Financials

Cost

ESTEEM tuition and fees for the current 2026-27 Academic Year is $69,610. A confirmation fee of $1,000 is required with the student’s acceptance of an offer of admission to the program. This fee is applied to the student’s tuition upon enrollment at the University and is non-refundable. For more information on the Universities assessed fees please look at the total program cost website. It is important to note that this is an estimate by the university and housing, food, supplies, travel and personal expenses can vary depending on where you live and your lifestyle. On average, current 2026-2027 students will likely spend a range of between $14k and $20k for rent, utilities, food, etc. over the 11 months that they are with us here in ESTEEM (between mid-June, 2025 and mid-May, 2027 when they graduate), which can be significantly less than the official university estimate.

The University requires all ESTEEM students to have health insurance coverage. At the beginning of each academic year, the opportunity is provided to show proof of personal health insurance coverage. In the event such proof is not presented, the student will automatically be enrolled in the University-sponsored plan, and the charge for the premium will be placed on the student’s account.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Accounts.

Scholarships

ESTEEM offers both merit- and need-based scholarship opportunities. All completed applications received by the ESTEEM program are considered for merit-based scholarships. Students can apply for additional need-based assistance, which gets determined on a case by case basis.

Factors considered by the Admissions Committee in the awarding of merit-based scholarships include:

  • Undergraduate GPA

  • Standardized Test Scores (optional for ESTEEM); only factors in if the tests are taken

  • Work experience (especially if it involves entrepreneurial or early stage start-up activity)

  • Research experience

  • Leadership roles and overall accomplishments outside of the classroom and/or workplace

  • Impact: Social/Environmental/University/Place of Work/Volunteer Work/Startup-Innovation

  • Letters of Recommendation

The average scholarship for the Class of 2026 was $37,654, allowing for ESTEEM to cover, on average, 56% of the tuition. Note that this commitment from ESTEEM is 100% scholarship and grants (no loans).

A bar graph titled "Average Scholarship per ESTEEM Class" shows the upward trend of scholarship amounts from 2016 to 2025. A dark blue line superimposed over the gold bars further illustrates the growth. In 2016, the average was about $15,000, increasing to nearly $35,000 by 2025.
A bar graph titled "Average Tuition Discount Rate per ESTEEM Class" shows the trend of increasing tuition discounts from 2016 to 2025. The discount rate starts around 33% in 2016 and steadily rises to approximately 55% by 2025. A dark gray diagonal line emphasizes the upward trend. The x-axis represents the ESTEEM class year, while the y-axis shows the average tuition discount rate as a percentage.

Financial Aid

ESTEEM students utilize a variety of sources to fund their education. For specific information regarding application procedures, deadlines, and application forms please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Federal Loans

Some ESTEEM students may be eligible for federal loans. Go here for some great information on borrowing.

Private Loans

Some students may consider private loan programs as a source of funding. The terms and conditions of these programs vary; students are encouraged to review the details before selecting a private loan program. As always, taking on debt for any reason should be done deliberately and only for the amount needed.

Student Employment

A significant number of our students work part-time as a student employee during their ESTEEM year. Students average 10-15 hours a week and have the potential to earn around $6,000-$7,000 each academic year, depending on the position. Please note, due to visa restrictions, international students may only work in on-campus positions. Both the ESTEEM program and the IDEA Center will hire for several different student positions each year. You can also apply to other positions across Notre Dame’s campus, take a look at the Student Jobs site for more information on possible student employment at Notre Dame.