Which is generally considered more prestigious: Notre Dame or Boston University?

Notre Dame is generally viewed as more prestigious overall. It has a particularly strong national reputation, a very prominent alumni network, and a long-established brand that carries weight well beyond the Midwest. In most broad prestige conversations, Notre Dame is the name that tends to land a bit higher.

One concrete difference is the type of reputation each school has. Notre Dame is seen as an institution with a more traditional elite-college identity, helped by its residential campus culture, famous athletics presence, and strong loyalty among alumni. That combination gives it unusually high name recognition across the country, including among people who do not closely follow higher education.

Another differentiator is how each school is perceived academically across the whole university. Boston University is very well respected and has excellent programs, especially in areas like communications, business, international relations, and some health-related fields. But its reputation is often more program-specific, while Notre Dame more often gets broad institutional prestige credit.

The alumni and network piece matters too. Notre Dame’s alumni base is known for being especially engaged and proud of the school, and that can amplify how the name is received in hiring, recruiting, and social perception.

BU is absolutely a high-status, well-known university, and in certain fields or urban-professional circles it may be viewed just as strongly. But if the question is overall reputation and prestige in a general national sense, Notre Dame usually comes out ahead.