UNI vs. Simpson College

Should I go to University of Northern Iowa or Simpson College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNI or Simpson College 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 Northern Iowa vs. Simpson College comparison
University of Northern Iowa Simpson College College 3 College 4
University of Northern Iowa Simpson College
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Overview

UNI Simpson College
Location Cedar Falls, IA Indianola, IA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 8,945 1,151
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #414 #412
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uni.edu simpson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNI Simpson College
Tuition (In State) $8,111 $44,202
Tuition (Out of State) $19,265 $44,202
Room & Board $9,343 $9,654
Avg Net Price $15,782 $23,185
Avg Grant Aid $6,412 $35,898
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 100%

Admission

UNI Simpson College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,594 1,569
Admitted 4,362 1,398
Acceptance Rate 94.9% 89.1%
Enrolled % 32.9% 21.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.62
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 20/27
SAT Range 1020/1330 890/1280
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

UNI Simpson College
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

UNI Simpson College
Graduation Rate 67% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,700 $48,000
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,625 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $213 $279

Diversity

UNI Simpson College
% Men 36% 48%
% Women 64% 52%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 88%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 1%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UNI Simpson College
% In-State 91% 67%
% Out-of-State 8% 32%

Campus

UNI Simpson College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Northern Iowa is larger than than Simpson College based on total student enrollment (8,945 students vs. 1,151 students)

UNI vs. Simpson College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNI or Simpson College?

  • Simpson College is 445% more expensive to attend than UNI for in-state tuition ($44,202.00 vs. $8,111.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 129.4% higher at Simpson College than University of Northern Iowa ($44,202.00 vs. $19,265.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Northern Iowa than Simpson College ($15,782 vs. $23,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Northern Iowa are 3.3% lower than costs at Simpson College ($9,343 vs. $9,654)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Simpson College than University of Northern Iowa (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Simpson College students is 459.9% larger than aid received University of Northern Iowa ($35,898 vs. $6,412)

UNI vs. Simpson College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Simpson College (1104) is 54 points higher than at UNI (1050)
  • Incoming Simpson College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at UNI (23)
  • Accepted freshman Simpson College students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.62) than students at UNI (3.61)
  • UNI has a higher acceptance rate (94.9%) than Simpson College (89.1%)

UNI vs. Simpson College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNI or Simpson College? 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 Simpson College and UNI.

  • The graduation rate at Simpson College is higher than University of Northern Iowa (69% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Simpson College earn on average $300 more per year than UNI graduates after ten years. ($48,000 vs. $47,700)
  • University of Northern Iowa students graduate with a $6,375 lower median federal student loan debt than Simpson College graduates. ($20,625 vs. $27,000)
  • UNI graduates are paying $66 less per month on federal student loans than Simpson College graduates. ($213 vs. $279)
  • More Simpson College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNI students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 72%)

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