Pep Rally features skits — generally comedic ones that taunt students from other residence halls — as well as celebrity guest appearances.

Another tradition upheld by one of the school’s residence halls is the Fisher Regatta. Hosted by students from Fisher Hall in April each year, the Regatta is a boat racing tournament that attracts over a thousand participants annually.

During the event, students compete against one another in a race to the finish line — in a boat of their own creation.

The Fisher Regatta takes place on St. Mary’s Lake and is open to all students. In most years, nearly all residence halls are represented in the competition, making the event one of the most highly-anticipated Notre Dame traditions.

Prominent Clubs & Extracurricular Activities at Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame differs from many other colleges in that it does not have any fraternities or sororities.

As a result, clubs and extracurricular activities play a more significant role in the school’s social environment than they may at schools that do have Greek life organizations.

Regardless, with over 400 different student-led clubs and organizations , Notre Dame certainly offers its students plenty of ways to get involved on campus.

One example of these is Project Fresh, a student dance group that aims to encourage individuals in the college’s community about breakdancing, a core element of hip-hop.

Project Fresh is open to all students, regardless of their level of prior knowledge or experience with either breakdancing or dance in general.

In the spring each year, the club hosts the Project Fresh Show . First held in 2009, the PFresh show allows club members to showcase their moves while competing against other dance groups at Notre Dame.

The PFresh Show doubles as a fundraiser, with each year’s winning group receiving a portion of the show’s profits to donate to a charitable organization of their choosing.

In addition to recreational extracurricular activities, Notre Dame is also home to a number of student groups focused on social justice and community service .

For example, there is a club called Foodshare, which aims to raise awareness about food waste and global hunger.

Students in Foodshare are actively engaged in the fight against food insecurity, working to minimize waste, redistribute resources, and educate the student body about these issues — both on campus and in the surrounding community.

What Sports Are Notre Dame Known For?

The University of Notre Dame’s sports teams, known as the Fighting Irish, are members of the NCAA’s Division I. In all sports other than ice hockey, Notre Dame’s athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Notre Dame’s most well-known athletic program is its football team. The school is one of the seven colleges competing in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision, the country’s highest level of competition for collegiate football.

Each year, Notre Dame’s football team also competes in five games in the ACC. The football Fighting Irish have collected a total of 11 national championship titles.

The football team has the fourth-highest winning percentage in the history of their subdivision, emerging victorious from about 730 games for each 1,000 they play in.

Another point of pride for Notre Dame’s football program is that the school is in second place among all universities in terms of the number of players who are later drafted into the NFL. As of 2019, 511 former Fighting Irish have gone professional.

Why Notre Dame?

There is no shortage of reasons why students choose the University of Notre Dame.

From its world-class academic programs to its fiercely competitive academic teams, its internationally-acclaimed faculty, and everything else it has to offer, the school proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that it has earned its prestigious reputation.

There is no definitive way to determine what college is the best fit for a particular student, given the significance of their specific academic capabilities, professional aspirations, and personal preferences.

Regardless, one widely-acknowledged way to gauge the likelihood that any student will be happy at a university is to consider that university’s first-year retention rate.

Another piece of information about Notre Dame worth noting is its student-to-faculty ratio, which is 8:1.

This means that students have ample opportunities to receive one-on-one attention and support from professors, allowing them to develop academically solid relationships with the school’s many esteemed faculty members.

At Notre Dame, an overwhelming 98% majority of first-year students opt to return to the school for an additional year of study. This shows that students who choose Notre Dame are almost guaranteed to be satisfied with what this elite school has to offer its students.

In sum, students choose Notre Dame because it excels in all areas. Its academic program offerings, facilities, and other resources are, in essence, second to none.

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What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

University of Notre Dame

4 year • Notre Dame, IN

What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

University of Notre Dame is a private institution that was founded in 1842. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,973 (fall 2021), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,265 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Notre Dame's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #18. Its tuition and fees are $60,301.

Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Ind., just 100 miles outside of Chicago. Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but most students choose to remain on campus in one of the 30 single-sex residence halls. The halls serve as the centers of social life at Notre Dame, as there is no Greek life on campus. Legends, an on-campus restaurant and pub, is a popular spot for watching sporting events. The Notre Dame "Fighting Irish" have about 20 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams and are well known for their consistently strong football program. Over half of students study abroad for at least one semester.

Notre Dame is divided into eight schools and colleges, the largest of which is the College of Arts and Letters. Notre Dame’s graduate and professional programs include the highly ranked Mendoza College of Business and Law School in addition to a well-regarded School of Architecture, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs. Notable alumni include former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, talk-show host Regis Philbin and Hall of Fame football player Joe Montana. The 1993 film "Rudy," ranked one of the top 25 sports movies of the past 25 years by ESPN, was filmed on Notre Dame’s campus and depicts the true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who overcame many obstacles to play football at Notre Dame.

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What is the purpose of Notre Dame University?

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COMMENTS

Why Are There Gargoyles in the Notre Dame Cathedral?
The gargoyles on Notre Dame cathedral were built as water spouts to prevent damage to the masonry by deflecting rainwater from the sides of the building. After the installation of drain pipes in the 16th century, the gargoyles were merely o...
Notre-Dame, Montreal
Designed by New York architect James O’Donnell, the Gothic Revival-style Notre-Dame Basilica faces Place d'Armes in Old Montreal. Although co... Designed by New York architect James O’Donnell, the Gothic Revival-style Notre-Dame Basilica fa...
Notre-Dame is Being Rebuilt
‘It's a bit like open-heart surgery’: construction workers are removing 20 tons of melted scaffolding in the restoration of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. 🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed! Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsle...
Why ND
Notre Dame seeks to enroll the creative intellectual, the bold and the ethical, the relentless seekers of social justice. We believe a strong education goes
About
The University of Notre Dame was founded in November 1842 by Rev. Edward F. Sorin, C.S.C., a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a French missionary
Notre Dame, Its Mission, Its Faculty
As a vibrant, religiously-inspired university, Notre Dame aims to achieve academic preeminence in both teaching undergraduates and in graduate education and
History
The University of Notre Dame is a private research university inspired by its Catholic character to be a powerful force for good in the world.
Mission
The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The University is
University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame · community led by Father · Edward Sorin (president from 1842 to 1865). It included a men's college, an elementary school
What is the University of Notre Dame Known For?
Founded on Catholic principles, the University of Notre Dame is an institution grounded in tradition and rigorous academic programs.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of
History of the University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame was founded on November 26, 1842, by Father Edward Sorin, CSC, who was also its first president, as an all-male institution on
What is Notre Dame Known For? Is Notre Dame a Good School?
The University of Notre Dame is known across the world for being one of the most prestigious colleges out there. For any students interested in
University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame is a private institution that was founded in 1842. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,973 (fall 2021), its setting is