University of Northern Colorado College Portrait
University of Northern Colorado1862 10th Avenue Greeley, CO 80639
888-700-4862
University of Northern Colorado
We are dedicated to making a positive difference, now and throughout life's journey. We inspire people to rise to their potential and make an impact for the future. We are dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of individuals and in our community.
With our rich 118-year history, dedicated faculty, active students, and NCAA Division 1 athletic teams, the University of Northern Colorado is large enough to provide a true university experience and small enough to treat students as individuals. It's a place where you can stand out, not just fit in. You are the reason we exist, so we do everything possible to ensure your success. You'll benefit from personal interaction with enthusiastic teacher-scholars. You'll take part in a curriculum that actually prepares you for life. Plus, you'll be supported by advisors and special programs that help you make the most of your university experience.
Living in the Bears Community
We are students, teachers and mentors who personally connect and learn together. Our size and culture support academic experiences where people truly connect and bring out the best in each other. We honor and nurture each other's potential, offering personal learning experiences where students and professors take part in an exciting and rewarding journey together.
One of the most important aspects of college life is how you spend your time outside the classroom. At UNC the options for building on what you learn in your classes are as diverse as our students. Whether you are interested in music or politics, hobbies or sports, when you become a Bear, you'll find a place to connect with others who share your interests. College is a place for you to explore new interests, build life-long friends, and prepare for your future. UNC's academic, cultural, religious, service, sports, and professional clubs and organizations have one goal in mind--creating a well-rounded college experience where learning and fun come together for future success.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 12,358 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 10,090 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 6,260 | 62% |
| Men | 3,830 | 38% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 58 | 1% |
| Asian | 205 | 2% |
| African American / Black | 395 | 4% |
| Hispanic | 1,229 | 12% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 8 | <1% |
| White | 7,025 | 70% |
| Two or More Races | 197 | 2% |
| International | 81 | 1% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 892 | 9% |
| Where do UNC undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 89% |
| Other US States & Territories | 10% |
| Other Countries | 1% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are UNC undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 22 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 12% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 19 - 25 | |
| Math | 17 - 25 | 450 - 580 |
| English | 18 - 25 | |
| Critical Reading | 460 - 580 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 38% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 70% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 86% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.22 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 99% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $19,225
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend University of Northern Colorado varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 31% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $7,007. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 36% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,376. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
UNC Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 57% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 85% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 498 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 50% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 10% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 87% |
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Campus-based Housing
90% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
29% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
Safety is everyone's business at UNC. From our residence hall staff to our full service police agency, we aim to support a safe campus. Residence hall perimeter doors are locked at all times, and guests are required to sign in. UNC's comprehensive emergency response plan promotes timely and well-coordinated responses to any problem that might arise. By partnering with members of the UNC and Greeley communities, we work hard to maintain a campus that is safe and enjoyable for all.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Doctoral/Research Universities
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Arts & sciences plus professions, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Comprehensive doctoral (no medical/veterinary)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
Student Activities and Involvement at UNC
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the College Senior Survey (CSS from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 99% of seniors have discussed course content with students outside of class
- 97% of seniors have studied with other students
- 12% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week in student clubs/groups
Active Learning Experiences
- 55% of seniors reported challenging a professor's ideas in class
- 65% of seniors reported they had an opportunity to work on a research project
- 93% of seniors reported they had an opportunity to apply classroom learning to "real life" issues
- 46% of seniors performed community service as a part of a class
- 13% of seniors participated in a study abroad program
- 84% of seniors worked on an independent study program
- 45% of seniors participated in an internship program
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 67% of seniors were satisfied with tutoring or other academic assistance
- 71% of seniors were satisfied with academic advising
- 63% of seniors were satisfied with career counseling and advising
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 90% of seniors were satisfied with the amount of contact with faculty
- 95% of seniors reported they had an opportunity to discuss coursework outside of class
- 80% of seniors were satisfied with their ability to find a faculty of staff mentor
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 78% of seniors indicated they socialized with someone of another racial or ethnic group
- 71% of seniors indicated they often had meaningful and honest discussions about race or ethnic relations outside of class
- 80% of seniors stated that their knowledge of people from different races or cultures is stronger since entering college
- 66% of seniors stated that their ability to get along with people of different races or cultures is stronger since entering college
Student Satisfaction
- 91% of seniors were satisfied with the overall quality of instruction they received
- 86% of seniors stated they would choose to enroll at this college again
- 77% of seniors were satisfied with the overall sense of community among students
- 93% of seniors were satisfied with their overall college experience
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at University of Northern Colorado in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 2,059 |
| Master's | 507 |
| Doctoral | 81 |
| Total | 2,647 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, AND FITNESS STUDIES | 24% |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 22% |
| Psychology, General | 10% |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 9% |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | 7% |
| Links to degree programs at University of Northern Colorado |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of Spring 2010 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 81% four-year success and progress rate means that 81% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
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Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 2,382 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 904 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 70%
More Information
Student Learning at University of Northern Colorado
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
At UNC, a commitment to student learning is at the center of all we do. We strive to be a model community of teaching and learning that engages every individual in the institution, values the contributions of all, and seeks continual improvement through evaluation. We embrace the teacher/scholar model, with a goal of hiring the best faculty who are dedicated first and foremost to teaching. We define student success as transformational learning, achieved by weaving together our curricular and co-curricular programs to promote lifelong learning. To ensure that we are delivering on this commitment, we assess student learning at the course, program, and university levels, using our assessment results to improve the educational experience of our students.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
2009-10 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1130
Senior Score: 1201
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 24
Senior Score: 23
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1110
Senior Score: 1124
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1182
Senior Score: 1321
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 24
Senior Score: 25
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1120
Senior Score: 1099