How do Notre Dame and Boston College compare in admissions difficulty?

The biggest practical difference is that Notre Dame sits a tier above Boston College in overall admissions difficulty. Both are selective private Catholic universities with strong academics and national name recognition, but Notre Dame draws a broader national and international applicant pool and is typically viewed as the more competitive admit. Boston College is still very hard to get into, just not usually at quite the same level.

In real terms, that means an applicant who looks solid for Boston College may still see Notre Dame as more of a reach. Notre Dame tends to attract a very high volume of top-performing students, and its admissions process is known for being especially demanding academically. Boston College also expects strong grades, rigorous coursework, and meaningful involvement, but the bar is usually a bit less extreme.

Their similarities can make the comparison confusing. Both schools care a lot about academic preparation, character, community engagement, and fit with the school’s mission. If you are building a college list, it makes sense to treat both as selective schools, but to place Notre Dame in the harder-to-get-into category between the two.

So yes, one is noticeably harder in a general sense: Notre Dame. Boston College remains highly selective and should not be treated as easy or likely, but if the question is purely about admissions difficulty, Notre Dame is the tougher admit.