UNI Fact Sheet | Special Collections & University Archives

This guide provides quick, factual information about UNI. For more detailed information and a discussion of the sources, you may wish to consult "Sources of Information about UNI," a library user's guide available in the distribution rack near the Reference Desk and as a Web document.

Institutional Names

UNI is a statutory rather than a chartered institution. For the legislation that established UNI, see Iowa Acts and Joint Resolutions Ref K 345.12 I65 v. 16 1876.

1876-1909 Iowa State Normal School (first day of school was Wednesday, September 6, 1876)
1909-1961 Iowa State Teachers College (name changed on Thursday, July 1, 1909)
1961-1967 State College of Iowa (name changed on Tuesday, July 4, 1961)
1967-present University of Northern Iowa (name changed on Saturday, July 1, 1967)

Presidents

UNI has had eleven chief executive officers. Click on a name to be linked to a brief biographical sketch.

1876-1886 James Cleland Gilchrist
1886-1928 Homer Horatio Seerley
1928-1940 Orval Ray Latham
1940-1950 Malcolm Poyer Price
1950-1970 James William Maucker
1970-1983 John Joseph Kamerick
1983-1995 Constantine William Curris
1995-2006 Robert D. Koob
2006-2013 Benjamin J. Allen
2013-2016 William Ruud
2016- Mark Nook

Size of Campus

Approximately 900 acres

Faculty and Staff--Fall 2016

Faculty and Institutional Officers: 639
Professional & Scientific Staff: 652
Merit and Other: 525

Does not include some temporary and second appointments

Student Demographic Data--Fall 2016*

11,905 students
10,104 undergraduates; 1801 graduates
11,896 (91%) Iowa residents
7,043 women; 4,862 men
330 African-American; 427 Hispanic; 141 Asian; 33 Native Americans; 9 Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders; 215 other

* Includes international students

Tuition and Fees--Resident Undergraduate

From 1876 through 1882 tuition was free to all students intending to teach in Iowa. The figures below do not reflect boarding expenses.

1876-1882 = Free
1883-1895 = $10 per year
1896-1923 = $5 per term
1924-1929 = $9 per term
1930-1931 = $20 per term (Freshman & Sophomore), $30 per term (Junior & Senior)
1932-1934 = $25 per term (Freshman & Sophomore), $32 per term (Junior & Senior)
1935-1946 = $26 per term (Freshman & Sophomore), $32 per term (Junior & Senior)
1947 = $32 per quarter
1948-1949 = $33 per quarter
1950 = $35 per quarter
1951 = $36 per quarter
1952-1954 = $40 per quarter
1955-1956 = $53 per quarter
1957 = $80 per semester
1958-1959 = $100 per semester
1960 = $110 per semester
1961-1962 = $123 per semester
1963 = $126 per semester
1964 = $146 per semester
1965 = $156 per semester
1966-1967 = $171 per semester
1968 = $186 per semester
1970-1975 = $300 per semester
1976 = $315 per semester
1978 = $347 per semester
1979-1980 = $387 per semester
1981 = $450 per semester
1982 = $492 per semester
1983 = $525 per semester
1984 = $592 per semester
1985 = $621 per semester
1986 = $682 per semester
1987 = $774 per semester
1988 = $845 per semester
1989 = $905 per semester
1990 = $940 per semester
1991 = $976 per semester
1992 = $1044 per semester
1993 = $1096 per semester
1994 = $1146 per semester
1995 = $1193 per semester
1996 = $1235 per semester
1997 = $1283 per semester
1998 = $1333 per semester
1999 = $1393 per semester
2000 = $1453 per semester
2001 = $1558 per semester
2002 = $1846 per semester
2003 = $2458 per semester
2004 = $2693 per semester
2005 = $2801 per semester
2006 = $3056 per semester
2007 = $3095 per semester
2008 = $3188 per semester
2009 = $3318 per semester
2010 = $3504 per semester
2011 = $3675 per semester
2012 = $3817.50 per semester
2013 = $3842.50 per semester
2014 = $3874.50 per semester
2015 = $3908 per semester
2016 = $4154 per semester
2017 = $4329 per semester

Alumni - Fall 2016

Total living alumni: 114,716

Degrees Awarded - 2015/2016

Baccalaureate (Bachelor's): 2,166
Master's: 503
Specialist: 9
Doctorate: 14
Total: 2,692

