Computer Engineering at University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame's computer engineering graduates likely enter a robust job market, with comparable Indiana programs suggesting first-year earnings around $75,000—though notably trailing the state's top performers at Rose-Hulman ($92,000) and Purdue ($90,000) by substantial margins. Given Notre Dame's highly selective admission profile (12% acceptance rate, 1510 SAT average), this gap is surprising and worth understanding. The estimated $26,000 in debt sits comfortably below the national median for computer engineering programs, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 that suggests manageable repayment regardless of where actual outcomes land.

The real question is whether Notre Dame's brand and network justify what appears to be a performance gap with its in-state peers. Computer engineering is typically a field where technical preparation matters more than institutional prestige, and both Rose-Hulman and Purdue have deep employer relationships in engineering. If your child is drawn to Notre Dame for its holistic education and alumni connections beyond engineering, the estimated debt burden won't derail their financial future. But if maximizing engineering career outcomes is the priority, the data from comparable programs suggests looking closely at why Notre Dame's computer engineering students might be starting $14,000-17,000 behind graduates from programs that are easier to get into and may cost less.