by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top Idaho Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 10 colleges and universities across Idaho to determine which were the best in terms of overall quality. Our ranking methodology focuses on over 20 different objective factors - such as graduation rate, post graduate earnings, and a school's average expenditure per student - to make this determination.
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found University of Idaho to be the best school for overall quality in Idaho in this year’s ranking. U of I is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 2,566 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from U of I make an average of $48,272 a year.
Out of the 10 schools in Idaho that were part of this year’s ranking, Boise State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Boise State is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,898 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Boise State go into careers with an average salary of $43,100 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges in Idaho list. BYU - I is located in Rexburg, Idaho and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7,639 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from BYU - I is $49,281 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 10 schools in Idaho that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest Nazarene University landed the #4 spot on the list.Nampa, Idaho is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 609 students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from NNU make an average of $47,908 per year during the early years of their career.
A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges in Idaho list means Idaho State University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree.Pocatello, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,831 students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from ISU is $42,101 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #6, North Idaho College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in Idaho list. Located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the small public school handed out 1,469 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from NIC make an average of $36,382 per year during the early years of their career.
The College of Idaho came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Idaho ranking. The College of Idaho is located in Caldwell, Idaho and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 271 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from The College of Idaho make an average of $45,431 a year.
College of Southern Idaho ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges in Idaho list. College of Southern Idaho is a medium-sized public school located in Twin Falls, Idaho that handed out 1,251 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from College of Southern Idaho go into careers with an average salary of $34,914 during the early years of their career.
College of Western Idaho landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in Idaho ranking. CWI is located in Nampa, Idaho and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,384 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Lewis - Clark State College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges in Idaho list. Lewis - Clark State College is a small public school located in Lewiston, Idaho that handed out 868 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Lewis - Clark State College make an average of $41,741 per year during the early years of their career.
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 10 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
