Notre Dame SAT: Average Scores, Ranges, and What You Need to Know

University of Notre Dame's SAT scores reflect one of the most selective Catholic universities in the country. With an average of 1510 and a middle 50% range spanning 1470 to 1540, you are looking at a school where admitted students score at the 99th percentile nationally. The relatively tight range demonstrates that nearly all successful applicants demonstrate exceptionally strong test performance, indicating just how competitive the academic environment is. However, this high concentration of elite scores does not mean your SAT result alone will determine your admission outcome at Notre Dame.

When thinking about what constitutes a "good" SAT score for Notre Dame, you should understand that at such a selective institution, a strong test score serves as an academic credential rather than a ticket to admission on its own. Scoring within the middle 50% range of 1470 to 1540 puts you in the academically competitive tier, but you need to recognize that tens of thousands of applicants submit scores in this exact range every year, yet only about 11% of all applicants gain admission. A score around 1470 places you at the lower boundary of admitted students, while a 1540 positions you in the upper quartile. However, even a perfect 1600 does not guarantee your acceptance because the admissions committee evaluates far more than test scores when reviewing your complete application.

Regarding what score you should aim to achieve at Notre Dame, you should strive not to fall significantly below 1410, which represents roughly the 25th percentile of admitted students. While some students have been admitted with scores slightly below 1410, these admissions are exceptions that typically involved extraordinary strengths in other areas of the application, such as exceptional essays, compelling life circumstances, award-winning extracurricular involvement, or demonstrated leadership. Any score substantially below 1410 would make acceptance unlikely unless you possess truly remarkable credentials elsewhere. The higher you can push your score toward 1540, the stronger your quantitative profile appears to the admissions office, though this does not automatically overcome weaknesses in high school grades, course rigor, or other important application components.

Notre Dame is test-optional through at least the 2026-27 admissions cycle, which means you are not required to submit either an SAT or ACT score as part of your application. Even though the policy is test-optional, the admissions office notes that significant quantitative evidence is typically demonstrated by its strongest applicants. If you choose not to submit scores, you will still receive full consideration in the admissions review process. However, many successful applicants do choose to submit strong test results because they provide another way to demonstrate academic readiness for Notre Dame's rigorous curriculum.

Notre Dame employs a superscoring policy for the SAT that works significantly in your favor. This means that when you take the SAT multiple times, Notre Dame will combine your highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score with your highest Math section score, even if these top scores came from different test dates. For example, if you score 720 on Reading and Writing in March, then 790 on Math in May, Notre Dame will use 1510 as your superscore by combining the 720 EBRW with the 790 Math. This policy gives you a real advantage because you do not need to have your strongest performance across all sections on the same test day, allowing you to target weak sections on future attempts without worrying that previous lower scores will hurt you.

Your SAT score functions as one component among many in Notre Dame's holistic admissions review, which evaluates students based on a comprehensive understanding of who you are as a person and student. While your test score provides valuable evidence of academic preparation and your ability to handle rigorous coursework, the admissions committee simultaneously evaluates your high school transcript, the rigor of courses you took, your GPA, teacher recommendations, personal essays that reveal your character and future aspirations, your extracurricular involvement and leadership, and your demonstrated interest in attending Notre Dame. A strong SAT score cannot compensate for weak academics, limited course rigor, or a thin extracurricular profile, nor can it overcome inconsistent effort throughout your high school years. Instead, your test score works alongside these other elements to create a complete picture of you as a student and person.

At a school as selective as Notre Dame, where nearly all admitted students have near-perfect test scores and GPAs, your SAT score alone becomes a necessary but not sufficient credential for admission. The admissions officers use your test score to confirm your academic readiness for Notre Dame's intellectual demands, but they ultimately seek students who demonstrate leadership, unique talents, meaningful contributions to their communities, or compelling personal narratives that show how you will enrich the Notre Dame community. You could have a 1600 SAT and still face rejection if your overall application lacks depth, authenticity, or evidence of genuine intellectual curiosity and growth. Conversely, a slightly lower score might not disqualify you if the rest of your profile is exceptionally strong and tells a compelling story about your potential to thrive and make an impact at Notre Dame.

AdmitStudio users who have found success at top colleges often approach their applications as a single, cohesive story, not a checklist of impressive achievements. Rather than treating essays, activities, and recommendations as separate pieces, they focus on presenting themselves as a clear, memorable individual with defined values, motivations, and strengths. Their essays help admissions officers understand why they pursued certain activities, how their experiences shaped them, and what kind of person they would be on campus. This clarity makes it easier for readers to grasp who the applicant is within just a few minutes of review.

AdmitStudio users who are successful also tend to use their essays to connect and reinforce the rest of their application, not repeat it. The essay highlights a few core traits, such as curiosity, leadership, resilience, or initiative, while the activities list and recommendations quietly support those same traits with evidence. By aligning every part of the application around a consistent narrative, these students stand out not because they try to be extraordinary, but because they are specific, authentic, and intentional. Admissions officers come away with a strong sense of the applicant's identity and how they would uniquely contribute to the university community.