UNI vs. UIU

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

 UNI UIU
Location Cedar Falls, IA Fayette, IA
Setting Small City Remote Rural
Enrollment 9,013 3,102
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #509 #917
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uni.edu uiu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNI UIU
Tuition (In State) $8,396 $18,000
Tuition (Out of State) $19,940 $18,000
Room & Board $9,648 $9,770
Avg Net Price $15,931 $22,427
Avg Grant Aid $5,325 $25,995
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 99%

Admission

 UNI UIU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,913 695
Admitted 4,638 649
Acceptance Rate 94.4% 93.4%
Enrolled % 33.5% 24.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.34
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 14/21
SAT Range 860/1210 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

Academics

 UNI UIU
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Business (40%)
  • Human Services (17%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

 UNI UIU
Graduation Rate 67% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,700 $42,100
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 50%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,625 $24,000
Median Loan Payment $213 $248

Diversity

 UNI UIU
% Men 4% 5%
% Women 11% 14%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 66%
% Black 3% 19%
% Hispanic 3% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 UNI UIU
% In-State 91% 49%
% Out-of-State 9% 51%

Campus

 UNI 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 Northern Iowa is larger than than UIU based on total student enrollment (9,013 students vs. 3,102 students)

UNI vs. UIU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNI or UIU?

  • Upper Iowa University is 114.4% more expensive to attend than UNI for in-state tuition ($18,000.00 vs. $8,396.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.8% higher at UNI than Upper Iowa University ($19,940.00 vs. $18,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Northern Iowa than UIU ($15,931 vs. $22,427)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Northern Iowa are 1.3% lower than costs at Upper Iowa University ($9,648 vs. $9,770)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Upper Iowa University than University of Northern Iowa (99% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Upper Iowa University students is 388.2% larger than aid received University of Northern Iowa ($25,995 vs. $5,325)

UNI vs. UIU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Northern Iowa (1050) is 120 points higher than at UIU (930)
  • Incoming UNI students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at UIU (20)
  • Accepted freshman UNI students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at UIU (3.34)
  • UNI has a higher acceptance rate (94.4%) than UIU (93.4%)

UNI vs. UIU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNI 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 UNI.

  • The graduation rate at UNI is higher than Upper Iowa University (67% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from University of Northern Iowa earn on average $5,600 more per year than UIU graduates after ten years. ($47,700 vs. $42,100)
  • University of Northern Iowa students graduate with a $3,375 lower median federal student loan debt than UIU graduates. ($20,625 vs. $24,000)
  • UNI graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than UIU graduates. ($213 vs. $248)
  • More UNI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIU students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 50%)

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