Private nonprofit · University

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa · Remote rural

96.5%
Admit rate
$20,942
Avg net price
34%
Graduation rate
$52,766
Median earnings

Upper Iowa University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Fayette, Iowa (remote rural setting), enrolling 1,994 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,994 undergradsRemote ruralAccessible · 96% admitNCAA Division II with football · Great Lakes Valley ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
96.5%
ACT (mid 50%)
17–23
Avg GPA (est.)
3.11

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

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

About Fayette, Iowa

Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. It was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. Fayette is the home of Upper Iowa University, a small private college. The Volga River State Recreation Area is located just north of Fayette, and many other parks and natural areas are nearby. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
198 miles
Nearest airport
36 miles to Waterloo (ALO)

How Upper Iowa University compares

Selectivity96.5%

More selective than 10% · #25 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1090

Higher than 27%

Graduation rate34%

Higher than 15% · #28 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention68%

Higher than 26%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$52,766

Higher than 47% · #22 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$20,942

Cheaper than 46% · #12 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio25 : 1

Lower than 4%

Undergraduate enrollment1,994

Larger than 57%

Percentiles compare Upper Iowa University 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

2,881students
  • Undergraduate1,99469%
  • Graduate88731%

Undergraduates by gender

1,994undergrads
  • Women1,35168%
  • Men64332%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White59%
  • Black18%
  • Hispanic9.3%
  • Asian1.5%
  • Other or multiracial12%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,994
Graduate enrollment
887
Student–faculty ratio
25 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
32%
First-generation students
45%
Students over 25
65%
Median family income
$31,130
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$54,315
Endowment
$21,808,149

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 158 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa49%
  • Other U.S. states51%
  • International0.6%

A regional draw: about 49% of first-years come from Iowa, the rest from elsewhere.

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
96.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1090
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
17–23
Average GPA (estimated)
3.11

Cost

In-state tuition
$19,475
Room & board
$10,121
Books & supplies
$1,025
Total cost of attendance
$34,022
Average net price
$20,942

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)
34%
Graduated on time (4 years)
25%
First-year retention
68%
Transferred to another college
36%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$48,776
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$52,766
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
40%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
45%

About 9% 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
25%
Low-income (Pell)
38%
First-generation
41%

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
752
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
38%
Housing charge (year)
$4,584
Meal plan (year)
$5,140
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Great Lakes Valley Conference
Varsity athletes
422 (278 men · 144 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)

Football106
Soccer74
Baseball56
Wrestling49
Basketball39
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)35
Softball21
Golf18
Volleyball16
Other Sports8

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
9
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 12 campuses (3,941 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.

3.3reported offenses a year
3.0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
2.0
Fondling
0.3
Robbery
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

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
$17,715
$30–48k
$22,774
$48–75k
$18,720
$75–110k
$20,041
$110k+
$23,805

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
$82,246

$18,720/year × about 4.4 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.

94%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$23,623
average award, among those who get one

Upper Iowa University discounts heavily: 94% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $23,623. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 187 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)
$52,766
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
72%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 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
$48,147
Men
$60,653

Men out-earn women by $12,506 (26%) 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
82°F
Winter low
6°F
Annual rain
39.5″
Annual snow
41.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.05.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fayette, IA US station (3.4 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 Upper Iowa University

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

Colleges near Upper Iowa University

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.