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 2021
- Faculty and Institutional Officers: 547
- Professional & Scientific Staff: 590
- General Service Staff: 447
-
Total: 1,584
Does not include some temporary and second appointments
Student Demographic Data--Fall 2021
- 9,231 students
- 7,981 undergraduates; 1,250 graduates
- 8,281 (89.7%) Iowa residents
- 5,799 women; 3,432 men
- 245 Black/African-American; 449 Hispanic/Latino*; 121 Asian/Pacific Islander*; 12 Native Americans/Alaskan Native; 4 Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders; 237 Two or More
* Includes international students
Tuition and Mandatory Fees--Full-Time Resident Undergraduate
From 1876 through 1882 tuition was free to all students intending to teach in Iowa. Full-Time Undergraduate Student Tuition and Fees. 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 = $4,133 per semester
- 2017 = $4,311 per semester
-
2018-2020 = $4,425 per semester
-
2021 = $4,482 per semester
Alumni - Fall 2021
Total living alumni: 123,097
Degrees Awarded - 2020/2021
- Baccalaureate (Bachelor's): 2,227
- Master's: 429
- Specialist: 11
- Doctorate: 8
- Total: 2,675
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
-
2018 . . . . 11,212
-
2019 . . . . 10,497
-
2020 . . . . 9,522
-
2021 . . . . 9,231
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. Updated by student library assistant Faith Lawler and SC&UA library assistant Alli Guild, January 2023.