Study abroad at Notre Dame

Notre Dame is an iconic, prestigious, and world-renowned collegiate enclave located directly adjacent to South Bend in St. Joseph County, northern Indiana, situated along the St. Joseph River just 90 miles (90 minutes by direct South Shore Line electric commuter train) east of Downtown Chicago and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Celebrated as the global spiritual and intellectual heart of Catholic higher education, renowned for its breathtaking 1,261-acre campus crowned by the glittering 24-karat Golden Dome on the Main Building, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the legendary 'Touchdown Jesus' mural on the Hesburgh Library, St. Mary's Lake, and its historic Fighting Irish athletic tradition. Notre Dame is the home of one of the world's most elite private research universities: University of Notre Dame (founded in 1842 by Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., ranked #18 in the United States by US News & World Report with an $18+ billion endowment and over 13,000 students). The University of Notre Dame is globally celebrated for the Mendoza College of Business (AACSB-accredited, consistently ranked among the Top 10 undergraduate business programs in the nation for Finance, Accounting, and Business Ethics), College of Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Computer Science, and Bioengineering), College of Arts and Letters, Keough School of Global Affairs, and Notre Dame Law School, alongside Saint Mary's College and Holy Cross College. Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from Notre Dame's commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted international students, massive Fortune 500 alumni network, low 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees at the University of Notre Dame (#18 US News) are approximately $62,500 to $65,000 per academic year for Engineering, Mendoza Business, Computer Science, and Arts & Letters (with Notre Dame offering need-blind admission and meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with university grants and prestigious merit scholarships such as the Hesburgh-Yusko and Notre Dame Scholars Awards covering up to full tuition for qualified international students). At Saint Mary's College, undergraduate tuition is approx. $51,000/year (with extensive merit scholarships). Modern on-campus university residential halls (Notre Dame: Baumer Hall, Dunne Hall, Flaherty Hall, Ryan Hall, Johnson Family Hall - historic single-sex residential communities with chapels, lounges, and dining halls) cost between $850 and $1,450 per month (inclusive of comprehensive meal plans, utilities, and high-speed Wi-Fi), while off-campus student apartments in South Bend and Eddy Street Commons range from $650 to $1,150 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $800 and $1,350.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying expenses minus scholarship and grant awards), the Notre Dame International Student and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).