| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private nonprofit university (501(c)(3)); online, residential campus and evening centers |
| Founded | 1857; main campus in Fayette, Iowa |
| Locations | 12: the Fayette campus plus 11 centers in Iowa (4), Kansas (1), Louisiana (5) and Oklahoma (1); three are on military bases |
| Students | 3,941 in fall 2024 (3,054 undergraduate, 887 graduate); 73% of undergraduates studied only online (College Navigator) |
| Credentials | Associate (4), bachelor’s (28 majors), master’s (6), certificates and micro-credentials |
| Schedule | 8-week sessions, two courses at a time; 6-week summer session |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission; last reaffirmation action 27 January 2020; next reaffirmation 2029-30 |
| Federal aid | Yes (Title IV); GI Bill and military tuition assistance accepted |
| 2026-27 tuition | $525 per credit online and at centers; $19,180 a year full-time at Fayette |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A nonprofit university, mostly online
Upper Iowa University (UIU) is a private nonprofit university founded in 1857, with its main campus in Fayette, Iowa. It is not a for-profit trade school: it awards associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, mainly in business, criminal justice, health services administration, counseling and related professional fields. Most of its students study at a distance. In fall 2024 College Navigator counted 3,941 students, and 73% of undergraduates and 83% of graduate students were enrolled only in distance education.
Besides the residential campus in Fayette, UIU runs 11 regional centers in Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, three of them on the Fort Riley, Fort Polk and Fort Sill military bases. Several of the Iowa centers are support offices for online students rather than classroom sites. UIU closed centers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas and Texas in 2023, during a financial exigency, and moved its Quad Cities and Fort Sill centers in 2026.
Degrees at UIU
UIU’s Program Finder lists 28 bachelor’s majors (about 24 of them online), 6 master’s degrees and 4 associate degrees, plus about 20 minors, 5 undergraduate and 2 graduate certificates and 6 online micro-credentials. The main programs are below. Tuition is per credit for 2026-27; Fayette students studying full time pay a flat semester rate instead.
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Prepares for | 2026-27 tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | BS | About 4 years | Online; Fayette | CPA exam (UIU’s claim) | $525/credit online |
| Business Administration | BS (120 or 90 credits); AA General Business | Dual BSBA+MBA in about 4 years | Online, self-paced, Fayette, centers | – | $525/credit online; $360 self-paced |
| Communication Studies | BS | – | Online; Fayette | – | $525/credit online |
| Criminal Justice | BS; AA | – | Online; Fayette; evening center classes | – | $525/credit |
| Cybersecurity | BS (from fall 2025) | – | Online only | Aligned with CEH, CISSP and CCFE domains; exams not included | $525/credit |
| Digital Marketing | BS (60 major credits) | – | Online; Fayette | – | $525/credit online |
| Emergency and Disaster Management | BS; certificate | – | Online; Fayette | – | $525/credit online |
| Financial Management | BS | – | Online; Fayette | – | $525/credit online |
| Graphic Design | BA | About 4 years | Online; Fayette | Portfolio | $525/credit online |
| Health Services Administration | BS | – | Online; Fayette | – | $525/credit online |
| Human Resources Management | BA; certificate | – | Online; Fayette | Aligned with SHRM curriculum guidelines | $525/credit online |
| Master of Business Administration | MBA | – | Mainly online | – | $665/credit |
| Master of Healthcare Administration | MHA (42–54 credits) | About 1 year (UIU) | Online only | – | $638/credit |
| MS in Counseling | MS | 2–3 years | Online only (evening Zoom) | LMHC/LPC licensure in most states (UIU) | $570/credit |
| MA Psychology / M.Ed. / MPA | Master’s | – | Mainly online | – | $638 / $370 / $638 per credit |
A few majors, including agricultural business, biology, conservation management, exercise science and teacher education, are taught only in Fayette. In 2025 UIU added a BS in Business Analytics, a 90-credit BSBA and a BSBA+MBA dual degree, and in August 2026 it launched uiuElevate, a professional and continuing-education platform. UIU’s Program Finder lists no nursing, art, software engineering or information technology program.
What the main programs cover
Business administration
The BSBA starts with a 39-credit business core, the same core the digital marketing degree uses, then a 9-credit administration core and one of eight emphases, such as finance or marketing. Students can take the standard 120-credit route or a 90-credit pathway, and a combined BSBA and MBA takes about four years. Courses can be mixed across formats: 8-week online sessions, self-paced courses (web or paper), center evening classes or daytime classes in Fayette. In August 2024 HLC approved UIU’s BSBA programs for incarcerated students at two Iowa prisons, taught at a distance and eligible for Pell Grants.
