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UNI Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

40% 4-Year Graduation Rate
65% 6-Year Graduation Rate
86% Retention Rate

University of Northern Iowa 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to UNI after their first year? Are UNI students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

UNI Retention Rate

86% Freshmen Retention Rate
Good Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 86% students making it past their freshmen year, UNI has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Iowa, the average is 68.94%.

UNI Retention  86 out of 100
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100%
Iowa Retention  69 out of 100
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100%
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Retention Rate
UNI86%
Nationwide70.57%
Iowa68.94%

UNI Graduation Rates

65% 6-Year Graduation Rate
22.97% Transfer Rate
10.67% Dropout Rate

There were approximately 2,178 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

After four years 40% of the cohort graduated. After six years 65% had completed their degree, and 66% after eight years.

Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical UNI graduation rate 65%.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at UNI? The standard length of time for most students is 4.39 years.

Four Year Graduation Rate  47%
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100%
Six Year Graduation Rate  65%
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  66%
0%
100%

UNI Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Completion WithinUndergraduatesPercentage
Four Years1,57547%
Six Years2,17865%
Eight Years441%
Did Not Complete1,15234%
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
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UNI Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1152 students or 34% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1152 students who did not complete their degree?

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Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled50.4%
Transferred77767.4%
Dropped Out36131.3%

UNI Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

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Race/EthnicityGraduation Rate
Asian79%
Black / African-American40%
Hispanic54%
International47%
Multi-Ethnic46%
Unknown42%
White66%

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.

Traditional Students:

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.

Non-Traditional Students:

Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.

The majority of students at UNI are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.

First-Time / Full-Time UNI Graduation Rates

57% First-Time, Full-Time
67% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

First-time / full-time students at University of Northern Iowa represent 57% of the students in the class of 2015, and 59.18% of UNI bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 40%, first-time students in the UNI class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the UNI graduation rate was 67%, and by the eight year mark, 68% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

Four Year Graduation Rate  40 out of 100
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100%
Six Year Graduation Rate  67 out of 100
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  68 out of 100
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100%

UNI First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

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First-Time / Full-Time CompletionsUNINationwide
Four Years40%37.92%
Six Years67%46.43%
Eight Years68%47.82%

First-Time / Full-Time UNI Drop Out Rates

608 first-time / full-time students or 32% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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First-Time / Full-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled50.82%
Transferred47878.62%
Dropped Out12119.90%

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

2% First-Time, Part-Time
27% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

First-time / part-time students at University of Northern Iowa represent 2.22% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 27%, first-time, part-time students in the UNI class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 36%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

Six Year Graduation Rate  27 out of 100
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  36 out of 100
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100%

First-Time / Part-Time UNI Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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First-Time / Part-Time CompletionsUNINationwide
Four Years5%14.37%
Six Years27%21.59%
Eight Years36%23.72%

First-Time / Part-Time UNI Drop Out Rates

48 first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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First-Time / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled12.08%
Transferred2552.08%
Dropped Out2245.83%

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

36% Returning, Full-Time
67% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

1205 UNI students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 35.62% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 67%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 68%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

Six Year Graduation Rate  67 out of 100
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  68 out of 100
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100%

UNI Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

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Returning / Full-Time CompletionsUNINationwide
Four Years0%49.57%
Six Years67%53.83%
Eight Years68%55.07%

Non First-Time / Full-Time UNI Drop Out Rates

384 non first-time / part-time students or 32% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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First-Time / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled41.04%
Transferred23360.68%
Dropped Out14738.28%

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

5% Returning, Part-Time
36% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

178 UNI students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 5.26% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 36%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 37%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

Six Year Graduation Rate  36 out of 100
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  37 out of 100
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100%

UNI Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

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Returning / Part-Time CompletionsUNINationwide
Four Years0%30.46%
Six Years36%36.03%
Eight Years37%37.80%

Non First-Time / Part-Time UNI Drop Out Rates

112 non first-time / part-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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Returning / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.00%
Transferred4136.61%
Dropped Out7163.39%

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