<p>chicago has more selectivity/prestige, and the students are of a higher caliber. notre dame’s good, too, but not really in the same league as chicago. nd is very, very catholic (they think georgetown is a heathen school) and very conservative. chicago, to put it lightly, has a less christian crowd, and is heavy on the atheists. its liberalism pervades the atmosphere of the entire school, and the conservatives here have a rough time expressing their views. chicago is much more academically intense.
other than that, yes, they are both good schools in the midwest.</p>