Best Colleges in Idaho 2026

Idaho's higher education landscape offers students strong value and diverse academic opportunities across 7 qualifying institutions. The state's top-ranked schools blend academic quality with affordability, featuring a mix of established public universities and focused private colleges. Public institutions claim 4 of the top 5 spots, led by the University of Idaho and Boise State University, which offer comprehensive research programs and extensive student resources. When evaluating Idaho colleges, students should consider program strength in their intended major, campus size preferences, and total cost of attendance. The College of Idaho stands out as the sole private institution in the top tier, providing a more intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes and personalized attention from faculty.

Schools Ranked

$45,955

Avg. Earnings

49.5%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 14 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Graduation Rate	Median Earnings	Acceptance Rate	In-State Tuition
1	University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho	60.9%	$54,670	73.9%	$8,816
2	Boise State University Boise, Idaho	61.9%	$51,658	83.9%	$8,782
3	The College of Idaho Caldwell, Idaho	64.1%	$48,473	45.5%	$36,030
4	Idaho State University Pocatello, Idaho	38.3%	$45,608		$8,356
5	College of Eastern Idaho Idaho Falls, Idaho	35.3%	$42,057		$3,390
6	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, Idaho	55.1%	$53,406	95.6%	$4,656
7	College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls, Idaho	35.1%	$40,916		$3,360
8	North Idaho College Coeur d'Alene, Idaho	35.7%	$40,081		$3,396
9	Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston, Idaho	44.7%	$46,001	86.8%	$7,388
10	Carrington College-Boise Boise, Idaho	58.0%	$43,731
11	Northwest Nazarene University Nampa, Idaho	59.9%	$51,719	88.2%	$39,370
12	Boise Bible College Boise, Idaho	48.1%	$33,140	100.0%	$11,240
13	New Saint Andrews College Moscow, Idaho	69.7%		83.0%	$15,700
14	College of Western Idaho Nampa, Idaho	26.8%			$3,336