Is Michigan State or Notre Dame more worth it for undergrad?

The biggest practical tradeoff is cost versus brand power. Notre Dame usually carries more national prestige, a tighter alumni network, and stronger name recognition across the country, while Michigan State is often far less expensive, especially for in-state students, and still offers a large, well-respected undergraduate experience with broad academic options.

In reputation and perceived academic strength, Notre Dame is typically viewed as the more elite undergraduate institution. It has a strong emphasis on teaching, a very residential campus culture, and an alumni network that is famously loyal and active in hiring. For some fields, especially business, finance, consulting, and paths where school name and networking can matter a lot early on, that can translate into real long-term value.

Michigan State is not usually seen in the same prestige tier, but it is a major public research university with a strong national profile in several areas. It offers more scale, more program breadth, Big Ten resources, and strong opportunities in areas like education, communication, agriculture, supply chain, hospitality, and some STEM fields. For students who want a large-campus experience and can graduate with much less debt, that value can be excellent.

If the price difference is modest or Notre Dame would be affordable without major borrowing, most people would say Notre Dame is more worth it overall because of its undergraduate focus, reputation, and network.

So the short version is this: Notre Dame is more often considered the stronger undergrad credential, but Michigan State can absolutely be the better deal depending on cost. Between these two, "worth it" usually comes down less to academics alone and more to whether Notre Dame’s added prestige is worth the extra price in your specific case.