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Upper Iowa University

26 Reviews

Salary Score

Bachelor's

 59

Master's

 42

Doctoral

N/A

57% of 26 students said this degree improved their career prospects
50% of 26 students said they would recommend this school to others
By the OnlineU team | Updated 2/13/2023

Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private, nonprofit school that hosts 2,934 undergraduate students who have a 50% chance of graduating, according to College Scorecard data. There are 61 online programs available for remote students — including 21 online bachelor's degrees. These programs cover several areas in business such as accounting, financial management, and human resources. There are also degrees in healthcare, arts and communication, social science, and public administration. Students can also complete associate degrees, master's degrees, and certificates 100% online. 

Fast Facts

Average Financial Aid: $23,239

Accreditation: Upper Iowa University is acredited by 2 agencies

Find an Online Degree:

Salary Score for Online Degrees at Upper Iowa University

Bachelor's Degrees

Psychology, General $25,626 $34,665 90
Public Administration $22,062 $53,774 87
Social Sciences, General $21,267 $37,440 77
Business Administration, Management and Operations $26,500 $46,059 69
Health and Medical Administrative Services $31,250 $41,425 58
Human Services, General $27,633 $32,737 52
Accounting and Related Services $23,500 $47,626 49
Human Resources Management and Services $29,061 $43,894 48
Marketing $22,348 $36,737 23
Finance and Financial Management Services $17,431 $41,533 20
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing $19,519 $55,887 17

Master's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations $39,070 $70,625 50
Accounting and Related Services $29,136 $58,033 37
Public Administration $47,388 $50,748 37
Finance and Financial Management Services $47,733 $64,057 28
Human Resources Management and Services $40,733 $52,279 24

FAQs About Upper Iowa University

Is Upper Iowa University Online?


UIU is both an online school and a traditional university, with a residential campus in Fayette, Iowa and 23 education centers across the country. Its online offerings are flexible and self-paced, allowing distance learners to complete coursework on their own schedule. 

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that 60% of UIU's undergraduate class study exclusively online, while 12% only take some online classes.

Is UIU a Good College?


Students can tell whether UIU is a good college by looking at its favorable graduation rate, salary outcomes, and online degree rankings. College Scorecard shows that UIU has a 50% graduation rate, which is only slightly behind the midpoint for other four-year schools at 57%. However, those who reach graduation can expect to earn around $1,400 more per year. 

When it comes to online programs, UIU boasts the third best online public administration degrees in the country. This ranking from OnlineU is based on the salary outcomes of the program's alumni.

Are Online Degrees From UIU Respected by Employers?


Online degrees from UIU are respected because they are earned at an accredited institution. This means that the school went through a series of inspections from a third-party agency to ensure that the programs it offers meet the quality standards of the U.S. Department of Education. 

Importantly, OnlineU only features accredited schools on its site to provide the most trustworthy options available. 

Upper Iowa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

What Is UIU Known For?


UIU is known for its long history of online degree programs. The first series of distance learning degree programs were offered in 1973, making them one of the first of their kind in the country. They eventually formed into a single online master's degree in 1999 before the school expanded into other degree levels. Today, UIU creates online degrees for students located worldwide. 

Which Degrees at UIU Provide the Highest Earnings for Graduates?


The highest earning degree at UIU is the online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN). Graduates of this degree can expect to earn a median annual salary of ~$64,000, according to College Scorecard. 

Another high earning online degree is the Bachelor's in Public Administration, which provides alumni with an annual salary of ~$61,200. With this degree, students can choose between three specializations that include (1) General; (2) Emergency Management, Fire Science or Law Enforcement; and (3) Policy and Politics.  

Prospective students can also look at OnlineU's Salary Score to determine how much they can earn from one of UIU's online degrees. This proprietary metric compares alumni salaries from different schools using the same degree. UIU scores a 59 out of 100 on its bachelor's degrees and a 42 out of 100 on its master's degrees.

How Difficult Is It To Get Into UIU?


Looking at a school's acceptance rate is the best way to figure out how easy it is to get into. College Scorecard shows that UIU has a 65% acceptance rate, which is right around the average rate for other four-year institutions. 

What Are the Admission Requirements for UIU?


In order to apply to college at UIU, first-year students must provide a series of documents that prove their academic achievements from the previous schools they attended. The application steps for online students are listed below:

Students can still apply without a high school or college transcripts as long as they can provide their College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST scores. 

