Transfer Applicants
Notre Dame aims to admit a limited number of exceptional transfer students each year, who will enrich our campus through their involvement, passions, care for others, and demonstrated academic excellence.
To be eligible for transfer to Notre Dame, students must have completed at least one full academic year in a degree-seeking program at another college or university after graduating from high school. Students who are concurrently enrolled in both high school and college programs should follow our first-year admission process.
Evaluation Criteria
All transfer students must apply to a specific college and major at Notre Dame. To present a competitive application, you should have:
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Appropriate coursework for your desired major and outstanding academic performance in those courses.
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Completion of required courses for your college with a grade of ‘B’ or higher.
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A competitive college GPA. In recent years, the average GPA for admitted students has been 3.75 or higher.
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At least 24 transferable credits and a minimum of one year of college enrollment at an accredited institution. Please note that dual-enrollment courses do not count toward this minimum.
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An impressive high school academic record.
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A well-crafted personal statement that explains your interest in Notre Dame, your academic and professional goals, and how transferring to Notre Dame can contribute to achieving them.
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SAT or ACT assessment scores (optional for 2024 and 2025 application cycles)
For a complete list of required application materials and instructions, please refer to our Application Instructions.
Dates and Deadlines
Spring Enrollment
- Application Deadline: October 1, 2023
- Decision notification between December 1, 2023 - January 5, 2024
Fall Enrollment
- Application deadline: March 15, 2024
- Decision notification between May 20 - June 14, 2024
More information about the Fall and Spring Enrollment plans can be found under Apply.
Major Availability
The consideration of a student’s past academic performance along with the availability of space within their desired major are crucial factors in our decision-making process. The number of open spots in specific programs can vary annually. Some of our sought-after majors such as Neuroscience and Behavior, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Business Analytics, and Finance have very limited availability in a given year. Students who are interested in being considered for more than one program, have the opportunity to indicate an alternate intended major on their application.
Once admitted to a particular major, a student will not be allowed to change to another major at the University without the permission of their dean.
To learn more about each of our colleges and schools, explore their websites:
Course Selection
To learn more about what classes you need to take for your intended major in order to present a strong application, please view our required courses. It is imperative that you have the prerequisites needed for your intended course of study, so carefully review the required curriculum for your intended college and major.
When deciding what additional classes to take, we recommend aligning your course selection with Notre Dame’s Core Curriculum. The Core is organized around 11 Ways of Knowing and establishes a strong foundation in the liberal arts for all Notre Dame students. Regardless of intended major, interested transfer applicants should prioritize taking: a writing-intensive course such as writing and rhetoric or English composition, and courses in the quantitative reasoning and science and technology categories. These would include courses such as calculus, statistics, natural sciences and physical sciences.
Questions?
We encourage you to browse our frequently asked questions. We also have additional information for international transfer students.
If you have any remaining questions after reviewing our website, please email admissions@nd.edu.