Is Notre Dame harder to get into than Penn State?

The biggest practical difference is that Notre Dame sits in a much more selective admissions tier overall, while Penn State is competitive but far more accessible to a broad range of strong applicants. Notre Dame reviews applicants in a highly holistic way and draws a national pool where top grades, rigorous coursework, and strong extracurriculars are the norm. Penn State also attracts many qualified students, but overall admission is less difficult than at Notre Dame, even though some Penn State programs and campuses can be more competitive than others.

So for a simple comparison, yes, Notre Dame is harder to get into than Penn State. That is true on the whole, not just by a small margin. An applicant who would be considered solidly competitive at Penn State might still be a reach candidate at Notre Dame.

One reason this can feel confusing is that Penn State has variation within the university. University Park is more sought after than some other Penn State campus options, and majors such as engineering, business, or nursing may be tougher than the general university standard. But even with that nuance, Notre Dame remains the more difficult admit overall.

For college list planning, it makes sense to think of Notre Dame as a high reach for most students and Penn State as a more realistic target or possible likely, depending on your academics and the campus or major you want.