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Career outcomes brief

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# University of Northern Iowa Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated September 30, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do University of Northern Iowa graduates earn?

The reported median is $54,830 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$2,471 per year.

The return pillar at University of Northern Iowa sits in the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That makes it the weakest of the university's four pillars.

Graduates earn about $4,253 less than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 39th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,793.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,046. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $77.

Four years after completion, completers earn a median of $54,830, in the 32nd percentile nationally. That is below the peer median of $57,301 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $2,471.

The earnings picture is mixed: the median sits below the peer benchmark. The model finds a shortfall relative to similar students, though the program mix itself adds to expected earnings.

The earnings scenarios at the University of Northern Iowa span from a downside of $44,875 to an upside of $80,814. That spread reflects the variation across the university's 40 programs with earnings data four years after completion.

The highest-earning programs illustrate the upper end of that range: Computer Science completers earn a median of $89,305 four years after completion, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians completers reach $87,580, and Construction Management completers earn $85,688.

An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees.

**Median earnings · four years after completion**
$54,830

**Rank for difference from expectations**
39th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**University of Northern Iowa reported median**
$54,830

**Peer schools comparable schools · $2,471 above University of Northern Iowa**
$57,301

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $4,253 above University of Northern Iowa**
$59,083

School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

## How could earnings differ from the median?

The planning scenarios range from $44,875 to $80,814, around the reported median of $54,830. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Northern Iowa borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan.

Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate.

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

**Lower estimate**
$44,875

**Median · reported**
$54,830

**Higher estimate**
$80,814

Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates.

[Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/).

## Do University of Northern Iowa graduates earn more than expected?

Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added).

University of Northern Iowa graduates’ reported earnings are $4,253 below that expectation, the 39th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls.

The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of Northern Iowa caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

What explains value-added earnings?

**Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.**
+$6,793

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
\-$11,046

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
\-$4,253

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

## Which fields at University of Northern Iowa report the highest earnings?

The University of Northern Iowa's program mix is anchored by Business and Education, which together account for nearly half of all bachelor's degrees awarded. The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where completers earn a median of $89,305 four years after completion, though it awarded only 33 degrees.

Among the larger programs, Finance awarded 141 degrees and shows median earnings of $81,172, with an Azimuth national rank of #79. Business Administration and Management reached $74,838 on 134 degrees awarded.

By contrast, Teacher Education, the largest program with 372 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $45,885, illustrating the earnings spread across the university's most popular fields.

University of Northern Iowa has 27 nationally ranked bachelor's programs. The university publishes earnings data for 40 fields.

The strongest national showing belongs to Real Estate, ranked #13 nationally, with 42 degrees awarded and a median of $83,592 four years after completion. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians ranks #13 nationally and #1 in Iowa, with 35 degrees awarded.

Its completers earn a median of $87,580 four years after completion. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies is ranked #23 nationally and #2 in Iowa, with 27 degrees awarded.

Those graduates earn a median of $48,506 four years after completion. Construction Management ranks #25 nationally and awards 39 degrees, with a median of $85,688 four years after completion.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Computer Science**
$89,305

**Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians**
$87,580

**Construction Management**
$85,688

**Real Estate**
$83,592

**Finance and Financial Management Services**
$81,172

**Management Information Systems and Services**
$76,329

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
$74,838

**Marketing**
$72,757

[Explore University of Northern Iowa program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-northern-iowa/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context.

## Further analysis

Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show how earnings vary by field: a downside of $44,875, a typical outcome of $54,830, and an upside of $80,814. Anchoring the range in named programs, the highest-earning program, Computer Science, reaches $89,305 four years after completion, while the largest program, Teacher Education, sits at $45,885.

University of Northern Iowa reports a median of $54,830 four years after completion among 2,732 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that figure in the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That is $2,471 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The earnings-beyond-expectations metric is the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for comparable students.

Graduates earn about $4,253 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $44,875 on the downside to $80,814 on the upside, with typical earnings at $54,830. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).