Mathematics at University of Northern Iowa

University of Northern Iowa's mathematics program graduates earn significantly less than what you'd expect from similar programs—both nationally and within Iowa itself. With first-year earnings of $42,729, graduates are in the 24th percentile nationally and 25th percentile statewide. That's roughly $9,000 less than the typical Iowa math graduate and $6,000 below the national median. For comparison, University of Iowa math grads start near $61,000, while Iowa State hits the state median of $51,422.

The modest debt load of $19,723 helps keep this program from becoming financially problematic—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 is manageable, meaning graduates can realistically pay this back. Earnings do grow to $45,688 by year four, though that 7% increase still leaves graduates well below their peers at other institutions.

Here's the critical caveat: this data comes from a very small sample size (under 30 graduates), so these numbers may not reliably represent the typical graduate's experience. A few individuals going into teaching or graduate school could significantly skew the earnings downward. Given UNI's 94% admission rate and that nearly identical debt levels across Iowa programs, your child might achieve similar outcomes at higher-earning programs. If they're set on UNI, understand they're likely accepting below-average starting salaries for Iowa math graduates, even with the lower debt burden.