Forbes names Notre Dame top employer in Indiana for 2025
The University of Notre Dame has been named the top employer in Indiana by Forbes in its 2025 ranking of “America’s Best Employers by State.”
The recognition follows Notre Dame’s repeated appearances on Forbes’ national and state lists, including being ranked the No. 1 large employer in the United States earlier this year and the best employer in the education sector in Indiana in 2024. This continued recognition reflects a clear pattern of excellence in how the University supports and invests in its people.
“We are humbled and grateful to once again be recognized by Forbes as the best place to work in our home state of Indiana,” said Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan. “This honor is a tribute to the dedicated faculty and staff who bring Notre Dame’s mission to life each day, and to the ways in which we strive to care for one another as a community.”
Notre Dame ranked No. 1 out of 75 employers in Indiana. The Forbes rankings are based on surveys of more than 160,000 employees across industries, evaluating employers’ commitment to workplace culture, compensation and benefits.
At Notre Dame, that commitment is reflected in industry-leading benefits designed to support the whole person, from health and wellness to professional development and spiritual growth. Initiatives such as dedicated childcare centers, robust retirement and health care programs and an on-campus employee medical facility underscore the University’s ongoing dedication to its people.
“This honor is a reminder that when we invest in our people, we all thrive together,” said Vice President for Notre Dame Human Resources Heather Christophersen. “It challenges us to maintain focus on how we support, reward and celebrate the extraordinary faculty and staff who make Notre Dame what it is.”
Notre Dame’s continued recognition by Forbes highlights the University’s enduring commitment to its people, Christophersen said. To be named Indiana’s best employer is especially meaningful, she said, as it reflects not only the strength of the University’s workplace culture, but also the deep connection it shares with local communities. As the University continues to grow in impact and reach, it remains dedicated to ensuring that Notre Dame is a place where people are supported, inspired and proud to belong.
To find your golden opportunity, visit careers.nd.edu.
Latest University News
- Internationally recognized physician Tom Catena to visit Notre DamePhysician, humanitarian and medical missionary Dr. Tom Catena will visit the University of Notre Dame on Nov. 12 (Wednesday) to deliver the 2025 Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture at 5 p.m. in the Eck Visitors Center Auditorium. Catena’s lecture, titled “Hope and Healing,” is also part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum, which is organized around the theme “Cultivating Hope.”
- Karen Deak named executive director of Notre Dame’s IDEA CenterKaren Imgrund Deak has been selected as executive director of the IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame, where she has served in the interim role since September of 2024. She will lead the unit and oversee the roll out of its recent strategic reorganization. Deak brings to the role knowledge of developing partnerships at the IDEA Center, across the University, and beyond.
- Kevin and Cynthia O’Brien endow Notre Dame center devoted to international security research, teaching and leadership formationKevin and Cynthia O’Brien of Dallas have made a significant gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow the O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center, which provides a forum for scholars and students at the University of Notre Dame and elsewhere to explore the most pressing issues in national security policy.
- Notre Dame receives $2.5 million gift from Coca-Cola to expand entrepreneurship programs into FIFA World Cup 26 host citiesThe Coca-Cola Company in North America has awarded a $2.5 million gift to the University of Notre Dame’s Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI). The initiative brings together universities and nonprofit organizations committed to alleviating poverty and helping low-income and underprivileged individuals launch and grow sustainable businesses. The gift will enable UPBI, housed within the University’s Keough School of Global Affairs, to expand its network of partner organizations across the United States and into Canada, including cities that will host the FIFA World Cup 26.
- Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, DC, to speak at Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life’Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., will join University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., for a conversation titled “Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life” at 4 p.m. Friday (Oct. 17) in Room 215/216, McKenna Hall, as part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum on the theme “Cultivating Hope.” This event is free and open to the public.
- Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute partners with Vanderbilt University to launch 2025-26 democracy surveyThe University of Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies and Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy are partnering to advance one of the world’s leading surveys on attitudes toward democracy. Starting in October, the Center for Global Democracy, with support from the Kellogg Institute, will conduct the 2025-26 round of the AmericasBarometer, which tracks public opinion on democracy in 20 countries across the Americas.









