AVERAGE: 68
Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university established in 1876. Situated on a 900 acre campus, UNI was once a housing place for orphans before being turned into the Iowa State Normal School; the school experienced multiple name changes through its first several years before settling on its current moniker in 1967. Consistently ranked as one of the “Best in the Midwest”, UNI boasts several notable alumni, including United States Ambassadors, United States Senators, State Representatives, several National Football League players, and more. Founded on a strong liberal arts curriculum, UNI is dedicated to providing its students with a world-class education in a personalized learning environment.
Academic Programs
The University of Northern Iowa is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and has been since 1917. UNI offers more than 150 areas of study with 90-plus undergraduate majors including the state of Iowa’s number one teaching program. Made up of several colleges, these include the College of Education, College of Business Administration, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences, and UNI’s Graduate College. UNI’s numerous academic departments and schools include the Departments of Accounting; School of Applied Human Sciences; Department of Art; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Communication Studies; Computer Science; Economics; Finance; Geography; Languages and Literatures; Management; Marketing; Mathematics; School of Music; Philosophy and World Religions; Physics; Political Science; Psychology; Social Work; Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology; Teacher Education; Technology; and Theatre.99% of UNI’s classes are taught by faculty, not graduate students and a number of academic, global, and undergraduate research opportunities are available to students, including study abroad, the National Student Exchange program, Service Learning, and more. UNI also offers a wide variety of undergraduate and master’s degree programs entirely online.
Student Life
The total enrollment figure for the University of Northern Iowa reaches approximately 12,000 – including more than 10,000 undergraduate students. Students have the option of residing on campus in one of UNI’s residential halls or apartments; all of UNI’s residence halls are within a ten minute walk of all the buildings on campus and dining centers are either attached or located within close proximity to each hall. All-inclusive rent payments are due once per semester and include utilities, cable TV, ResNet high-speed wired or wireless internet, fully-equipped computer lab, laundry, and room furnishings.A diverse yet inclusive community, UNI’s campus offers disability resources to make the campus easily accessible to students with special needs. More than 250 student-led organizations exist, including a variety of clubs, Greek life, sports, live music and theatre, and etc. An NCAA Division I-AA school, UNI’s campus boasts a state-of-the-art wellness and recreation facility and a variety of health and wellness programs are available to students including intramural sports, fitness classes, outdoor recreation and personal training.
