The College of Idaho is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Caldwell, Idaho. It enrolls 1,041 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar4-1-4 Plan
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes61
Value42
Affordability42
Selectivity72
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
The College of Idaho admits 49.1% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
49.1%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1070 – 1280
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
23 – 31
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether The College of Idaho is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
1.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $19,481 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$37,845
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,773
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,500
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,250
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,200
Total Cost of Attendance
$50,542
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$14,026
$30,001 – $48,000
$16,218
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,773
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,729
Over $110,000
$23,095
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$7,79525%percentile
$24,500Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$32,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $18,778
↓ $5,722
No Pell $14,795
↓ $9,705
Dependent students $15,731
↓ $8,769
Independent students $20,000
↓ $4,500
Female students $19,000
↓ $5,500
Male students $14,000
↓ $10,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($24,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
64% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
64%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $48,473 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$48,473
Earning > $25K
73%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$39,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$56,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$51,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$41,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$49,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $17,100, about 30% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
14.8 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,041 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
1,041
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
27%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 57.0%593
Hispanic 17.7%184
International 11.4%119
Other 7.0%73
Asian 1.8%19
Black 1.5%16
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at The College of Idaho. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
The College of Idaho offers
a varied set of programs:
24 distinct programs across
15 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$178M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$69,142
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
83 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
30
36%
$81,795
Associate Professors
12
14%
$69,536
Assistant Professors
25
30%
$60,738
Instructors
4
5%
$52,975
Lecturers
11
13%
$55,333
No Rank
1
1%
$90,327
Pros & Cons of The College of Idaho
No college is right for everyone. Here is where The College of Idaho is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, The College of Idaho is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about The College of Idaho
The questions families ask most about The College of Idaho, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is The College of Idaho hard to get into?
The College of Idaho is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 49.1%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at The College of Idaho?
49.1% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for The College of Idaho?
Aim for 1280 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1070 and 1280 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for The College of Idaho?
Aim for 31 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 23 and 31 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does The College of Idaho cost?
Budget around $19,481 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is The College of Idaho worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $48,473 a year against a net price of $19,481, about 2.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is The College of Idaho known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Biology, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do The College of Idaho graduates earn?
About $48,473 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is The College of Idaho accredited?
Yes. The College of Idaho is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend The College of Idaho?
1,041 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at The College of Idaho?
64% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is The College of Idaho a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is The College of Idaho located?
The College of Idaho is located in Caldwell, Idaho.
What programs does The College of Idaho offer?
24 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Biology, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at The College of Idaho?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Idaho
Other colleges in Idaho share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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