University of Northern Colorado

University of Northern Colorado logo
#1539 / #450
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#556
Most Desirable School
State university in Greeley, Colorado, United States

University of Northern Colorado at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#450
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
86%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$12,882
Graduation rate
49%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
5,598

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

University of Northern Colorado Featured Rankings

About University of Northern Colorado

According to Wikipedia, The University of Northern Colorado is a public university in Greeley, Colorado. The university was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has officially changed its name three times, first to Colorado State College of Education, at Greeley on February 16, 1935, Colorado State College on February 11, 1957, and its current form since May 1, 1970. Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled in six colleges. Extended campus locations are in Loveland, Denver/Aurora, and Colorado Springs. UNC's 19 athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Big Sky Conference.

University of Northern Colorado Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
10,27486%76%49%107023

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does University of Northern Colorado Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$12,882
Average Net Price by Family Income (2024–25)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$14,903
30K - 48K$15,715
48K - 75K$15,834
75K - 110K$19,030
110K+$25,151

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do University of Northern Colorado Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former University of Northern Colorado students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $56,980 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

University of Northern Colorado's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
10,4047,2723,132

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is University of Northern Colorado?

University of Northern Colorado is located at Carter Hall - Rm 4000, Greeley, CO 80639.

How Safe is University of Northern Colorado?

Like every college that receives federal student aid, University of Northern Colorado publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.

Relative to its enrollment, University of Northern Colorado has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.51%. Greeley has a violent crime rate of 0.67% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.05%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.

What Is University of Northern Colorado Known For?

University of Northern Colorado is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

University of Northern Colorado's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much University of Northern Colorado's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Education
#1157
World Rank
#1143
Historical Rank
#282
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #282 in the U.S. and #1157 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Sociology
#1272
World Rank
#1282
Historical Rank
#359
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #359 in the U.S. and #1272 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Literature
#1167
World Rank
#1197
Historical Rank
#386
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #386 in the U.S. and #1167 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Political Science
#1590
World Rank
#1605
Historical Rank
#393
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #393 in the U.S. and #1590 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
History
#1169
World Rank
#1182
Historical Rank
#412
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #412 in the U.S. and #1169 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Communications
#1653
World Rank
#1685
Historical Rank
#446
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #446 in the U.S. and #1653 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Earth Sciences
#1878
World Rank
#1892
Historical Rank
#456
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #456 in the U.S. and #1878 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.

earth-science Degrees
Mathematics
#1951
World Rank
#1665
Historical Rank
#475
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #475 in the U.S. and #1951 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Business
#1765
World Rank
#1766
Historical Rank
#490
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #490 in the U.S. and #1765 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
Medical
#1858
World Rank
#1864
Historical Rank
#494
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #494 in the U.S. and #1858 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
Social Work
#1221
World Rank
#1222
Historical Rank
#501
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #501 in the U.S. and #1221 worldwide for influence in Social Work.

social-work Degrees
Biology
#2150
World Rank
#2175
Historical Rank
#506
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #506 in the U.S. and #2150 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Computer Science
#2449
World Rank
#2456
Historical Rank
#532
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #532 in the U.S. and #2449 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Philosophy
#1786
World Rank
#1839
Historical Rank
#534
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #534 in the U.S. and #1786 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Anthropology
#1660
World Rank
#1672
Historical Rank
#543
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #543 in the U.S. and #1660 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.

anthropology Degrees
Criminal Justice
#1082
World Rank
#1087
Historical Rank
#580
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #580 in the U.S. and #1082 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
Physics
#2560
World Rank
#2588
Historical Rank
#581
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #581 in the U.S. and #2560 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Psychology
#1648
World Rank
#1660
Historical Rank
#637
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #637 in the U.S. and #1648 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
Economics
#4133
World Rank
#4139
Historical Rank
#691
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #691 in the U.S. and #4133 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Engineering
#4036
World Rank
#4048
Historical Rank
#699
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #699 in the U.S. and #4036 worldwide for influence in Engineering.

engineering Degrees
Chemistry
#4475
World Rank
#4482
Historical Rank
#1081
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #1081 in the U.S. and #4475 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Nursing
#2962
World Rank
#2963
Historical Rank
#1164
USA Rank

University of Northern Colorado ranks #1164 in the U.S. and #2962 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees

Who Are University of Northern Colorado's Most Influential Alumni?

University of Northern Colorado's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Education, and History. Here are some of University of Northern Colorado's most famous alumni:

Jeffrey Beall
Jeffrey Beall
An American librarian.
James A. Michener
James A. Michener
An American author .
Al Jourgensen
Al Jourgensen
A Cuban-American musician.
Connie Willis
Connie Willis
An American science fiction writer.
Sully Sullenberger
Sully Sullenberger
An American commercial airline pilot.
Lynn Lashbrook
An American sports agent.
Jc Beall
Jc Beall
An American philosopher .
Carlotta Walls LaNier
Carlotta Walls LaNier
An American activist.
Robert L. Scott
An American writer.
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb
An Egyptian author, educator, poet, and politician .
Bill Frisell
An American jazz guitarist.
Robert Heinich
An American instructional designer .

Who Are University of Northern Colorado's Most Influential Faculty?

Laurie Koehn
An American basketball player.