Upper Iowa University

A logo of Upper Iowa University for our school profile

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First-Rate, Flexible Liberal Arts Education From UIU

Upper Iowa University appears in our ranking of the 30 Best Online Bachelor’s in Emergency Management Degrees. Upper Iowa University is a private, coed NAICU member in Fayette. It has:
  • four associate degree programs
  • 45 bachelor’s degree programs
  • five master’s degree programs
  • 23 certificate programs
It has 40 fully online. It has a 10:1 student/faculty ratio. For example, the B.S. in Agricultural Business is a 120-credit, four-year curriculum. It is partnered with the Fayette County Soil & Water Conservation District. It has a 94 percent job placement at:
  • Viafield
  • Monsanto
  • AgVantage, and more.
The 120-credit B.S. in Biology helps 125+ students:
  • do research at the Nature Conservancy
  • intern at The Mayo Clinic
  • travel abroad to Hong Kong
Online, the Andres School of Education delivers a 36-credit, IDE-approved M.Ed. in English as a Second Language program. Its  features eight-week courses. It has a capstone project for K-12 bilingual endorsement. It has with 100 percent Praxis success. Other Upper Iowa degrees include:
  • the A.A. in Psychology
  • B.A. in Graphic Design
  • B.A. in Liberal Arts
  • B.S. in Marketing
  • B.S. in Mortuary Science
  • B.S. in Software Engineering
  • B.S. in Emergency Disaster Management
  • M.S. in Counseling
  • M.P.A. in Healthcare Management.

About Upper Iowa University

Upper Iowa University originated on January 7, 1857. The Methodist Church’s Fayette Seminary opened on 10 acres donated by Elizabeth Alexander and Samuel Robertson. In 1858, its name was changed to Upper Iowa University. During the Civil War, UIU men served in 17 major battles for the Union Army. In 1865, the first women graduated with baccalaureate degrees. In 1879, Susan Angeline Collins became the earliest African-American student. In 1882, Parker Pen Company founder George Safford Parker graduated from UIU. In 1901, Andrew Carnegie donated funds to start the 94,000-volume Henderson Library. In 1928, UIU separated from the Methodist Church for nonsectarian education. In 1946, alumnus John R. Mott won the Nobel Peace Prize. By 1973, Upper Iowa University launched one of the United States’ first external degrees. In 2006, UIU inaugurated a Master of Education. Endowed for $15.6 billion, Upper Iowa University now employs 507 faculty. There are over 4,00o undergrads and 651 post-grads from 24 countries. It has 25+ clubs like the Entertainment Crew. In 2015, Upper Iowa received the STEM Jobs Approved College Award from Victory Media. In 2017, UIU accepted the Military Friendly Top 10 Gold School Award from Military Advanced Education & Transition. Upper Iowa University’s Gamma Delta Phi chapter won the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. The U.S. News & World Report ranked UIU the 162nd best online MBA and 166th top online bachelor’s degrees nationally. Niche ranked UIU  America’s:
  • 398th best business school
  • 438th most diversity
  • 448th best housing
College Factual placed Upper Iowa:
  • 167th for teacher education
  • 186th for public administration
  • 165th for agriculture
Named America’s 397th best institution by Washington Monthly named it America’s 397th best institution.

Upper Iowa University Accreditation Details

Upper Iowa University is accredited by  the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA). This  19-state Heartland Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and Iowa Coordinating Council for Post High School Education (ICCPHSE). Further, the Andres School of Education was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) reaffirmed Upper Iowa. Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth courses are approved by the Military Installation Voluntary Education Review (MIVER) too.

Upper Iowa University Application Requirements

Enrolling at Upper Iowa University is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s. It has a selective 56 percent acceptance. First-year students must graduate from an accredited high school, earn the GED equivalent, or pass the HSET exam. The Class of 2021 presented an average secondary GPA of 3.19. Mid-range admitted ACT scores were 17-24. The middle 50th percentile earned SAT scores of 970-1140. The Honors Program requires at least a 3.5 GPA and 26 ACT mark. International students can prove English fluency with minimum 61 TOEFL iBT, 69 MELAB, 5.0 IELTS, 4.0 MUET, or 44 PTE scores. Qualified undergrads holding 2.0 college GPAs and better can transfer a maximum of 78 lower-division and 12 upper-division credits. The Graduate School only considers post-bachelor’s students with GPAs of 2.75 and better. Some programs, such as the M.S. in Counseling at Waterloo, stipulate 3.0 GPAs. Minimum GRE and GMAT scores aren’t listed to ensure holistic reviews though. Upper Iowa University has rolling admission year-round. Current session start dates are:
  • August 27th
  • October 22nd
  • January 7th
  • March 11th
  • May 13th
  • July 8th
Apply at least three weeks in advance for ample processing time. The $250 enrollment deposit is only refundable until May 1st for Fall and December 31st for Spring. The financial aid priority deadline is March 1st. Accordingly, complete the UIU or Common Application online for $0. Forward official transcripts to PO Box 1857 in Fayette, IA 52142. Directly send testing results via SAT/TOEFL code 6885 or ACT code 1360. Fulfill checklist items, such as:
  • the GED certificate
  • teacher evaluation
  • resume
  • mid-year school report
  • biographical essay
  • passport
  • financial affidavit of support
Contact (563) 425-5281 or admission@uiu.edu with questions.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Upper Iowa University is billing full-time undergrads $15,405 each semester or $30,810 annually. Studying part-time costs $1,281 per credit. Bachelor’s majors pay the $875 comprehensive student fee each year. Living at the Fayette campus’ dorms adds $3,399 to $6,694 for housing. Peacock Platinum meal plans for The Servery are $4,845 extra. UIU budgets $1,560 for textbooks and $3,286 for miscellaneous expenses. Traditional annual undergrad attendance equals $43,750 on-site and $35,296 if commuting. Online associate/bachelor’s courses are $990 per credit. The Master of Business Administration charges $1,755 per credit. Each M.Ed. specialization costs $1,446 per credit. Pursuing the M.P.A. requires $1,665 per credit. Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth programs are discounted to $654 per credit. The Student Financial Services Office  links 99 percent of new UIU students to tuition aid averaging $22,576 apiece. University funds include:
  • the Mott Scholarship
  • Alexander Scholarship
  • Albright Scholarship
  • William Wilcox Memorial Scholarship
  • Baldwin Memorial Art Scholarship
  • Irene Humphrey Anderson Scholarship
  • Margaret Share Kerfoot Scholarship
  • Hilton-Khoury Scholarship
  • Dr. Austin Goldsmith Book Scholarship
  • Warren Morgan Business Scholarship
  • John Rippe Scholarship
The Trustee Scholarship gifts $18,500 annually to Fayette freshmen with cumulative GPAs of 3.5 and higher. The $5,000 International Achievement Scholarship helps non-U.S. residents with GPAs of 2.0 to 2.49. Federal resources include:
  • the Pell Grant
  • Teach Grant
  • Work-Study Grant
They require FAFSA applications coded 001893. Students also access:
  • the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship
  • Iowa Tuition Grant
  • All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship
  • Gear Up Scholarship, and more.
Explore five accredited schools conferring 75+ nonprofit programs ranked 702nd overall by Money magazine at the Upper Iowa University website.

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