Is Notre Dame or Vanderbilt more selective for undergraduate admission?

Vanderbilt is generally harder to get into for undergraduate admission than Notre Dame. Both schools are highly selective reaches for most applicants.

Notre Dame receives an exceptionally strong applicant pool and evaluates academic preparation, character, community contribution, and fit with its Catholic educational mission. A student whose record and activities genuinely connect with that mission may present a more coherent case there, but that does not remove the school’s high level of selectivity.

Vanderbilt’s applicant pool is especially broad and nationally competitive, so even applicants with excellent grades, rigorous coursework, and strong testing where submitted can face very limited odds. Its admissions process also places substantial weight on how a student will contribute to campus beyond academic credentials.

For list-building purposes, treat both as reaches rather than trying to label one a target. Vanderbilt belongs in the more difficult category overall, while Notre Dame remains selective enough that a strong applicant should balance it with realistic target and likely options.