Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, Truman State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA | IowaIowa City, IA | Truman StateKirksville, MO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 92.7% | 83.6% | 83.8% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1020–1280 | 1130–1330 | 1170–1370 |
| Average net price | $15,90127.4% on Pell grants | $22,53118.4% on Pell grants | $12,78016.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,936 in-state · $21,712 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,283 in-state · $33,371 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $9,838 in-state · $18,566 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.9% | 74.6% | 68.5% |
| First-year retention | 81.7% | 90.4% | 84.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 27.4% | 18.4% | 16.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $55,177 | $64,762 | $56,280 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,691 | $22,500 | $21,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 17:1 | 15:1 | 12:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,529 | 22,264 | 2,513 |
| Consensus percentile | 30Lower is better | 30Lower is better | 31Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 72 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 48 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 48 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Northern Iowa | Iowa | Truman State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #11 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #102 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #5 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | #395 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #256 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #257 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #180 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #495 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #590 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #162 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #554 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #90 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #740 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #533 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing University of Northern Iowa on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Iowa on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Truman State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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