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Downtown Cedar Falls IA pic1Photo: RifeIdeas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls is a college town: 22 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Northern Iowa (7,746 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Iowa, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town22% of residents are studentsUniversity of Northern Iowa

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Cedar Falls. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
13,487 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
University of Northern Iowa
Residents in college
22%
Above IA (6%)
Nearest community college
8.8 mi
Hawkeye · $6,525 tuition
Nearest public university
0.4 mi
University of Northern Iowa · $9,936 in-state
Students on campus in Cedar Falls
7,746
next to 41,240 residents

What stands out about college in Cedar Falls

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town22 of every 100 Cedar Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.A university in Cedar FallsThe University of Northern Iowa has 7,746 students on campus in Cedar Falls, 68% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of Northern IowaLiving in Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa charges $9,936 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $21,712. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 8.8 miles awayHawkeye Community College in Waterloo: tuition and fees $6,525 a year for Iowa residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Cedar Falls

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

22 of every 100 Cedar Falls residents are in college (IA: 6).

7,746students on campus at University of Northern Iowa, next to 41,240 residents (dorm students count as residents)
5,973college students live in Cedar Falls households rather than dorms
29.3median age · IA 38.6
52%of residents are women · IA 50% (±1.1 points)
36%of homes rented · IA 28%
$1,203median rent · 24% above the state
Cedar FallsCedar Falls, IA
Cost of living$1,203/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundA−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Cedar Falls’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 15.9% of Cedar Falls residents are below the poverty line, 7.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 59% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 22%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Cedar Falls’ median age is 29.3 (Iowa 38.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Cedar Falls

Two private colleges within 14.5 miles, one public college within 0.4 miles, and Hawkeye Community College 8.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Northern IowaHawkeyeWartburg CollegeCedar Falls
University or collegeCommunity college
University of Northern IowaUniversity or college · Public · 7,746 on campus · In Cedar Falls93%admitted$16knet price68%graduate$55kearningsAllen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 429 on campus · 5.8 mi · Waterloo$71kearningsHawkeye Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,862 on campus · 8.8 mi · Waterloo$10knet price43%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $6,525 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Wartburg CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,450 on campus · 14.5 mi · Waverly76%admitted$33knet price64%graduate$56kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Cedar Falls’ median household income ($76,987) falls.

Hawkeye Community College8.8 mi · Waterloo · sticker $14,901 · tuition $6,525$10,316a year
University of Northern IowaIn Cedar Falls · sticker $22,278$17,740a year
Wartburg College14.5 mi · Waverly · sticker $64,359$28,873a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Cedar Falls: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of Northern IowaHawkeyeWartburg College
University of Northern Iowa68% graduate$55k earnings$20k typical debt
Hawkeye Community College43% graduate$43k earnings$12k typical debt
Wartburg College64% graduate$56k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Cedar Falls

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of Northern Iowa, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Education 25%Business 22%Parks & recreation 6%Communication 6%Psychology 5%Biology 5%Everything else 32%

Biggest programs

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods413 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas144 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services125 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations120 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Psychology, General118 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Social Work73 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Biology, General71 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities68 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Cedar Falls

Is Cedar Falls a college town?

Yes. 22 of every 100 Cedar Falls residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Iowa. The University of Northern Iowa has 7,746 students on campus, next to 41,240 residents.

What colleges are in Cedar Falls?

The University of Northern Iowa is inside the city. Hawkeye Community College is 8.8 miles away in Waterloo.

Why is Cedar Falls’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 15.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 7.4% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Cedar Falls, and what does it cost?

Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, 8.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,525 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $9,649, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of Northern Iowa?

The University of Northern Iowa admitted 93% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,020–1,280 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Cedar Falls. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →