Forbes has named the University of Notre Dame as America’s Best Large Employer for the first time.
The university edged out 700 other organizations with at least 5,000 employees.
Notre Dame has appeared on the Best Large Employer list six times. In 2024, it was the 20th-ranked employer and top educational institution in 2024.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who works at Notre Dame for their invaluable contributions to our mission,” said Rev. Robert Dowd, university president, in a press release. “Our accomplished and dedicated employees are our most valuable asset, and it is because of their efforts that the university is receiving this wonderful recognition.”
Heather Christophersen, Notre Dame human resources vice president, said the recognition is a testament to the university’s culture of care.
“We strive to create a workplace where every person feels valued, supported and empowered to make a difference both in their own life and in the world,” she said.
Over the past three years, Notre Dame has expanded its employee wellness center. It has enriched its emotional well-being, caregiving and education benefits for employees. The university also announced the addition of a new on-campus child care facility.
Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to compile this year’s list. The rankings are based primarily on anonymous survey responses from current and former employees.
Survey respondents were asked if they would recommend their employer to others. Respondents also rate their employer on criteria, including salary, work environment, training programs and opportunities to advance.
The responses were analyzed along with survey data from the past three years to account for fluctuations in the data. More recent data and evaluations from current employees is weighted more heavily than others.
Forbes has been ranking America’s Best Large Employers for 10 years. It also ranks the best mid-size employers.
