This guide provides quick, factual information about UNI.
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
Maintained by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson; updated February 6, 2015 (GP). Updated by Library Associate Dave Hoing, October 2017. Updated by Student Library Assistant Nicholas Steffens, March 2022