What is University of Northern Iowa's acceptance rate?

University of Northern Iowa admitted 5,068 of 5,442 first-year applicants for 2025-26, an acceptance rate of 93.1%, according to its Common Data Set.

Does University of Northern Iowa have early decision?

No. University of Northern Iowa does not offer early decision, per its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

What SAT score do you need for University of Northern Iowa?

The middle 50% of University of Northern Iowa's enrolled first-years scored 1045–1264 on the SAT and 19–25 on the ACT.

How much does University of Northern Iowa cost?

Tuition is $9,054 in-state, plus $10,646 for food and housing, before aid. The average need-based grant is $6,037.

What is University of Northern Iowa's graduation rate?

69% of students graduate within six years.

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University of Northern Iowa Common Data Set 2025-26

IATest policy: Test-optional: SAT or ACT not required, considered if submitted; scores also used for academic advising (C8F blank)Compare with other schools AP credit

Acceptance rate

93.1%

5,068 of 5,442

Early decision rate

No ED

SAT middle 50%

1045–1264

ACT middle 50%

19–25

Admissions

AppliedC1	5,442
AdmittedC1	5,068
EnrolledC1	1,549
YieldC1	30.6%
Early decisionC21	Not offered
Early actionC22	Not offered

Waitlist

Offered a placeC2	—
Accepted a placeC2	—
Admitted from waitlistC2	—
Odds if you stay on the listC2	—

Test scores and GPA

Submitted SATC9	2%
Submitted ACTC9	44%
SAT Reading & Writing (25th–75th)C9	540–580
SAT Math (25th–75th)C9	480–655
Average high school GPAC12	3.61
GPA of 4.0C11	16.5%
GPA 3.75–3.99C11	29%
GPA 3.50–3.74C11	21%
GPA below 3.50C11	33.5%

Cost and financial aid

Tuition, in-stateG1	$9,054
Tuition, out-of-stateG1	$21,578
Required feesG1	$1,451
Food and housingG1	$10,646
Need fully met (first-years)H2	18.3%
Average % of need metH2	61.2%
Average need-based packageH2	$10,159
Average need-based grantH2	$6,037

What admissions looks at

Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankConsidered
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresConsidered
Application essayConsidered
Recommendation(s)Considered
InterviewConsidered
Extracurricular activitiesConsidered
Talent/abilityConsidered
Character/personal qualitiesConsidered
First generationConsidered
Alumni/ae relationNot considered
Geographical residenceNot considered
State residencyNot considered
Religious affiliation/commitmentNot considered
Volunteer workNot considered
Work experienceNot considered
Level of applicant's interestNot considered

From item C7.

Outcomes

UndergraduatesB1	7,800
First-year retentionB22	84.7%
4-year graduation rateB	—
6-year graduation rateB	69%

Notes on this filing

C1: applied, admitted and enrolled totals are the sums of the men, women and unknown counts (5442, 5068, 1549); they match the residency table.
C2: waitlist block is blank and the policy question (C2) is answered No (AD_WAIT: N); waitlist counts left null.
B22: retention printed as 85 on the page, but the underlying value is 84.7 (1303/1538); 84.7 used.
B4-B11: the most recent cohort is Fall 2019. Its 6-year rate is printed as 69.00. The 4-year rate is not printed as a percent (only counts: 746 of 1453), so grad_rate_4yr is null.
C8A: test policy checkbox is 'not required, consider if submitted' for SAT or ACT, SAT only and ACT only; C8F clarification is blank. Interpreted as test-optional.
C9: 2% of enrolled first-time students submitted SAT (24 students) and 44% submitted ACT (680 students).
C11: pct_below_3_50 is the sum of the 3.25-3.49, 3.00-3.24, 2.50-2.99 and 2.0-2.49 bands of the all-enrolled column (13.8+10.7+8+1).
H2: pct_with_need_awarded_aid is computed as line d / line c (774/783) for the first-time, first-year column; the item is ambiguous and this is my reading. pct_need_fully_met is line h / line d (142/774).
H1/H2: aid figures are for the 2024-2025 final academic year, not 2025-26.
G1: costs are for 2026-27 (first-year column). Tuition is split by residency, so the single tuition field is null. Food and housing 10646 is the on-campus figure.
Page 40 (I-3) header reads 'Common Data Set 2024-2025' while the rest of the filing is 2025-2026; the I-3 data is for Fall 2025.

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University of Northern Iowa admissions FAQ

What is University of Northern Iowa's acceptance rate?: University of Northern Iowa admitted 5,068 of 5,442 first-year applicants for 2025-26, an acceptance rate of 93.1%, according to its Common Data Set.
Does University of Northern Iowa have early decision?: No. University of Northern Iowa does not offer early decision, per its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
What SAT score do you need for University of Northern Iowa?: The middle 50% of University of Northern Iowa's enrolled first-years scored 1045–1264 on the SAT and 19–25 on the ACT.
How much does University of Northern Iowa cost?: Tuition is $9,054 in-state, plus $10,646 for food and housing, before aid. The average need-based grant is $6,037.
What is University of Northern Iowa's graduation rate?: 69% of students graduate within six years.

Source: University of Northern Iowa Common Data Set 2025-26 . “—” means the college left the item blank.