Notre Dame Logo

University of Notre Dame du Lac is a private elite university. The symbol of the university is a cathedral with a golden dome with a statue of the Virgin Mary on top, which gives its Catholic roots. Its campus is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. The campus itself resembles a huge park with many tennis alleys, flowering beds, and benches for relaxation. Despite the religiosity of the establishment, it maintains a balance of faith and intellect in teaching traditions. It has the richest university library in the world (more than 3 million printed publications), which includes it among the 100 largest libraries in the country. Notre Dame conducts a huge amount of research in a wide variety of fields, and several research institutes have been created. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, football team, is considered one of the best in the country and is included in Division 1 of the NCAA. The basketball team is also well-accomplished.

Meaning and History

This educational establishment was founded in 1842 by the French priest Edward Sorin. Hence its name, which everyone associates primarily with France. Arts and Literature is the oldest college at this institution. Interestingly, until 1972, Notre Dame students were only males. Today, the university has five colleges and one professional school and offers quality education in 32 graduate programs and more than 50 undergraduate programs. There are approximately 120,000 alumni worldwide.

What is Notre Dame?
The University of Notre Dame is an independent Catholic private elite institution in Notre Dame. The university is among the best in the engineering and technology, arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, management, and life sciences. The university has about 12,000 students and has been ranked among the top twenty universities in the country for many years.

1964 – Today

A shield takes the center place in the logo. It features an open book with a cross at the back and waves at the bottom. The book holds an inscription that translates as “Life, Sweetness (agreeableness, charm), Hope”. The shield also features the star of the Virgin Mary in the upper left corner. The shield is typically placed on a beige circle with a golden pattern. The emblem also has a thick dark blue border that holds the full name printed in white using a serif font. The logo elements reflect its religious roots while the color palette gives it a serious, authoritative, and highly regarded appearance.

Font and Color

The color palette, specifically dark blue, golden, and crisp white, gives the logo a grand and impressive look.  Dark blue is often used to represent elegance, authority, and intelligence, which makes it a perfect choice for an elite educational institution. Beige, which serves as a neutral base, symbolizes simplicity, comfort, wisdom, and trust. The speckles of golden stand for generous and giving establishment, sharing its wisdom, knowledge, and wealth with others.

The font choice is just as sophisticated. It is a serif font with high-contrast strokes. The designer went for elegant transitional serifs, which gives it a classic look with a contemporary touch.