State Hub

Colleges in Idaho

CampusPin tracks 16 colleges in Idaho, 12 universities and 4 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

16

Universities

12

Community colleges

4

Avg. in-state tuition

$13k

About college search in Idaho

How Idaho's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Idaho’s public higher-education sector includes four primary universities under the State Board of Education: the University of Idaho (Moscow, the state’s land-grant flagship), Boise State University (Boise), Idaho State University (Pocatello), and Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston). The state operates a small set of community colleges including the College of Western Idaho (Nampa), the College of Southern Idaho (Twin Falls), the College of Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls), and North Idaho College (Coeur d’Alene).

Four primary public universities

University of Idaho, Boise State, Idaho State, and Lewis-Clark State College anchor the state public sector.

University of Idaho as land-grant

The University of Idaho in Moscow is the state’s land-grant research institution and primary flagship.

Boise State as urban anchor

Boise State University in Boise is the state’s largest university by enrollment and primary urban research presence.

Idaho Opportunity Scholarship

The Idaho Opportunity Scholarship and Idaho Launch programs support eligible in-state students. Verify with the institution.

Public university system

Idaho State Board of Education

The Idaho State Board of Education governs the state’s four public universities and coordinates statewide policy.

Community college network

Idaho community colleges (4 primary institutions)

Idaho operates four primary community colleges plus several technical colleges, with formal transfer paths to the public four-year universities.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Idaho in-state public tuition is among the lower rates in the U.S. Out-of-state rates are materially higher; the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) may reduce out-of-state cost for students from participating Western states.

Top metros for college search

Where Idaho's higher-education density concentrates

  • Boise / Treasure Valley

    Boise hosts Boise State University, the College of Western Idaho (Nampa), and the College of Idaho (private, Caldwell).

  • Moscow / Pullman corridor

    Moscow is the home of the University of Idaho; Pullman, WA (across the state line) hosts Washington State University, creating a two-state college-town corridor.

  • Pocatello

    Pocatello is the home of Idaho State University.

  • Coeur d’Alene / Lewiston

    Coeur d’Alene hosts North Idaho College; Lewiston is the home of Lewis-Clark State College.

What Idaho actually costs

Median net price after grants
$10,000 for families under $30,000
$16,387 at $110,000 or more
Across 11 Idaho colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$18,500 with 25.3% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
31% of Idaho students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Idaho

Filter all Idaho schools

West region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Idaho

Across Idaho (ID), CampusPin currently indexes 16 institutions: 8 public and 8 private, split between 12 universities and 4 community colleges. Students often deal with large geographic spread, strong public systems, and meaningful differences between urban, suburban, and remote options.

Compare travel distance and delivery format early so your list reflects how you would actually attend.
Use online and hybrid filters when geography is broad but schedule flexibility matters.
Review campus environment and support detail carefully because Western state searches can mix very different school contexts.

Browse by major

Idaho colleges by program

Start from the major. Each guide covers what the field studies, its federal CIP classification, and the pay and projected openings for the occupations it leads to, then send you into Idaho search to build a shortlist.

Fields with a distinct set of Idaho colleges

15 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Idaho are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Idaho hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Idaho so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Idaho

Explore all colleges in IdahoView community colleges in IdahoView online programs in IdahoRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Idaho

Which is the public flagship university in Idaho?
The University of Idaho in Moscow is the state’s land-grant and primary public flagship. Boise State University in Boise is the state’s largest public university by enrollment.
How many HBCUs are in Idaho?
Idaho has no federally designated HBCUs.
How does the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) work for Idaho students?
WUE allows residents of participating Western states (including Idaho) to enroll in selected programs at participating public universities in other WUE states at 150% of the in-state tuition rate, substantially lower than the standard out-of-state rate. Eligibility is program-specific; verify with the destination institution.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Idaho search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Idaho

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Idaho in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Idaho.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Idaho

More ways to explore Idaho colleges

What this count of 16 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Idaho, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
12 listed as universities and 4 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
8 public and 8 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Idaho are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

MethodologyData dictionaryReport a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Idaho. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/idaho