More selective than 33% of Idaho colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,224. College Scorecard.
Higher than 62% of Idaho colleges we cover and 62% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 57% of Idaho colleges we cover and 45% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Boise State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 15,949 applicants, Boise State University admitted 13,391 and 3,080 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Boise State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Idaho residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Boise State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Boise State University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Idaho. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $18,165 | $80,289 | 5.1 years |
| $30–48k | $17,974 | $79,445 | 5.0 years |
| $48–75k | $20,731 | $91,631 | 5.8 years |
| $75–110k | $23,573 | $104,193 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | $25,893 | $114,447 | 7.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (40% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($51,658) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ID (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,861 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Boise State University majors, earnings & careers
Boise State University offers 71 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Business & Finance · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Engineering · 6
- Education · 5
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at Boise State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $112,120 | $27,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $100,680 | $35,463 |
| Construction Management | $95,250 | $25,000 |
| Nursing | $91,491 | $27,220 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $89,863 | $25,675 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,354 | $24,833 |
| Civil Engineering | $81,405 | $27,000 |
| Chemistry | $78,901 | $25,623 |
Quick list of all 71 majors
- Accounting$69,257
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$89,863
- Anthropology$36,830
- Applied Mathematics$75,336
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Biology$49,570
- Business$64,202
- Business Administration$66,283
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry$78,901
- Civil Engineering$81,405
- Communications$53,278
- Computer and Information Sciences$77,439
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$112,120
- Construction Management$95,250
- Criminal Justice$50,297
- Data Analytics—
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies—
- Economics$71,817
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,419
- Education (Subject Teaching)$47,505
- Electrical Engineering$100,680
- Engineering—
- English$39,059
- Environmental Science / Conservation$50,697
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$70,449
- Geology / Earth Science$53,995
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$42,527
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$60,164
- History$49,625
- Interdisciplinary Studies$51,708
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$62,964
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$58,562
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Marketing$65,040
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics$48,582
- Mechanical Engineering$85,354
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$65,089
- Music—
- Nursing$91,491
- Philosophy—
- Physics$64,459
- Physiology—
- Political Science$55,478
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$51,184
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Sciences$49,683
- Social Work$55,188
- Sociology$44,676
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$44,684
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) → Radiologic technologist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boise City
Overall prices in the Boise City, ID area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,540. Housing costs 6% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 16 inches of rain a year, 18 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Ada County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ada County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Boise State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Idaho by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State University | 87% | $21,610 | 60% | $51,658 | This school |
| University of Idaho | 76% | $14,831 | 57% | $54,670 | |
| Lewis-Clark State College | 88% | $15,635 | 40% | $46,001 | |
| Idaho State University | — | $12,193 | 39% | $45,608 | |
| College of Southern Idaho | — | $6,095 | 33% | $40,916 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Boise State University would cost you $6,779 more per year than University of Idaho, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Boise State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$6,230).
- University of Idaho gives aided families $2,293 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Idaho resident | Boise State University | University of Idaho | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,048 | $9,084 | −$36 |
| Books & supplies | $1,226 | $1,232 | −$6 |
| Housing & meals | $16,610 | $10,380 | +$6,230 |
| Personal & travel | $5,723 | $3,552 | +$2,171 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,383 | −$510 | −$3,873 |
| Sticker price | $28,224 | $23,738 | +$4,486 |
| Average grants | −$6,614 | −$8,907 | +$2,293 |
| You pay | $21,610 | $14,831 | +$6,779 |
“+” means Boise State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Boise State University
What is the Boise State University acceptance rate?
Boise State University accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 13,391 of 15,949 applicants were admitted.
How much does Boise State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,224 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,610 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,165 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,893.
How much do Boise State University graduates earn?
Former Boise State University students earn a median $51,658 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Boise State University graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a Boise State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Boise State University costs about $91,631 after grants ($20,731 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,658 ten years after starting, $15,861 more than high school graduates in Idaho ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 5.8 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Boise State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/boise-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).