University of Notre Dame

Although Notre Dame is a Catholic school and requires students to take at least two theology courses, it welcomes students of all faiths. It is highly selective, reporting that almost 90% of its students were in the top 10% of their high school classes. And while the university may be best known for its humanities and business programs, it's also strong in the sciences. The pre-med track is especially grueling: The university warns students that it's a challenge to maintain a 3.0 GPA with those courses. About 97% of students finish within six years, meaning Notre Dame has one of the highest graduation rates in Money's rankings. Alumni are valued in the job market, with median early career salaries of nearly $89,000. And many go on to celebrated careers: Grads include the late talk show host Regis Philbin, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and actor Mark Consuelos. Notre Dame's Fighting Irish, including the football team, compete in Division I athletics. Sports are a big part of the university's social life, especially because there are no sororities or fraternities at Notre Dame. South Bend has museums, shops and restaurants aplenty, but if students are looking for more, Chicago is only a train (or bus) ride away.