University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA · Public

Official website

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Admission rate

University of Northern Iowa admitted 92.7% of applicants university-wide (4,971 of 5,360).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide92.7%4,9715,360
In-state94.8%3,5333,726
Out-of-state89.9%1,1371,265
International applicants81.6%301369
Men92.0%1,8482,009
Women93.2%3,1223,349

Of 4,971 admitted students, 1,546 enrolled (31.1% yield).

University of Northern Iowa Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
880–1200
ACT (mid-50%)
20–26
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.253.99

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

University of Northern Iowa Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $34,972/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$21,712
Fees, housing, food, books & other$13,260
Sticker cost of attendance$34,972/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

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

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Regents' Distinguished Scholarship$10,000 per year (Merit)
  • UNI GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • UNI Iowa Merit ScholarshipVaries (Automatic)
  • UNI Nonresident Merit ScholarshipVaries (Automatic)
  • UNI Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • International Student ScholarshipUp to $10,000 per year (International Aid)

University of Northern Iowa Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Unofficial transcripts (can be uploaded in application; official required prior to enrollment)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Unofficial transcripts (can be uploaded in application; official required prior to enrollment)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

University of Northern Iowa · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

University of Northern Iowa requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$55,177
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
67.9%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
84%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$19,691
At graduation

University of Northern Iowa · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • WSJ: #289
  • Forbes: #395
  • Niche: #496

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (22%), Psychology (5%), Biological & life sciences (5%).

Student–faculty ratio: 17:1 · 35% of class sections have under 20 students.

University of Northern Iowa Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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