University of Northern Iowa College Portrait
University of Northern Iowa1227 West 27th Street Cedar Falls, IA 50614
(319) 273-2281
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa provides a high-quality and diverse educational experience, purposefully guiding students to find and develop their strengths and prepare them for success after college. Building on its historic excellence in teacher education, UNI has developed outstanding programs in business, natural sciences, humanities and fine arts, and social and behavioral sciences. Advanced degrees are available in many programs. UNI enjoys national recognition for its high educational standards. U.S. News & World Report has ranked UNI in the top three Midwest public universities for the past 14 years. UNI's size -- just over 13,200 students -- allows it to offer the faculty, facilities and academic choices of a large university, while retaining a friendly, small-college atmosphere on a compact, park-like campus. For more information, see www.IamUNI.net or call us at 800-772-2037.
Living in the UNI Community
Students will find a wide variety of activities on campus and within the Cedar Falls/Waterloo community. Catch a Broadway show at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, attend a lecture by a nationally recognized speaker, conquer the indoor rock-climbing wall at the Wellness/Recreation Center or cheer on the Division I Panthers. The surrounding communities offer live music, comedy clubs, waterparks, great restaurants, shopping, coffee shops, parks and more than 80 miles of bike trails. You can also catch an exciting minor league hockey match or baseball game. There’s always something interesting to do.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 13,201 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 11,391 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 6,445 | 57% |
| Men | 4,946 | 43% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 21 | <1% |
| Asian | 105 | 1% |
| African American / Black | 303 | 3% |
| Hispanic | 232 | 2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 4 | <1% |
| White | 10,192 | 89% |
| Two or More Races | 103 | 1% |
| International | 333 | 3% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 98 | 1% |
| Where do UNI undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Iowa | 92% |
| Other US States & Territories | 5% |
| Other Countries | 3% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are UNI undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 9% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Composite | 21 - 25 |
| Math | 20 - 25 |
| English | 20 - 26 |
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 | 46% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 84% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 88% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.45 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 98% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $16,705
Out-of-State & Other Costs
More Information
The cost to attend University of Northern Iowa 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
- 34% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $4,853. 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
- 48% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,547. 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 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
UNI Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 17 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 65% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 92% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 623 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 43% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 13% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 73% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
92% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
39% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
The Department of Public Safety (www.vpaf.uni.edu/pubsaf) is a full-service law enforcement agency for the campus and has over 25 certified officers. The campus safety program includes blue light emergency telephones, an escort service, campus walking patrols, crime alerts, video monitoring of parking areas and crime prevention programming (including RAD). The UNI Alert (www.uni.edu/resources/alert) system notifies students, faculty and staff of emergencies on campus via text messaging, voice mail and email. As a result of these efforts, the campus is a safe environment and crime is minimal.
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
- Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- Very high undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Doctoral, professional dominant
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at UNI
The National Survey of Student Engagement, or NSSE ("nessie"), has been administered through the Office of Academic Assessment at UNI every spring since the 2005-2006 school year. NSSE was originally identified for use, along with other data, to examine student learning outcomes related to the goals of the UNI Liberal Arts Core, or general education program.
Beyond its use with the Core, NSSE provides information on student experiences and perceptions that is used by a wide range of academic and student affairs departments and offices across campus. For example, NSSE data have been used by the UNI Diversity Council, the Foundations of Excellence studies of the first-year experience and the transfer year experience at UNI, First Year Council, and the Office of Academic Advising. Data gained from NSSE are shared on web sites maintained by the Office of Academic Assessment and the Office of Institutional Research.
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 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). 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
- 95% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 52% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 29% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 87% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 18% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 57% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 62% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 12% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 97% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 97% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 75% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 68% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 95% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 62% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 80% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 94% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 67% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 64% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 87% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 38% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 88% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 89% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 86% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at University of Northern Iowa in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 2,347 |
| Master's | 567 |
| Doctoral | 20 |
| Total | 2,934 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| EDUCATION | 12% |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 7% |
| Accounting | 5% |
| Psychology, General | 4% |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 4% |
| Links to degree programs at University of Northern Iowa |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of 2009-10 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 90% four-year success and progress rate means that 90% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
More Information
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 1,652 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 961 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 83%
Student Learning at University of Northern Iowa
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.
UNI has had procedures in place for the assessment of student learning since the early 1990's. Each department is required to develop statements of intended student learning outcomes for each academic program area, along with a plan for assessing student learning in the program. Information gathered from assessment of student learning is used to make changes at the course and curriculum level in order to increase levels of student performance for the stated outcomes. Learning in the Liberal Arts Core is measured through assessments conducted for each category of courses in the Core through the LAC Category Review Process and through administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the ETS Proficiency Profile, and the Graduating Senior Survey, which is administered by the Office of Institutional Research.
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.
2008-10 Results from the ETS Proficiency Profile (formerly MAPP)
The ETS Proficiency Profile (formerly MAPP) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and written communication and reports separate scores on critical thinking and written communication.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Critical Thinking 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: 110
Senior Score: 113
ETS score range: 100 to 130
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 23
Senior Score: 23
Written Communication 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: 114
Senior Score: 115
ETS score range: 100 to 130
Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 23
Senior Score: 23