UNI vs. OU

Should I go to University of Northern Iowa or Ottawa University Ottawa? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNI or OU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Northern Iowa vs. Ottawa University Ottawa comparison
University of Northern Iowa Ottawa University Ottawa College 3 College 4
University of Northern Iowa
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Overview

 UNI OU
Location Cedar Falls, IA Ottawa, KS
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 9,217 879
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #419
Religious Affiliation - American Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uni.edu ottawa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNI OU
Tuition (In State) $7,780 $33,380
Tuition (Out of State) $18,480 $33,380
Room & Board $9,160 $11,934
Avg Net Price $16,166 $27,504
Avg Grant Aid $5,099 $19,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 100%

Admission

 UNI OU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,772 2,082
Admitted 4,094 1,386
Acceptance Rate 85.8% 66.6%
Enrolled % 37.9% 16.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.12
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Moderate Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 16/19
SAT Range 980/1190 800/1160
Submit Test Scores Considered but not required Considered but not required
Application Deadline

Academics

 UNI OU
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (18%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

 UNI OU
Graduation Rate 67% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,700 $46,400
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 46%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,625 $21,875
Median Loan Payment $213 $226

Diversity

 UNI OU
% Men 37% 61%
% Women 63% 39%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 61%
% Black 3% 13%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 0% 5%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 14%

Students

 UNI OU
% In-State 90% 38%
% Out-of-State 9% 60%

Campus

 UNI OU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Northern Iowa is larger than than OU based on total student enrollment (9,217 students vs. 879 students)

UNI vs. OU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNI or OU?

  • Ottawa University Ottawa is 329% more expensive to attend than UNI for in-state tuition ($33,380.00 vs. $7,780.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 80.6% higher at OU than University of Northern Iowa ($33,380.00 vs. $18,480.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Northern Iowa than OU ($16,166 vs. $27,504)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Northern Iowa are 30.3% lower than costs at Ottawa University Ottawa ($9,160 vs. $11,934)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ottawa University Ottawa than University of Northern Iowa (100% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ottawa University Ottawa students is 289.6% larger than aid received University of Northern Iowa ($19,868 vs. $5,099)

UNI vs. OU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UNI or OU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between OU or UNI .

  • Accepted freshman UNI students have a 0.49 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at OU (3.12)
  • UNI has a higher acceptance rate (85.8%) than OU (66.6%)

UNI vs. OU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNI or OU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between OU and UNI.

  • The graduation rate at UNI is higher than Ottawa University Ottawa (67% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from University of Northern Iowa earn on average $1,300 more per year than OU graduates after ten years. ($47,700 vs. $46,400)
  • University of Northern Iowa students graduate with a $1,250 lower median federal student loan debt than OU graduates. ($20,625 vs. $21,875)
  • UNI graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than OU graduates. ($213 vs. $226)
  • More UNI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former OU students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 46%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/