William Penn University vs University of Northern Iowa (UNI)

William Penn University and University of Northern Iowa, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. William Penn, a private university in Oskaloosa, Iowa, boasts a small, close-knit community with an acceptance rate of 85% and a focus on liberal arts and professional studies. In contrast, the University of Northern Iowa, a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is larger and more comprehensive, with an acceptance rate of 88% and a wide range of academic programs, including strong offerings in the arts, sciences, and business. While both universities offer a supportive learning environment, they differ in terms of student body demographics, popular majors, and graduation rates. Explore the comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of Northern Iowa logo

University of Northern Iowa

William Penn University logo

William Penn University

Overview

Location Cedar Falls, Iowa Oskaloosa, Iowa
Campus setting City: Small Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 81.0% 61.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 85.8% 57.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
SAT range 980 - 1190 830 - 1030
ACT range 20 - 26 16 - 21
Students submitting SAT score 3.0% 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 66.0% 40.0%
Total number of applicants 4,772 1,387
Total number of admissions given out 4,094 800
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,553 335
Yield rate 37.9% 41.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $21,409

Out of state: $32,109
$40,600
Average net price $15,231 $21,112
Tuition
In state: $7,780

Out of state: $18,480
$27,200
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,699

Meal plan: $4,461
Room/dormitory: $3,206

Meal plan: $4,050
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

76.0%
Average amount $6,227
100.0%
Average amount $18,221
Students receiving federal student loan 47.0%
Average amount $5,115
96.0%
Average amount $5,411
Students taking out private loans 8.0%
Average amount $7,770
96.0%
Average amount $2,104

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,967
Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
1,304
Men 52.3% Women 47.7%
Graduate students 1,250
Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
68
Men 61.8% Women 38.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 9.5% N/A
International students 2.4% 5.3%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 3,412 856
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Iowa Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin Missouri N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Education
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 68.9% 32.1%
Dropout rate 9.5% 67.2%
Transferred out 20.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,668
  • Year 2: $60,771
  • Year 3: $72,923
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,120
  • Year 2: $60,399
  • Year 3: $71,051
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,778
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $70,112
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,521
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $65,647
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,320
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $65,408
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $57,657
  • Year 3: $63,798
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,695
  • Year 2: $52,908
  • Year 3: $60,640
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,123
  • Year 2: $49,752
  • Year 3: $57,498
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,675
  • Year 2: $55,151
  • Year 3: $57,318
Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,372
  • Year 2: $45,221
  • Year 3: $57,298
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,560
  • Year 2: $58,402
  • Year 3: $61,842
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,860
  • Year 2: $40,089
  • Year 3: $45,725
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,675
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,031
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,693
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,205
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,478
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Tech University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Metropolitan State University of Denver Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs The University of Tampa The University of Tampa
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of West Georgia University of West Georgia
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Idaho State University Idaho State University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Idaho University of Idaho
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Brigham Young University-Idaho Brigham Young University-Idaho
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Central Michigan University Central Michigan University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Michigan Technological University Michigan Technological University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud State University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Rockhurst University Rockhurst University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs The University of Montana The University of Montana
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Nebraska at Kearney University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs SUNY Buffalo State SUNY Buffalo State
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs SUNY College at Oswego SUNY College at Oswego
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of North Dakota University of North Dakota
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Otterbein University Otterbein University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs South Dakota State University South Dakota State University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of South Dakota University of South Dakota
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Utah State University Utah State University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Radford University Radford University
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wisconsin-Green Bay University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wisconsin-Stout University of Wisconsin-Stout
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wisconsin-River Falls University of Wisconsin-River Falls
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs University of Wyoming University of Wyoming
University of Northern Iowa UNI vs Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Gulf Coast University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Naropa University Naropa University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Buena Vista University Buena Vista University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Central College Central College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Clarke University Clarke University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Coe College Coe College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Cornell College Cornell College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Drake University Drake University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Graceland University-Lamoni Graceland University-Lamoni
William Penn University William Penn University vs Grand View University Grand View University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Grinnell College Grinnell College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
William Penn University William Penn University vs University of Iowa University of Iowa
William Penn University William Penn University vs Loras College Loras College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Morningside University Morningside University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Mount Mercy University Mount Mercy University
William Penn University William Penn University vs University of Northern Iowa University of Northern Iowa
William Penn University William Penn University vs Northwestern College Northwestern College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Saint Ambrose University Saint Ambrose University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Simpson College Simpson College
William Penn University William Penn University vs Waldorf University Waldorf University
William Penn University William Penn University vs Wartburg College Wartburg College
William Penn University William Penn University vs University of Rio Grande University of Rio Grande