University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, 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 Iowa Featured Rankings
- #3 Best Public Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #3 Iowa's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa
- #5 Iowa's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #5 Best Online MBAs Iowa
- #7 Best Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #12 Online Master's in Art Education
- #21 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #40 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
About University of Northern Iowa
According to Wikipedia, The University of Northern Iowa is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 90 majors across five colleges. The fall 2023 total enrollment was 9,021 students. The university was initially founded in 1876 as the Iowa State Normal School, with a purpose of training school teachers and educators. The University of Northern Iowa is one of three public universities in Iowa. The Iowa Board of Regents governs these universities as with the University of Northern Iowa.
University of Northern Iowa's Online Degrees
EDD in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Educational Leadership - Principal
- Superintendent
- or Special Education Director track
- Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Allied Health
- Recreation
- and Community Services
- Required Credits: 48
MA in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Early Childhood Education
- Elementary Education
- Literacy Education
BAS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Elementary Education
- Required Credits: 48-53
- Completion Time: 2 years
MA in Mathematics
Degree Concentrations
- Mathematics for Elementary and Middle Grades (K-8)
- Community College Teaching Emphasis
- Secondary Teaching Emphasis
- Required Credits: 35
MA in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development
- Completion Time: 3-5 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Education (MAE) degree or an Advanced Studies Certificate (ASC) in Principalship
- Required Credits: 35
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Physical Education - Pedagogy
- Required Credits: 51
- Format: Fully online
MPH in Social Work
Degree Concentrations
- Trauma Informed Practice
- Format: Fully online
MA in Education in Special Education
Degree Concentrations
- Consultant
- Field Specialization
- Format: Fully online
MA in Teacher Leadership for International Educators
- Required Credits: 30
BAS in Managing Business and Organizations
- Required Credits: 63
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Teaching English in Secondary Schools
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Required Credits: 39
- Format: Fully online
University of Northern Iowa Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,913 | 93% | 82% | 69% | 1150 | 22 |
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 Iowa Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $10,201 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $11,415 |
| 30K - 48K | $11,060 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,066 |
| 75K - 110K | $16,728 |
| 110K+ | $19,187 |
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 Iowa Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of Northern Iowa students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $57,187 a year, and 95% 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 Iowa's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 10,303 | 8,433 | 1,870 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of Northern Iowa?
University of Northern Iowa is located at 1227 W 27th St, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0005.
How Safe is University of Northern Iowa?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, University of Northern Iowa 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 Iowa has a violent crime rate of 0.11% and a property crime rate of 0.06%. Cedar Falls has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.14%. 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 Iowa Known For?
University of Northern Iowa is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- History
- Education
- Computer Science
- Business
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Social Work
- Communications
- Literature
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Economics
- Sociology
- Physics
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Engineering
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
University of Northern Iowa's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Northern Iowa'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
University of Northern Iowa ranks #303 in the U.S. and #851 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #364 in the U.S. and #1565 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #373 in the U.S. and #1715 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #399 in the U.S. and #1404 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #414 in the U.S. and #1764 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #423 in the U.S. and #1784 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #433 in the U.S. and #1076 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #454 in the U.S. and #1672 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #471 in the U.S. and #1434 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #502 in the U.S. and #2064 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #506 in the U.S. and #948 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #511 in the U.S. and #3068 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #523 in the U.S. and #1809 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #524 in the U.S. and #2326 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #546 in the U.S. and #2218 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #582 in the U.S. and #1510 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #626 in the U.S. and #1960 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #784 in the U.S. and #2772 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #831 in the U.S. and #2760 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #929 in the U.S. and #5041 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #1047 in the U.S. and #4371 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of Northern Iowa ranks #1389 in the U.S. and #6462 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are University of Northern Iowa's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Northern Iowa's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of History, Criminal Justice, and Social Work. Here are some of University of Northern Iowa's most famous alumni:
- Robert James Waller
- An American writer.
- Jane Elliott
- An American schoolteacher known for her "Blue eyes/Brown eyes" exercise.
- Chuck Grassley
- A United States Senator from Iowa.
- Mona Van Duyn
- An American poet.
- Ruth Watkins
- An Agron.
- Robert B. Kamm
- An American academic.
- Michael Hogan
- An American academic and historian.
- Joan Larsen
- A United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.
- Duane Slick
- A Native American painter and professor.
- Jon Gjerde
- An American historian.
- Raychelle Burks
- An American analytical and forensic chemist, and science communicator.
- William Birenbaum
- An American college administrator .