Student Reviews

Student Reviews

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Reviewed: 3/25/2021

Degree: Psychology

I found this unverisity on a military installation. The programs offered were the ones that I wanted to complete my degree in. While I have graduated but the instructed that I received online was subpar. They would copy and paste the syllabus and the only thing that changed was the session title and dates. Most of the instructors didn't care and my second adviser was horrible, it was evident that he was only there to collect a paycheck.

S.H.

Reviewed: 9/3/2018

Degree: Teaching

I think other people have different experiences with regards to attending on campus, but I opted for the self-paced option due to constrictions (it's really the only option that makes sense for me) and I initially really looked forward to it. However, UiU's websites are incomprehensibly terrible and their held-desk system (which operates apparently on more than one site, so you never know which you're getting or whom you'll speak with) is the worst part of it all. Also, I've been through two advisers... Read More

Jamie

Reviewed: 11/20/2017

Degree: Healthcare Administration

Had an excellent experience with distant learning. I was able to continue working full time and obtain my degree. Classes were 8 weeks in length and can be rigorous in the amount of work that is expected. Lots of researching, reading, discussion forums and papers. Overall it was a great experience and plan on returning to finish my MBA. I will say that the online classes are more geared towards those that already are working in a chosen field of study and want to perhaps open up the possibility of... Read More

FinallyDone

Reviewed: 11/12/2017

Degree: Accounting

I only took classes online, never on campus so I'm not sure if those would be different. However, online they do nothing to teach you real skills they only prepare you for going on for a masters degree by making you write countless papers. There are quite a few classes that go way over the standard 15 hours of work per week. International Management is basically a full time job, again teaching you nothing but to write papers, same with Quant.. Decisions in Business. For the most part the instructors... Read More

Terry Jones

Reviewed: 9/30/2017

Degree: Social Sciences

Because of my work schedule the Distance Learning / Self-paced program was a great fit for me. Instructors ranged from incredible to disengaged which has been my experience with virtually every work group I've encountered in my life so there is no surprise there. I never had difficulty reaching anyone at the college either by phone or email. The courses were generally challenging. The support staff was extremely helpful. I would recommend the school in a heartbeat. I can't speak to financial issues... Read More

Unhappy

Reviewed: 5/12/2017

Degree: Accounting

If you're planning on taking online classes only do not bother with this university if you actually want to learn anything. All the instructors do is require that you post long winded discussions and require responses to discussions as well as research papers and I'm talking every class requires research papers even the computer classes! You don't really learn anything other than how to write a paper! You won't leave with any real knowledge of how to do your job but you'll definitely know how to... Read More

Ron P

Reviewed: 12/25/2016

Degree: MBA in Human Resources

Like the other reviews you will see about UIU I have had many issues with the school. When I transferred from DMACC classes that should have applied to my bachelors degree like Business Law 1 and Business Law 2, and multiple others they were refusing to accept because they were not 300-level courses. DMACC classes are level-200, and I was told by UIU that the classes had to be 300-level to be applied and that is why certain classes are sup post to be taken at UIU. It does not state anywhere on the... Read More

Andrew S.

Reviewed: 11/29/2016

Degree: MBA in Finance

My academic advisor enrolled me in classes that I had already taken at Iowa State University. Upper Iowa University did nothing to correct the issue, but rather suggested I change my major and then they could apply the transfer credits. Sadly, I only transferred to UIU because they told me they would take my transfer credits. I had an idiot academic advisor who never looked at my transfer courses when he enrolled me in the classes. Since I looked to him as an "advisor" and acting in my best interest,... Read More

P Johnson

Reviewed: 11/15/2016

Degree: MBA

Professors are great. My only complaint is with the financial aid office. You take 8 week courses and they wait to release your student loan money until the 5th week of the program so don't expect it if you need it to live on. They also use a bank that has a card ( no actual bank). but there are numerous fees attached with taking out your money better to transfer to your own bank which will take even more days because it has to go through the one to the other. Also the ATMs they claim are free from... Read More

Cassandra

Reviewed: 8/3/2016

Degree: Psychology

I love this school! All of these other reviews are complaining about lack of structure or teacher involvement which I do not get! A syllabus is provided the first day of class that clear lays out all of the expectations for the next 8 weeks. And, you cannot expect every teacher to be the same or have the same requirements. All I know is if you read the syllabus and do what you are supposed to when you are supposed to you shouldn't have any problems! I did have one negative experience with an instructor... Read More