The University of Northern Iowa has been named to the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in America list, ranking No. 289 out of nearly 600 institutions listed nationwide.

The rankings place the strongest emphasis on student outcomes, which account for 70% of the overall score. According to the publication, the methodology “includes measures of the value colleges add to their students' outcomes in terms of graduate salaries and graduation rates, and how quickly an education pays for itself through the estimated salary boost attributed to it."

UNI’s inclusion in the list highlights the university’s longstanding commitment to delivering exceptional value – offering the most affordable tuition among Iowa’s public universities, graduating students with less debt than their peers and preparing them for meaningful careers.