Public · University

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa · Small city

#2 best value in Iowa
92.7%
Admit rate
$15,901
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$55,177
Median earnings

University of Northern Iowa is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Cedar Falls, Iowa (small city setting), enrolling 7,529 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 7,529 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 93% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Missouri Valley ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Northern Iowa's admitted students.

Admit rate
92.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
1020–1280
Avg GPA (est.)
3.21

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Northern Iowa's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Northern Iowa's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Cedar Falls, Iowa

Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by brothers-in-law William R. Sturgis and Erasmus D. Adams. Initially, the city was named Sturgis Falls. In 1986, the City of Cedar Falls established the Cedar Falls Art and Culture Board, which oversees the operation of the city's Cultural Division and the James & Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
234 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to Waterloo (ALO)

How University of Northern Iowa compares

Selectivity92.7%

More selective than 18% · #23 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1122

Higher than 38%

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 74% · #8 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention82%

Higher than 66%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,177

Higher than 54% · #17 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$15,901

Cheaper than 68% · #2 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$19,691

Lower than 76%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 18%

Undergraduate enrollment7,529

Larger than 85%

Percentiles compare University of Northern Iowa with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Iowa.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

9,096students
  • Undergraduate7,52983%
  • Graduate1,56717%

Undergraduates by gender

7,529undergrads
  • Women4,48160%
  • Men3,04840%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White83%
  • Black3.4%
  • Hispanic6.2%
  • Asian1.7%
  • Other or multiracial5.6%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,529
Graduate enrollment
1,567
Student–faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
27%
First-generation students
22%
Students over 25
9%
Median family income
$70,582
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$76,878
Endowment
$224,410,285

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,552 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa91%
  • Other U.S. states8.7%
  • International0.8%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Northern Iowa draws overwhelmingly from Iowa.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
92.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1020–1280
SAT average
1122
SAT reading
520–650
SAT math
500–630
ACT composite
19–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.21

Cost

In-state tuition
$9,936
Out-of-state tuition
$21,712
Room & board
$9,986
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$22,278
Average net price
$15,901

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
47%
First-year retention
82%
Transferred to another college
22%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,222
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,177
Median debt at graduation
$19,691
Students with federal loans
46%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
68%

About 21% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
47%
Low-income (Pell)
58%
First-generation
58%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,594
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
48%
Housing charge (year)
$4,984
Meal plan (year)
$4,664
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Missouri Valley Conference
Varsity athletes
561 (269 men · 292 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)245
Football105
Basketball44
Wrestling36
Swimming and Diving (combined)34
Soccer28
Golf23
Softball22
Volleyball17
Tennis7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
42
Property offenses (2022–2024)
16

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (9,278 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

19reported offenses a year
14 violent a year5.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
8.0
Burglary
4.0
Fondling
3.7
Aggravated assault
1.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.3
Robbery
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,863
$30–48k
$11,751
$48–75k
$14,099
$75–110k
$17,740
$110k+
$18,706

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$62,798

$14,099/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

73%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,843
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 73% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,843. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,425 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$55,177
Typical debt at graduation
$19,691
Debt vs. one year's pay
36%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$50,656
Men
$62,353

Men out-earn women by $11,697 (23%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
11°F
Annual rain
36.3″
Annual snow
39.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Waterloo Muni AP, IA US station (4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Northern Iowa

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Northern Iowa side by side →

Colleges near University of Northern Iowa

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.