Cybersecurity
The BS in Cybersecurity was first offered in fall 2025, alongside MBA and MPA options in cybersecurity. It is taught entirely online. Coursework includes network and system security and ethical hacking, and UIU maps it to the knowledge areas covered by the CEH, CISSP and CCFE certifications. The certifications themselves are not part of the degree, so students who want them sit those exams on their own. Like other online undergraduate courses, it follows 8-week sessions with two courses at a time, at $525 a credit.
Emergency and disaster management
This bachelor’s degree is built around disaster response and recovery and hazards mitigation, and the same subject is available as a stand-alone certificate. It can be studied online or on the Fayette campus. Students who would rather study the security side within a criminal justice degree can take that degree’s homeland security emphasis instead. Both follow the standard Two-at-a-Time schedule, with two courses in each 8-week session.
Graphic design
The graphic design BA is a studio degree: 33 of its credits are studio courses, with 9 more elective credits. Students work in Adobe Creative Cloud and build a professional portfolio of their own work. It can be taken online or in Fayette, and a 24-credit minor lets students in other majors add design. UIU’s graphic design page is also where it publishes its claim that 93% of graduates are employed or in further study within a year.
MS in Counseling
The MS in Counseling has two tracks, clinical mental health counseling and school counseling. Classes meet live on Zoom in the evening, and the program runs on semesters rather than UIU’s 8-week sessions. Clinical work is a 100-hour practicum followed by a 600-hour internship, which students arrange at sites in their own area. Application deadlines are 31 July for fall, 30 November for spring and 15 April for summer. Licensure rules differ by state, so check yours before applying.
Tuition for 2026-27 and paying for it
UIU charges undergraduates mainly by format rather than by program (2026-27 rates):
- Online and center courses: $525 per credit (the uiuFlex Semester option is the same). At that rate a 120-credit bachelor’s would come to $63,000 before transfer credit (our arithmetic; UIU does not publish program totals).
- Self-paced courses: $360 per credit. Distance teacher education is $407 per credit.
- Fayette, full time (12–18 credits): $9,590 a semester, or $19,180 a year, plus $637.50 a semester in fees. Part-time Fayette students pay $845 per credit. Residence halls cost $4,034 to $7,944 a year, and meal plans $2,920 to $6,922.
- Graduate, per credit: MBA $665, MA Psychology, MHA and MPA $638, MS in Counseling $570 and M.Ed. $370.
- Other fees: $70 to apply for graduation and $100 for a portfolio assessment.
College Navigator reports an average net price of $20,426 for 2023-24 and published tuition and fees of $19,475 for 2024-25. UIU takes part in federal student aid.
Service members using tuition assistance pay $250 per credit for undergraduate and most graduate courses, and UIU’s Military Family Grant is $250 per undergraduate credit or $325 per graduate credit. UIU accepts the GI Bill, takes part in the Yellow Ribbon program, has signed the Principles of Excellence and offers a Patriot Grant for veterans and Defense Department cardholders. It accepts up to 90 credits from JST, CCAF, DANTES, CLEP and ACE-evaluated training, and takes part in the AU-ABC and NCPACE programs.
Admissions and the 8-week calendar
Admission is close to open: College Navigator reports that UIU admitted 96% of applicants in fall 2024. Students outside the four campus states can enroll online only if UIU holds authorization in their state; UIU takes part in NC-SARA, the interstate agreement for distance education.
Undergraduates at Fayette, at the centers and online follow the same calendar of four 8-week sessions and one 6-week summer session, taking two courses at a time under what UIU calls its Two-at-a-Time schedule. The next starts listed on center pages were 26 October 2026, 11 January 2027 and 15 March 2027. Center classes are mostly in the evening, from 5:30 to 10 pm; Fort Riley also holds day and weekend classes, and Fort Sill meets one night a week. The MS in Counseling runs on semesters instead.
Accreditation and results
UIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). HLC’s last reaffirmation action was on 27 January 2020, with the next reaffirmation due in 2029-30; that action required interim reports, due in 2020, on licensure pass rates and on resources and planning. Earlier, on 23 February 2017, HLC placed UIU on Notice after staff members at a Louisiana center mishandled financial aid and changed grades between 2008 and 2013, as Inside Higher Ed reported in March 2017. UIU’s business programs are in candidacy for ACBSP accreditation and are not yet accredited by it. Teacher preparation is approved by the Iowa State Board of Education.
