Upper Iowa University

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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:

• Fill out and submit UIU's online application.
• Provide high school and/or college transcripts. 

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.