Iowa vs. UIU

Should I go to University of Iowa or Upper Iowa University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Iowa or UIU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Iowa vs. Upper Iowa University comparison
University of Iowa Upper Iowa University College 3 College 4
University of Iowa
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Overview

 Iowa UIU
Location Iowa City, IA Fayette, IA
Setting Small City Remote Rural
Enrollment 30,042 3,102
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #225 #917
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uiowa.edu uiu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Iowa UIU
Tuition (In State) $9,016 $18,000
Tuition (Out of State) $30,979 $18,000
Room & Board $12,616 $9,770
Avg Net Price $20,121 $22,427
Avg Grant Aid $9,512 $25,995
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 99%

Admission

 Iowa UIU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,682 695
Admitted 21,746 649
Acceptance Rate 84.7% 93.4%
Enrolled % 23.3% 24.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.34
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/28 14/21
SAT Range 1130/1320 970/1160
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

 Iowa UIU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (40%)
  • Human Services (17%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

 Iowa UIU
Graduation Rate 71% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,800 $42,100
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 50%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,616 $24,000
Median Loan Payment $223 $248

Diversity

 Iowa UIU
% Men 12% 5%
% Women 14% 14%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 67% 66%
% Black 3% 19%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 12% 3%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

 Iowa UIU
% In-State 52% 49%
% Out-of-State 46% 51%

Campus

 Iowa UIU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Iowa is larger than than UIU based on total student enrollment (30,042 students vs. 3,102 students)

Iowa vs. UIU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Iowa or UIU?

  • Upper Iowa University is 99.6% more expensive to attend than Iowa for in-state tuition ($18,000.00 vs. $9,016.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 72.1% higher at Iowa than Upper Iowa University ($30,979.00 vs. $18,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Iowa than UIU ($20,121 vs. $22,427)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Upper Iowa University are 29.1% lower than costs at University of Iowa ($9,770 vs. $12,616)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Upper Iowa University than University of Iowa (99% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Upper Iowa University students is 173.3% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($25,995 vs. $9,512)

Iowa vs. UIU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Iowa or UIU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UIU or Iowa .

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 234 points higher than at UIU (930)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UIU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UIU (3.34)
  • UIU has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than Iowa (84.7%)

Iowa vs. UIU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Iowa or UIU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UIU and Iowa.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than Upper Iowa University (71% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $17,700 more per year than UIU graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $42,100)
  • University of Iowa students graduate with a $2,384 lower median federal student loan debt than UIU graduates. ($21,616 vs. $24,000)
  • Iowa graduates are paying $25 less per month on federal student loans than UIU graduates. ($223 vs. $248)
  • More Iowa graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIU students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 50%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/