Federal figures from College Navigator (checked October 2026):
| Measure | Figure | Cohort or definition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 33% | Full-time, first-time students starting fall 2018, within 6 years | College Navigator |
| Retention | 68% | Full-time, first-time bachelor’s students | College Navigator |
| Admission rate | 96% | Fall 2024 applicants | College Navigator |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 25:1 | Institution-wide | College Navigator |
| Average net price | $20,426 | 2023-24 | College Navigator |
| Employed or in further study | 93% | Within 12 months of graduation; cohort and method not stated | UIU graphic design page |
College Navigator’s graduation rate counts only first-time, full-time students, so it does not cover transfer or part-time students.
Cuts in 2023 and finances since
In May 2023 UIU announced a restructuring: KCRG reported 37 positions cut, 22 of them in Fayette and 15 at the centers, while the Oelwein Daily Register put the total at about 55, 18 of them vacant. UIU declared financial exigency, closed regional centers and dropped several sports and the majors in sociology, information systems, information technology, intensive English and sports administration. Its federal tax filing for the year to June 2025 shows revenue of $49.0 million against expenses of $52.5 million, a deficit of about $3.5 million (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer). In January 2026 UIU reported “double digit percentage” enrollment growth, without giving figures.
Centers that have closed
Older listings, including ours until October 2026, still show these sites. UIU no longer teaches at any of them:
- Rockford, Illinois: closed 31 May 2023, according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
- Wisconsin: the Janesville (Blackhawk), Elkhorn, Madison, Milwaukee, Prairie du Chien and Wausau centers closed after UIU announced the cuts in May 2023. Wisconsin’s Educational Approval Program listed UIU as inactive in 2024, with no enrolled students.
- Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), Texas: both military-base centers closed in 2023.
- Mesa, Arizona: no longer on UIU’s list of locations. We could not find when it closed.
Fayette and the 11 centers
UIU says that not all programs are available at every location. Most program pages list every center, which reflects advising more than on-site classes.
| Location | Address | What happens there |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette, IA (main campus) | 605 Washington St., Fayette, IA 52142 | Residential campus with face-to-face day classes; housing; NCAA Division II sports |
| Cedar Rapids center | 1450 Boyson Road, Suite C-3B, Hiawatha, IA 52233 | Advising for online and self-paced study; on-site classes not mentioned |
| Des Moines center | 5000 Westown Parkway, Suite 200, West Des Moines, IA 50266 | Online and self-paced support; no traditional in-person classes |
| Quad Cities center | 500 Belmont Rd., Main Building, Room 1203 (Scott Community College), Bettendorf, IA 52722 | Student-support office; here since 5 January 2026 |
| Waterloo center | 4807 University Ave #101, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 | Online-focused; on-site classes not confirmed |
| Fort Riley, KS | 211 Custer Ave., Rm. 102, Fort Riley, KS 66442 | Day, evening and weekend classes, plus online |
| Alexandria, LA | 1410 Neel Kearby Blvd., Suite 115, Alexandria, LA 71303 | Evening undergraduate classes; master’s online |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 2431 S. Acadian Thruway #287, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 | Evening classes; master’s mainly online |
| DeRidder, LA | 401 W. 1st Street, DeRidder, LA 70634 | Evening undergraduate classes; master’s online |
| Fort Polk, LA | 7460 Colorado Ave., Bldg. 660, Rm. 104, Fort Polk, LA 71459 | Evening and weekend classes, plus online |
| New Orleans, LA | Jackson Barracks, Bldg. 2033, 6400 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117 | Evening classes, plus online |
| Fort Sill, OK | Harry S Truman Education Center, 3281 Koehler Loop, Fort Sill, OK 73503 | One evening a week, 5:30–10 pm, plus online; here since June 2026 |
Housing, sports and internships
Housing is offered only in Fayette, where residence halls cost $4,034 to $7,944 a year for 2026-27. UIU’s teams play in NCAA Division II and joined the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2023-24. Some majors build in work experience: the digital marketing degree includes an applied internship, and financial management has an optional one.
Before you enroll
- Check what a center actually offers. The Des Moines and Quad Cities centers are support offices for online study, and classes at the Cedar Rapids and Waterloo centers are not confirmed. In-person evening classes are mainly at the Louisiana centers and on the three bases.
