University of Northern Iowa Accounting: earnings, debt & careers

Accounting graduates of University of Northern Iowa earn a median $82,641 four years after graduating ($61,088 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,525. That is $8,268 above the U.S. median for Accounting graduates ($74,373 across 741 colleges), and ranks 6th of 18 Iowa colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$82,641

U.S. median for this major: $74,373.

College Scorecard field of study; 91 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$61,088

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,525

About 26% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,901 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $22,278. College Scorecard.

University of Northern Iowa Accounting: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of Northern Iowa graduates$82,641
Iowa median (18 colleges)$75,806 (+$6,835)
U.S. median (741 colleges)$74,373 (+$8,268)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses University of Northern Iowa's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$10,863$47,7971.0 years
$30–48k$11,751$51,7041.1 years
$48–75k$14,099$62,0361.3 years
$75–110k$17,740$78,0561.7 years
$110k+$18,706$82,3061.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (45% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($82,641) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $45,980 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Accounting at Iowa colleges

Every Iowa college we cover that reports Accounting graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Iowa$92,767$22,500$22,53175%
2Wartburg College$89,696$26,840$32,90864%
3Drake University$87,582$20,500$29,12774%
4Central College$86,868$27,000$23,37766%
5Saint Ambrose University$83,719$26,559$24,69161%
6University of Northern Iowa$82,641$21,525$15,90168%
7Coe College$81,408$26,000$18,74566%
8Dordt University$77,629—$25,80770%
9Simpson College$76,272$27,000$21,93663%
10Luther College$75,341$27,000$23,09771%
11Loras College$74,811—$20,71668%
12Iowa State University$70,706$23,250$18,58975%
13Grand View University$66,906$27,000$21,77454%
14Upper Iowa University$63,645$37,608$20,94234%
15Buena Vista University$63,454$27,000$18,84662%
16University of Dubuque$63,082$29,000$23,38640%
17Mount Mercy University$59,763—$20,16858%
18Northwestern College$59,192—$25,90766%

5 more Iowa colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Accounting graduates

Accountant / auditor

Waterloo area$73,530
Iowa$77,440
U.S.$83,680

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Financial Managers

Waterloo area$125,690
Iowa$133,320
U.S.$166,570

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Financial and Investment Analysts

Waterloo area$80,100
Iowa$92,370
U.S.$102,740

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at University of Northern Iowa, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of Northern Iowa

Related majors at University of Northern Iowa

University of Northern Iowa Accounting questions

How much do University of Northern Iowa Accounting graduates earn?

Accounting graduates of University of Northern Iowa earn a median $82,641 four years after graduating and $61,088 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.

How much debt do University of Northern Iowa Accounting graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of University of Northern Iowa is $21,525, about 26% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.

Is University of Northern Iowa a good school for Accounting in Iowa?

On pay, Accounting graduates of University of Northern Iowa earn $82,641 four years out, $6,835 above the median for the same major across 18 Iowa colleges ($75,806) and $8,268 above the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of Northern Iowa rank for Accounting in Iowa?

Of 18 Iowa colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, University of Northern Iowa ranks 6th. The highest is University of Iowa at $92,767.

What jobs do Accounting graduates get?

A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $73,530 in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA area and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “University of Northern Iowa Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-northern-iowa/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).