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University of Northern Iowa: UNI Lang Hall
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College · Catholic life on campus

University of Northern Iowa

  • LocationCedar Falls, IA
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 9,013 students
Official website

University of Northern Iowa is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The Catholic student center serving the University of Northern Iowa is St. Stephen the Witness Student Center at 1019 W. 23rd Street in Cedar Falls. The Archdiocese of Dubuque lists Rev. Mark D. Murphy as chaplain and Paul Lee as director of campus ministry.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of University of Northern Iowa, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miSt. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center: 0.2 mi1Saint Patrick Catholic Church: 1.4 mi2St. Stephen the Witness Student Center: 0.2 miUniversity of Northern Iowa (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center — 0.2 mi
  2. Saint Patrick Catholic Church — 1.4 mi

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes (The archdiocese's directory lists the center as the Catholic student center for the University of Northern Iowa.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Colleges | Archdiocese of Dubuquedbqarch.org/colleges · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “St. Stephen the Witness Student Center (University of Northern Iowa) 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls 50613-3550”
      The Archdiocese of Dubuque lists St. Stephen the Witness Student Center as the Catholic student center for the University of Northern Iowa, at 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (A named student center at a published address; distance from campus is computed from the address.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Colleges | Archdiocese of Dubuquedbqarch.org/colleges · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “St. Stephen the Witness Student Center (University of Northern Iowa) 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls 50613-3550”
      The Archdiocese of Dubuque lists St. Stephen the Witness Student Center as the Catholic student center for the University of Northern Iowa, at 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryFull-time priest chaplain (The archdiocese's directory presents Rev. Mark D.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Colleges | Archdiocese of Dubuquedbqarch.org/colleges · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Chaplain: Rev. Mark D. Murphy E-mail: DBQ303@dbqarch.org”
      The archdiocese lists Rev. Mark D. Murphy as chaplain of the St. Stephen the Witness Student Center.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • The archdiocese lists a named chaplain and a director of campus ministry for the student center.
    Sources (1)
    1. Colleges | Archdiocese of Dubuquedbqarch.org/colleges · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Chaplain: Rev. Mark D. Murphy E-mail: DBQ303@dbqarch.org”
      The archdiocese lists Rev. Mark D. Murphy as chaplain of the St. Stephen the Witness Student Center.
      “Director of Campus Ministry: Paul Lee E-mail: DBQ303DIR@dbqarch.org”
      The archdiocese lists Paul Lee as director of campus ministry at the St. Stephen the Witness Student Center.

Concerns

None recorded.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

St. Stephen the Witness Student Center

  • Address: 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls, IA 50613
  • Distance from campus: 0.2 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: dbqarch.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, dbqarch.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (1)
  1. Colleges | Archdiocese of Dubuquedbqarch.org/colleges · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “St. Stephen the Witness Student Center (University of Northern Iowa) 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls 50613-3550”
    The Archdiocese of Dubuque lists St. Stephen the Witness Student Center as the Catholic student center for the University of Northern Iowa, at 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls.
    “St. Stephen the Witness Student Center (University of Northern Iowa) 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls 50613-3550”
    The Archdiocese of Dubuque lists St. Stephen the Witness Student Center as the Catholic student center for the University of Northern Iowa, at 1019 W. 23rd St., Cedar Falls.
    “Chaplain: Rev. Mark D. Murphy E-mail: DBQ303@dbqarch.org”
    The archdiocese lists Rev. Mark D. Murphy as chaplain of the St. Stephen the Witness Student Center.

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Academic Excellence

CAcademic Excellence: Mixed (grade C): 55 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
67 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.68%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,122 · ACT 22.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,070

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Campus facts

SportsNCAA Division I · Missouri Valley Conference
SettingCity
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member18 to 1

Federal data (IPEDS). None of this changes the faith grades.

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
7,734
Total students9,013
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$15,901
Cost of attendance (per year)$22,278
Median federal debt at graduation$19,691
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
68%
First-year retention82%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$55,177
Admission rate93%
Students receiving Pell grants27%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1020–1280ACT 19–26
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1122
SAT reading & writing520–650
SAT math500–630
ACT composite19–26
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 68 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Dubuque

The Most Reverend Thomas Zinkula, Archbishop of Dubuque

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is University of Northern Iowa a Catholic college?
No. University of Northern Iowa is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by St. Stephen the Witness Student Center (University of Northern Iowa).

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