- Only 33% of first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 graduated within six years, and 68% returned for a second year (College Navigator).
- The business degrees are in ACBSP candidacy, not accredited by ACBSP, and the MS in Counseling’s page does not mention CACREP accreditation. Ask your state’s counseling board whether the degree meets its rules before you apply.
- UIU cut staff, majors and centers under financial exigency in 2023 and was still running a deficit in the year to June 2025. Confirm that your program is still enrolling before you sign up.
- Our earlier listing named nursing, art, software engineering and IT programs. UIU’s Program Finder lists none of them, and the mortuary science minor is a set of prerequisite courses, not a license.
What students say
On Niche, Upper Iowa University has 3.74 out of 5 from 494 reviews (checked October 2026); most give four or five stars. Reviewers praise professors who care about students and small classes, the choice of online, hybrid and in-person study, valued especially by military and adult students, and the close-knit Fayette community. Complaints are that online tuition is expensive, that admissions and advising staff apply pressure or give inconsistent advice, with some transcript problems, and that rural Fayette has little to do.
Most recent Niche reviews were posted in July and August 2025, which looks like an end-of-year survey cycle rather than a steady flow; none are marked as invited. GradReports tells a less positive story: of its 50 older reviews (2017–2022), 52% would recommend UIU and 59% say it improved their career, and reviewers there describe online courses as paper-heavy and self-taught. A separate Niche page for UIU Online has only 20 reviews, too few to summarize.
Sources
Checked October 2026: UIU locations · UIU Program Finder · UIU tuition and costs 2026-27 · UIU accreditation · HLC reaffirmation letter (Jan 2020) · College Navigator · ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · Niche reviews
Programs & Courses
Business
- Accounting (BS; also a minor and BSBA emphasis)
- Business Administration (BSBA, 120-credit or 90-credit pathway; BSBA+MBA dual degree)
- General Business (AA)
- Business Analytics (BS, from fall 2025)
- Digital Marketing (BS); Marketing as a BSBA emphasis
- Financial Management (BS)
- Human Resources Management (BA; certificate; minor)
- Management, Project Management and Supply Chain Management (BS)
- Master of Business Administration (including AI and Cybersecurity options)
- Master of Public Administration (including a Cybersecurity option)
Communications and Media
- Communication Studies (BS: Communication Studies, Public Relations or Sports Communication)
Computer and Information Technology
- Cybersecurity (BS, online only, from fall 2025)
Criminal Justice and Law
- Criminal Justice (BS, with optional Homeland Security emphasis)
- Criminal Justice (AA)
- Emergency and Disaster Management (BS; certificate)
Graphics, Design, and Arts
- Graphic Design (BA; 24-credit minor)
Healthcare Administration
- Health Services Administration (BS)
- Master of Healthcare Administration (online)
Social Services
- MS in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health or School Counseling (online)
- Psychology (BS, AA and MA)
Education
- Teacher Education (mainly at Fayette, for Iowa licensure)
- Master of Education
Other majors
- Liberal Arts (AA)
- Public Health (BS)
- Agricultural Business, Biology, Conservation Management and Exercise Science (BS, Fayette only)
Campus Locations
UIU Fayette campus (Fayette, IA) 605 Washington St., Fayette, IA 52142
UIU Cedar Rapids center (Hiawatha, IA) 1450 Boyson Road, Suite C-3B, Hiawatha, IA 52233
UIU Waterloo center (Cedar Falls, IA) 4807 University Ave #101, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
UIU Fort Riley center (Fort Riley, KS) 211 Custer Ave., Rm. 102, Fort Riley, KS 66442
UIU Alexandria center (Alexandria, LA) 1410 Neel Kearby Blvd., Suite 115, Alexandria, LA 71303
UIU Baton Rouge center (Baton Rouge, LA) 2431 S. Acadian Thruway #287, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
UIU DeRidder center (DeRidder, LA) 401 W. 1st Street, DeRidder, LA 70634
UIU Fort Polk center (Fort Polk, LA) 7460 Colorado Ave., Bldg. 660, Rm. 104, Fort Polk, LA 71459
UIU New Orleans center (New Orleans, LA) Jackson Barracks, Bldg. 2033, 6400 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117
UIU Fort Sill center (Fort Sill, OK) Harry S Truman Education Center, 3281 Koehler Loop, Fort Sill, OK 73503