Buildings

See Building Histories page

Enrollment---Fall Term

1876 . . . . . . 88
1877 . . . . . 170
1878 . . . . . 170
1879 . . . . . 210
1880 . . . . . 233
1881 . . . . . 250
1882 . . . . . 226
1883 . . . . . 210
1884 . . . . . 284
1885 . . . . . 277
1886 . . . . . 297
1887 . . . . . 302
1888 . . . . . 322
1889 . . . . . 436
1890 . . . . . 529
1891 . . . . . 528
1892 . . . . . 503
1893 . . . . . 479
1894 . . . . . 619
1895 . . . . . 721
1896 . . . . . 757
1897 . . . . . 861
1898 . . . . . 921
1899 . . . . . 906
1900 . . . . . 911
1901 . . . . . 873
1902 . . . . . 868
1903 . . . . . 857
1904. . . . . .812
1905 . . . . . 905
1906 . . . . . 981
1907 . . . . .1013
1908 . . . . . 995
1909 . . . . .1070
1910 . . . . .1108
1911 . . . . .1094
1912 . . . . .1202
1913 . . . . .1297
1914 . . . . .1406
1915 . . . . .1741
1916 . . . . .1680
1917 . . . . .1387
1918 . . . . .1125
1919 . . . . .1423
1920 . . . . .1402
1921 . . . . .1644
1922 . . . . .2130
1923 . . . . .2565
1924 . . . . .2648
1925 . . . . .2642
1926 . . . . .2443
1927 . . . . .2304
1928 . . . . .2094
1929 . . . . .2227
1930 . . . . .2169
1931 . . . . .2049
1932 . . . . .1562
1933 . . . . .1472
1934 . . . . .1543
1935 . . . . .1771
1936 . . . . .1872
1937 . . . . .1863
1938 . . . . .1926
1939 . . . . .1901
1940 . . . . .1745
1941 . . . . .1502
1942 . . . . .1381
1943 . . . . . 820
1944 . . . . . 898
1945 . . . . .1233
1946 . . . . .2475
1947 . . . . .2846
1948 . . . . .3083
1949 . . . . .2949
1950 . . . . .2688
1951 . . . . .2352
1952 . . . . .2239
1953 . . . . .2231
1954 . . . . .2676
1955 . . . . .3045
1956 . . . . .3195
1957 . . . . .3210
1958 . . . . .3482
1959 . . . . .3428
1960 . . . . .3616
1961 . . . . .4070
1962 . . . . .4567
1963 . . . . .5147
1964 . . . . .5520
1965 . . . . .6419
1966 . . . . .7409
1967 . . . . .8213
1968 . . . . .9058
1969 . . . . .9494
1970 . . . . .9723
1971 . . . . .9605 on campus; 10546 total enrolled for credit
1972 . . . . .8845 on campus; 9846 total enrolled for credit
1973 . . . . .8858 on campus; 9587 total enrolled for credit
1974 . . . . .8690 on campus; 9944 total enrolled for credit
1975 . . . . .9287 on campus; 10181 total enrolled for credit
1976 . . . . .9699 on campus; 10537 total enrolled for credit
1977 . . . . 10342 on campus; 11126 total enrolled for credit
1978 . . . . 10455 on campus; 11638 total enrolled for credit
1979 . . . . 10382 on campus; 11916 total enrolled for credit
1980 . . . . 11020 on campus; 12448 total enrolled for credit
1981 . . . . 10954
1982 . . . . 10988
1983 . . . . 11204
1984 . . . . 11161
1985 . . . . 11514
1986 . . . . 11540
1987 . . . .
1988 . . . . 11772
1989 . . . . 11645
1990 . . . . 12638
1991 . . . . 13163
1992 . . . . 13045
1993 . . . . 12717
1994 . . . . 12572
1995 . . . . 12802
1996 . . . . 12957
1997 . . . . 13108
1998 . . . . 13329
1999 . . . . 13553
2000 . . . . 13774
2001 . . . . 14070
2002 . . . . 13926
2003 . . . . 13441
2004 . . . . 12824
2005 . . . . 12513
2006 . . . . 12260
2007 . . . . 12609
2008 . . . . 12908
2009 . . . . 13080
2010 . . . . 13201
2011 . . . . 13168
2012 . . . . 12273
2013 . . . . 12159
2014 . . . . 11928
2015 . . . . 11981
2016 . . . . 11905
2017 . . . . 11907

Peer Institutions

Northern Arizona University
California State University at Fresno
Illinois State University
Indiana State University
Central Michigan University
University of Minnesota at Duluth
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Ohio University
University of North Texas
University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire

Compiler:

Maintained by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson; updated February 6, 2015 (GP). Updated by Library Associate Dave Hoing, October 2017.