The freshman class of 2017 has shaped up to be one of the most diverse and academically richest classes in Notre Dame’s history.
There were a total of 17,647 freshman applications for the class of 2017. This was an all-time record for freshman applications. The admit rate was 22% and the expected total number of the incoming freshman will be 2,075. There were a total of 676 transfer applications with an admit rate of 25% for an estimated total of 130 new transfer students.
The class of 2017 also broke another record with 53% of the admitted students deciding to enroll at Notre Dame. This figure ranks among the top eight in the nation among highly selective national research universities for yield rate
Academically, 55% of the incoming freshmen were in the top 1% of the nation in either high school performance and/or on national testing and had exceptional records of service, leadership, and involvement.
Notre Dame uses a holistic admissions process where other attributes are also valued—less than 45% of applicants ranked in the top 1% for class performance or national test scores gained admission.
This class will also be one of the most diverse classes in Notre Dame’s history with 26% U.S. students of color and 5% international. Alumni children comprise 24% of the class — double the 12% average of other top 15 private universities.
Regional Diversity of the Freshman Class
| 32% | East or Southeast | 675 freshmen |
| 42% | Midwest | 863 freshmen |
| 20% | West/Southwest | 413 freshmen |
| 6% | Outside of U.S. | 124 freshmen |
The incoming class will travel an average distance of 850 miles to begin their freshman year.