Student Life
A Community Where You Can Thrive
From the moment you arrive on campus, you'll become part of a community where you belong. The heart of your Notre Dame experience starts in your residence hall, but it stretches far beyond—to faith communities, service opportunities, student clubs and organizations, and traditions that bring campus to life. Alongside lifelong friends and mentors, you'll find the support to explore your interests, embrace new opportunities, and make Notre Dame your home.
Student Clubs and Organizations
500+ Ways to Explore and Strengthen Your Talents and Passions
It would be overkill to list all 500+ student clubs and organizations, but it’s important to know that no matter where your interests lie, you can explore them at Notre Dame. Our students captain interhall athletic teams, write for The Observer, our student newspaper, and lead the student government. They develop ideas through the Entrepreneurship Society. They motivate children to pursue their dreams through College Mentors for Kids. From acappella to rock-climbing at Duncan Student Center, our students fill their time outside of the classroom with experiences that enrich their lives and shape their education—and they have a lot of fun while they’re at it.
From our insightful class discussions to beautiful walks across campus and late-night laughs in the dorms, ND has been a constant learning journey that I get to enjoy alongside the best friends and professors.
There was never a doubt in my mind that I would like being at Notre Dame. What I've learned after two years of being a student is that I don't only love being at Notre Dame. I love Notre Dame, from the people that make it up, to living in community with friends, to being surrounded by the Church. I have grown so much because of ND and can only hope to grow more.
Notre Dame allowed me to branch out and explore my interests in ways that were not previously available to me. Through providing support to organizations that create meaningful changes on campus and beyond, Notre Dame shows that they truly care about their students and what they achieve. I cannot imagine myself pursuing my passions at any other academic institution.
Residence Halls
Thirty-Three Residential Communities, Four Walls, A Thousand Points of View
100% of first-year students and 80%+ of sophomores, juniors, and seniors live in the 33 single-sex residential communities on campus.
There are no fraternities or sororities at Notre Dame—the residence hall is the focus of social, religious, and intramural athletic activities. Each hall boasts its own chapel, signature annual event, interhall athletic teams, service initiatives, and personality.
Athletics
Continue to play the sport you love at a high level
Even if you're not a varsity athlete, Notre Dame provides countless opportunities to engage in athletics, including:
- Interhall sporting events, every residence hall fields its own teams in football, basketball, soccer, and more
- Extensive recreational facilities, including the Smith Center for Recreational Sports and Rockne Memorial
- An intramural program that Sports Illustrated deemed one of the best in the country
We Are Notre Dame
Home of the Fighting Irish, Notre Dame has earned 36 national championships since 1924. Most recently, the Irish fencing team captured its 14th championship in March 2025.
- Notre Dame has ranked number one in student-athlete graduation rate among all NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools for the last 14 years.
- The Women's Basketball Team has won the NCAA National Championship twice, first in 2001, and again in 2018 when the No. 1-seeded Irish completed the second-largest comeback in Final Four history to defeat the No. 1-seeded Bulldogs 61-58.
- 14 National Fencing Championships: (Men) 1977, 1978, 1986, (Women) 1987, (Combined) 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
The Arts
Inspiration can Happen Anywhere. Here, it Happens Everywhere.
With hundreds of arts events annually and numerous programs and departments, the Notre Dame campus offers a wide variety of opportunities for students to explore the fine and performing arts. Museums and galleries, like the Snite Museum of Art, host exhibits and events, along with showcases of student work. Venues like the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center attract international acts and feature music, dance, theatre, and cinema.
South Bend
Explore South Bend
Located adjacent to South Bend, Indiana, Notre Dame students bridge campus and city life effortlessly. Students frequently walk to Eddy Street Commons for dining, shopping, and student apartments, or venture into downtown South Bend to explore the local food scene, regional parks, and the St. Joseph River. This proximity allows undergraduates easy access to off-campus internships, local community service initiatives, and seasonal outdoor recreation.