College Scorecard
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $21,527. College Scorecard.
Higher than 12% of Idaho colleges we cover and 24% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 14% of Idaho colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ISU acceptance rate & admissions
Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ISU 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 ISU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Idaho State University took 4.5 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 | $10,593 | $47,139 | 4.8 years |
| $30–48k | $10,011 | $44,549 | 4.5 years |
| $48–75k | $11,538 | $51,344 | 5.2 years |
| $75–110k | $14,483 | $64,449 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | $16,288 | $72,482 | 7.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (24% 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 ($45,608) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ID (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,811 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.
ISU majors, earnings & careers
Idaho State University offers 94 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 14
- Health & Medicine · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Science & Math · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 8
- Technology & Computing · 7
- Arts & Design · 6
- Trades & Applied Technology · 6
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at ISU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,053 | $31,000 |
| Human Resources | $89,887 | $31,660 |
| Computer Science | $88,888 | $25,250 |
| Nursing | $73,953 | $32,500 |
| Finance | $73,295 | — |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $71,038 | $28,000 |
| Business Administration | $69,630 | $25,500 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $65,955 | $30,361 |
Quick list of all 94 majors
- Accounting$65,662
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$65,955
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services—
- American Sign Language—
- Anthropology$38,342
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$52,171
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Building / Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection—
- Business—
- Business Administration$69,630
- Business Operations Support and Assistant Services—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Communications$47,655
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Computer Programming—
- Computer Science$88,888
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications—
- Criminal Justice—
- Culinary Arts and Related Services—
- Dance—
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$62,783
- Dietetics$46,238
- Drafting / Design Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,189
- Education (Subject Teaching)$46,205
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical / Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installers—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians—
- Energy Systems Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians—
- English$40,602
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$73,295
- Fire Protection—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic Communications—
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences$48,828
- History$42,814
- Homeland Security—
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources$89,887
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Relations—
- Legal Support Services—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$43,444
- Marketing$64,480
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$90,053
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians—
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Medical Laboratory Science$71,038
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nuclear Engineering—
- Nuclear Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Nursing$73,953
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$50,233
- Precision Metal Working—
- Psychology$46,073
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work$51,827
- Sociology$32,182
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$42,232
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$56,720
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies / Technicians—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Pocatello
Overall prices in the Pocatello, ID area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,251. Housing costs 34% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 13 inches of rain a year, 30 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Bannock County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Bannock County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ISU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho State University | — | $12,193 | 39% | $45,608 | This school |
| College of Southern Idaho | — | $6,095 | 33% | $40,916 | |
| University of Idaho | 76% | $14,831 | 57% | $54,670 | |
| Lewis-Clark State College | 88% | $15,635 | 40% | $46,001 | |
| Boise State University | 87% | $21,610 | 60% | $51,658 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Idaho State University would cost you $6,098 more per year than College of Southern Idaho, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Idaho State University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$5,250).
- Idaho State University gives aided families $2,626 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Idaho resident | ISU | College of Southern Idaho | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,610 | $3,360 | +$5,250 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $990 | +$10 |
| Housing & meals | $7,924 | $5,750 | +$2,174 |
| Personal & travel | $5,930 | $4,448 | +$1,482 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,937 | −$1,745 | −$192 |
| Sticker price | $21,527 | $12,803 | +$8,724 |
| Average grants | −$9,334 | −$6,708 | −$2,626 |
| You pay | $12,193 | $6,095 | +$6,098 |
“+” means ISU 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 ISU
How much does Idaho State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,527 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,193 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,593 and families earning $110k+ pay $16,288.
How much do ISU graduates earn?
Former Idaho State University students earn a median $45,608 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ISU graduation rate?
39% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a ISU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Idaho State University costs about $51,344 after grants ($11,538 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,608 ten years after starting, $9,811 more than high school graduates in Idaho ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 5.2 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: “Idaho State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/idaho-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).