Upper Iowa University
Fayette, Iowa · Private Nonprofit · 96.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 39/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Upper Iowa University scores 39 in the Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition is $19,475 and net price is $20,942 - notably, net price slightly exceeds sticker, indicating limited institutional aid and that the net-price figure includes living costs. Total four-year cost runs $83,768. The headline weakness is a 33.9% completion rate (sub-score 14), reflecting Upper Iowa's heavy online and adult-learner enrollment where four-year cohort completion metrics underestimate eventual completion but where attrition remains a real risk. Average earnings six years after entry are $41,200, climbing to a median $52,766 by year ten, producing a 21.2% earnings premium (sub-score 45) and a 12.6-year payback period. Median debt of $25,000 produces a 0.607 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 49). The 64.4% three-year repayment rate (sub-score 25) is weak and signals real default and forbearance risk among graduates. Some programs (Nursing, Public Administration, Social Sciences) produce defensible C+ outcomes, but a long tail of education, psychology, and human services programs carry $35,000-$46,000 of debt with weak earnings, producing D and F grades.
How Upper Iowa University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score39/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate33.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
Upper Iowa University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,475/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,475/yr |
| Average net price | $20,942/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $83,768 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,766 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $41,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,994 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $19,475/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $20,942/year, or roughly $83,768 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $17,715/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,805/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($41,200) and comes to 0.61, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $17,715 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,774 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,720 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,041 |
| $110,001+ | $23,805 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $17,715 net per year (about $70,860 over four years). The bracket structure is non-monotonic and unusual: the $30,001-48,000 bracket jumps to $22,774 - higher than any other middle bracket and higher than the low-income bracket. This is a clear inversion that should be flagged and suggests aid policy is inconsistent across income bands.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-110,000) pay $18,720-$20,041 net per year, dropping back from the suspicious $30,001-48,000 number to more reasonable levels. Four-year cost runs $75,000-$80,000. Against $41,200 six-year earnings, the math is workable but tight.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $23,805 per year (about $95,220 over four years). Aid scaling between low and high brackets is roughly $6,000/year, which is moderate.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Upper Iowa University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $65,858 | C |
| Psychology | $50,877 | D |
| Teacher Education | $45,945 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $76,345 | C+ |
| Political Science and Government | $56,767 | F |
| Human Services, General | $48,461 | F |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $47,790 | C |
| Accounting | $63,645 | C |
| Human Resources Management | $64,706 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $41,109 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program at 142 graduates with $55,854 first-year and $65,858 four-year earnings. Debt of $34,453 (well above the school median) and debt-to-earnings of 0.617 yield a C grade. The earnings are decent but the heavy debt load is concerning and reflects the online/adult-learner pattern of higher total borrowing across extended timelines.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 88 students with $42,183 first-year and $50,877 four-year earnings. Debt is $41,478 and debt-to-earnings is 0.983 for a D grade. The debt level is extraordinary for a psychology bachelor's and indicates many students extend timelines and borrow heavily through online completion programs.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 74 students earning $41,802 in year one and $45,945 by year four - flat teacher salary curve. Debt of $37,646 produces a 0.901 debt-to-earnings ratio for a D grade. The debt load suggests significant Parent PLUS or extended borrowing.
Registered Nursing
Nursing graduates 55 students with $70,224 first-year and $76,345 four-year earnings. Debt of $35,004 and debt-to-earnings of 0.498 yield a C+ grade. The earnings are competitive for Iowa nursing but the debt level is high; many students appear to be RN-to-BSN completers carrying earlier educational debt.
Human Services, General
Human Services graduates 44 students with $39,389 first-year and $48,461 four-year earnings. Debt is $45,388 and debt-to-earnings is 1.152 for an F grade. This is the worst ROI pattern at Upper Iowa: heavy borrowing into a low-paying caring-profession credential.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 59.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Upper Iowa University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 96.5% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-23 |
| Enrollment | 1,994 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,035 |
Upper Iowa admits 96.5% of applicants - effectively open admission - with an ACT composite mid-range of 17-23 (SAT mid-ranges not reported). The 96% admit rate paired with a 34% completion rate is the classic mismatch problem: the admissions screen is essentially non-existent, but the school does not have the retention support to carry admitted students through to graduation.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Iowa University (this school) | 39 | $20,942 | $52,766 |
| Briar Cliff University | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Oklahoma Christian University | 40 | $21,872 | $49,203 |
| Buena Vista University | 39 | $18,846 | $49,156 |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 26 | $6,640 | $25,113 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is 1,994 with a 31.8% Pell rate. Upper Iowa's distinctive feature is its large adult-learner and online enrollment, which makes the traditional residential metrics misleading. The school works for working professionals seeking nursing or business credentials online, where outcomes are decent. It works less well for traditional residential students at the Fayette campus, where the rural-Iowa labor market constrains earnings and where the heavy debt loads ($35,000+ for several programs) press hard against modest salaries.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Upper Iowa University scores 39/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,942 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $52,766 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: its 33.9% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $41,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Upper Iowa University: Common Questions
Is Upper Iowa University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Upper Iowa University scores 39/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,942 a year after aid against $52,766 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Upper Iowa University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $20,942 a year, or roughly $83,768 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Upper Iowa University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,766 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,966 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Upper Iowa University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 12.6 years for Upper Iowa University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Upper Iowa University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $41,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Upper Iowa University?
The six-year graduation rate is 33.9%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.