UNI is great at keeping students coming back year after year. More than eight out of ten first-year students return for their second year, and all students graduate at a rate that’s 25 percentage points higher than similar universities. Students can find the support they need at UNI, whether that’s through academic advising, wellness coaching, counseling or simply having the peer and faculty connections they need to thrive.

With more than 200 student organizations, it’s easy to build your community at UNI. This makes students want to come back each semester and continue pursuing their bachelor’s degrees. 

“As a student here at UNI, I have had so many opportunities to get involved on campus, and doing so has really made UNI feel like home for me,” said Maeon Burrell, a biology teaching major. “From being heavily involved with the Black Student Union and our other multicultural student organizations, to being on the leadership team for orientation and Jump Start Scholars, my UNI experience has been great. Through going to campus events and making it a priority to get out of my comfort zone, I have met so many people during my time at UNI that I consider close friends and some of the best mentors I could ever have.”

UNI prides itself on offering ample opportunities for hands-on learning. From undergraduate research and creative projects to field experiences, service-learning and study abroad, students put their learning into action. UNI has industry partnerships that connect students with competitive internship opportunities. All these things set students up for success immediately when they graduate because they haven’t just heard about professional concepts — they’ve practiced them.

“UNI's engineering program is more hands-on and less theoretical,” said Braylee Kimberley, a mechanical engineering technology major who has learned how to metal cast, weld and program robots in UNI’s Applied Engineering Building. “I like working with my hands, so it really appealed to me.”

By offering lots of financial aid options and numerous online and hybrid-delivery programs, UNI remains accessible to a diverse group of learners. UNI meets students where they are. 

“The biggest factor was the online aspect,” said Rhandi Oelmann, a spring 2026 graduate who earned her degree through the early childhood education online transfer program. She kept her job as a paraeducator while taking classes remotely. “I could be at home to do classes online, while still having in-person interactions from field experiences. That was huge because at this stage of my life, I couldn't take an unpaid two years off. I could not do that to our family.” 

The university partners with every community college in the state of Iowa. The program allows adult and place-bound learners with an associate’s degree from an Iowa community college to earn a UNI bachelor’s degree online. Those students who meet income and academic eligibility after completing a FAFSA even receive a Future Ready Award that covers the difference between community college and UNI tuition.

U.S. News & World Report surveys presidents, provosts and deans at peer institutions to determine which universities should rank highly. 

Across the region and the nation, university leaders know UNI for its excellent programs in teaching, business, nursing, health and engineering. One mark of UNI’s success in business is the fact that the UNI MBA has been named a Best Business School by Princeton Review for two decades.

"Twenty years of national recognition doesn't happen by chance," said Ken Brown, dean of the Wilson College of Business. "This recognition is a testament to our faculty, who combine outstanding expertise with a genuine commitment to student success. They're approachable mentors who challenge students, make themselves available outside the classroom and are deeply invested in helping every student succeed."