State profile · 37 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Colleges in Idaho
Colleges in Idaho from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.
- 37
- Colleges
- $34,305
- Avg 10-yr earnings (29 of 37)
- 79.3%
- Avg acceptance
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
Idaho · the picture in one line
Idaho's 29 of 37 colleges that report earnings average $34,305 in 10-year former-student earnings - 51st highest of 56 states and territories that report.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- #51
- of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
- $54,670
- top earnings - University of Idaho
- 79.3%
- avg acceptance (8 reporting)
- 8 / 5 / 24
- public / nonprofit / for-profit
Best earnings-to-cost value among Idaho colleges with reported figures: University of Idaho.
Idaho · enrollment ≠ earnings
In Idaho, Brigham Young University-Idaho leads by undergraduate enrollment (44,397 students, #1 of 27) but ranks #2 of 27 on 10-year median earnings ($53,406), while University of Idaho tops earnings at $54,670 (#1 of 27) with 7,747 students (#3 of 27). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 44,397
- Brigham Young enrollment #1
- $54,670
- University of earnings #1
- #1
- Enrollment rank of earnings leader
- #2
- Earnings rank of enrollment leader
Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.
Enrollment of Idaho's #1 campuses by size vs earnings
Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.
- Brigham Young University…
Brigham Young University-Idaho
44,397 students
- University of Idaho 7,747
University of Idaho
7,747 students
What this shows Brigham Young University-Idaho is largest by enrollment; University of Idaho leads on 10-year earnings at $54,670.
This page aggregates colleges and universities in Idaho returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.
The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Idaho as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.
The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.
Largest Colleges in Idaho by Enrollment
IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.
- Brigham Young University…
Brigham Young University-Idaho
44,397 students
- Boise State University 17,674
Boise State University
17,674 students
- University of Idaho 7,747
University of Idaho
7,747 students
- Idaho State University 7,583
Idaho State University
7,583 students
- College of Western Idaho 6,459
College of Western Idaho
6,459 students
- College of Southern Idaho 3,810
College of Southern Idaho
3,810 students
- North Idaho College 2,619
North Idaho College
2,619 students
- Lewis-Clark State College 2,385
Lewis-Clark State College
2,385 students
- College of Eastern Idaho 1,478
College of Eastern Idaho
1,478 students
- The College of Idaho 1,041
The College of Idaho
1,041 students
- Northwest Nazarene Unive… 1,024
Northwest Nazarene University
1,024 students
- Eagle Gate College-Boise… 594
Eagle Gate College-Boise Campus
594 students
What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.
Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Idaho
U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.
- University of Idaho
University of Idaho
$54,670 USD
- Brigham Young University…
Brigham Young University-Idaho
$53,406 USD
- Northwest Nazarene Unive…
Northwest Nazarene University
$51,719 USD
- Boise State University
Boise State University
$51,658 USD
- The College of Idaho
The College of Idaho
$48,473 USD
- Lewis-Clark State College
Lewis-Clark State College
$46,001 USD
- Idaho State University
Idaho State University
$45,608 USD
- Carrington College-Boise
Carrington College-Boise
$43,731 USD
- College of Eastern Idaho
College of Eastern Idaho
$42,057 USD
- College of Southern Idaho
College of Southern Idaho
$40,916 USD
- North Idaho College
North Idaho College
$40,081 USD
- Provo College-Idaho Fall…
Provo College-Idaho Falls Campus
$39,645 USD
What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.
The ROI lens
Idaho colleges: earnings vs. cost
National context
How Idaho ranks among the states
Idaho's average 10-year earnings of $34,305 place it in the 9th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.
Idaho: average former-student earnings vs. every state
State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$34,305 9th percentile higher than 9% of 56 states & territories
Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.
School type matters
How school type shapes earnings in Idaho
Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.
Average former-student earnings by school type - Idaho
Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
- Private nonprofit
Private nonprofit
$46,685 avg earnings
- Public
Public
$45,856 avg earnings
- For-profit
For-profit
$27,062 avg earnings
What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.
What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Idaho
PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 37 postsecondary institutions in Idaho. The ownership mix is 8 public institutions, 5 private nonprofits, and 24 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.
Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 15 of 37 Idaho institutions that report one is $13,208, and the average admission rate among the 8 that report one sits at 79.3%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.
Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 29 of 37 Idaho colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $34,305, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.
All Schools in Idaho
| School Name | City | Type | Enrollment | Acceptance Rate | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University-Idaho | Rexburg | Private NP | 44,397 | 95.8% | $53,406 |
| Boise State University | Boise | Public | 17,674 | 87.2% | $51,658 |
| University of Idaho | Moscow | Public | 7,747 | 75.5% | $54,670 |
| Idaho State University | Pocatello | Public | 7,583 | - | $45,608 |
| College of Western Idaho | Nampa | Public | 6,459 | - | - |
| College of Southern Idaho | Twin Falls | Public | 3,810 | - | $40,916 |
| North Idaho College | Coeur d'Alene | Public | 2,619 | - | $40,081 |
| Lewis-Clark State College | Lewiston | Public | 2,385 | 87.7% | $46,001 |
| College of Eastern Idaho | Idaho Falls | Public | 1,478 | - | $42,057 |
| The College of Idaho | Caldwell | Private NP | 1,041 | 49.1% | $48,473 |
| Northwest Nazarene University | Nampa | Private NP | 1,024 | 64.7% | $51,719 |
| Eagle Gate College-Boise Campus | Boise | For-Profit | 594 | - | $37,518 |
| Carrington College-Boise | Boise | For-Profit | 478 | - | $43,731 |
| New Saint Andrews College | Moscow | Private NP | 305 | 83.9% | - |
| Provo College-Idaho Falls Campus | Idaho Falls | For-Profit | 257 | - | $39,645 |
| Oliver Finley Academy of Cosmetology | Boise | For-Profit | 254 | - | $26,323 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Rexburg | Rexburg | For-Profit | 224 | - | $26,774 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Boise | Boise | For-Profit | 183 | - | $25,719 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Nampa | Nampa | For-Profit | 117 | - | $25,719 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Nampa | Nampa | For-Profit | 111 | - | $18,095 |
| Boise Barber College | Boise | For-Profit | 104 | - | - |
| Aveda Institute-Boise | Boise | For-Profit | 97 | - | $24,470 |
| Boise Bible College | Boise | Private NP | 93 | 90.5% | $33,140 |
| Headmasters School of Hair Design | Lewiston | For-Profit | 92 | - | $17,707 |
| Aveda Institute-Twin Falls | Twin Falls | For-Profit | 88 | - | $26,171 |
| Austin Kade Academy | Idaho Falls | For-Profit | 82 | - | - |
| Evans Hairstyling College-Rexburg | Rexburg | For-Profit | 76 | - | $16,984 |
| Nathan Layne Institute of Cosmetology | Chubbuck | For-Profit | 70 | - | $22,209 |
| Premiere Aesthetics Institute-Meridian | Meridian | For-Profit | 64 | - | - |
| Cosmetology School of Arts & Sciences | Burley | For-Profit | 40 | - | $19,120 |
| Rexburg College of Massage Therapy | Rexburg | For-Profit | 37 | - | - |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Twin Falls | TWIN FALLS | For-Profit | 19 | - | $27,947 |
| Integrated Massage Therapy Services | Blackfoot | For-Profit | 7 | - | $24,368 |
| Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine | Meridian | For-Profit | - | - | - |
| Premiere Aesthetics Institute-Post Falls | Post Falls | For-Profit | - | - | - |
| NYSMedical&Dental Assistants - American Institute of Clinical Massage | Post Falls | For-Profit | - | - | $38,899 |
| Paul Mitchell The School Boise -Paul Mitchell The School Coeur d'Alene | Coeur d'Alene | For-Profit | - | - | $25,719 |
Featured Colleges in Idaho
Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side
Explore more Idaho data
Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.
How to Compare Colleges
A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.
Financial Aid & Net Price
How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.
Understanding College Earnings Data
How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.
About This Data
According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What this means for Idaho applicants
- Idaho has 37 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
- Average reported admission rate across Idaho colleges is 79.3% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
- State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.