Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Notre Dame graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early careers, with median earnings rising from $86,210 six years after enrollment to $94,844 at eight years and reaching $99,980 at ten years. This represents 16.0% growth from the six-year to ten-year mark, indicating continued career advancement and skill development.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduates from this institution significantly outperform peers — earnings are 59% higher than similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $19,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Notre Dame students graduate with median debt of $19,000, well below the peer median of $24,181, representing a $5,181 advantage that reflects the university's generous financial aid program. Student debt ranges from $13,500 at the 25th percentile to $27,250 at the 75th percentile, indicating controlled borrowing across the student population.
Notre Dame delivers exceptional return on investment, ranking at the 98.8th percentile nationally—among the highest we track. This outstanding performance stems from the combination of exceptional graduate earnings at $99,980 and manageable debt levels at $19,000, creating a highly favorable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19.
Approximately 22.2% of Notre Dame graduates continue to graduate or professional study, with high confidence in this estimate based on program mix ana...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Notre Dame's strongest return outcomes concentrate in technical and business fields, with Artificial Intelligence leading at $118,767 median earnings, followed by Banking and Financial Support Services at $111,893 and Mathematics and Statistics at $106,786. These programs combine exceptional earnings with strong national rankings, creating outstanding career value.
Applied Economics graduates earn $100,568 while serving as one of Notre Dame's largest programs with 243 graduates, demonstrating scaled success. Even programs with more moderate earnings, such as Psychology at $66,756, achieve exceptional national rankings and value scores.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution from $67,690 at the 25th percentile to $141,307 at the 75th percentile creates a 2.1:1 ratio, indicating substantial opportunity for upward mobility while maintaining strong outcomes across the range. Low-income graduates earn $106,000, ranking among the top 5% nationally and demonstrating exceptional mobility potential for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
