Solid graduate outcomes with earnings above the peer average.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
University of Northern Iowa graduates experience steady earnings growth over their early careers. Median earnings progress from $47,222 six years after enrollment to $50,478 at eight years and $55,177 at ten years, representing 16.8% growth between the six-year and ten-year marks.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings exceed the peer average, indicating above-typical outcomes for this institution type.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $19,691 in debt with typical earnings.
University of Northern Iowa graduates carry median debt of $19,691, ranking at the 71st percentile nationally and $1,414 above the peer median of $21,105. Debt levels range from $7,500 at the 25th percentile to $25,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating moderate variation in borrowing patterns across students.
University of Northern Iowa achieves above-average return on investment, ranking at the 58.9th percentile nationally with solid performance relative to peer institutions. Graduates earn a median of $55,177 ten years after enrollment, placing UNI at the 57th percentile nationally and $5,061 above the peer median of $50,116.
Approximately 22.1% of UNI graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on high-confidence program mix analysis. This continuation rat...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Computer Science leads earnings at $80,228, followed by Information Resources Management at $79,033 and Chemical Engineering Technology at $77,548, demonstrating UNI's strength in technical fields. Business programs show consistent performance with Accounting Technology at $71,359 and Business Administration at $61,468.
Education programs, while lower in absolute earnings, provide solid value with Adult and Continuing Education graduates earning $42,919. The diversity of strong-performing programs across technology, business, health, and education fields supports UNI's comprehensive approach to workforce preparation.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings outcomes show moderate variation with the 25th percentile at $40,595 and 75th percentile at $72,594, creating a 1.8:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $47,100, ranking in the top 50% nationally and demonstrating UNI's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
