More selective than 67% 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 $23,738. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of Idaho colleges we cover and 57% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Idaho colleges we cover and 54% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Idaho acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,222 applicants, University of Idaho admitted 9,666 and 1,869 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1230 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Idaho 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 University of Idaho costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Idaho 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 | $11,270 | $49,250 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $11,193 | $48,913 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $13,374 | $58,444 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $17,130 | $74,858 | 4.0 years |
| $110k+ | $18,791 | $82,117 | 4.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (41% 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 ($54,670) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ID (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,873 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.
University of Idaho majors, earnings & careers
University of Idaho offers 90 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 27
- Engineering · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Arts & Design · 7
- Communications & Media · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at University of Idaho
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $103,530 | $25,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $94,484 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $86,415 | $25,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $86,310 | $21,500 |
| Business Administration | $81,967 | $23,000 |
| Agricultural Business | $80,690 | $17,956 |
| Chemical Engineering | $80,558 | $27,000 |
| Business Economics | $78,254 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 90 majors
- Accounting$67,887
- Agricultural Business$80,690
- Agricultural Mechanization—
- Agricultural Production Operations—
- Agricultural Public Services$45,263
- Animal Sciences$40,935
- Anthropology—
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Archeology—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$62,557
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological / Biosystems Engineering—
- Biology$55,147
- Biotechnology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$49,929
- Business Administration$81,967
- Business Economics$78,254
- Chemical Engineering$80,558
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$86,310
- Communications—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$103,530
- Criminology—
- Dance—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$47,372
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,237
- Education (Subject Teaching)$54,732
- Electrical Engineering$94,484
- English$38,409
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Design—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$62,791
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$71,929
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management—
- Food Science and Technology—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$60,241
- Forestry$64,392
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Graphic Communications$49,188
- Health Sciences—
- History$50,628
- Human Development and Family Studies$46,758
- Human Resources$52,438
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Technology—
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies$42,526
- Interior Architecture—
- International Relations$48,662
- Journalism$45,288
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$49,651
- Landscape Architecture—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$47,654
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$63,639
- Marketing$59,776
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$86,415
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$29,227
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Plant Sciences$47,392
- Political Science$50,593
- Psychology$42,825
- Public Relations and Advertising$56,032
- Sociology$51,873
- Soil Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$47,825
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$45,624
- Theatre$35,407
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$43,171
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 →Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Moscow
2 bedrooms $1,043.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 22 inches of rain a year, 51 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Latah County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Latah County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of Idaho 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Idaho | 76% | $14,831 | 57% | $54,670 | This school |
| Idaho State University | — | $12,193 | 39% | $45,608 | |
| Lewis-Clark State College | 88% | $15,635 | 40% | $46,001 | |
| College of Southern Idaho | — | $6,095 | 33% | $40,916 | |
| 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
University of Idaho would cost you $2,638 more per year than Idaho State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Idaho, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,456).
- Idaho State University gives aided families $427 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Idaho resident | University of Idaho | ISU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,084 | $8,610 | +$474 |
| Books & supplies | $1,232 | $1,000 | +$232 |
| Housing & meals | $10,380 | $7,924 | +$2,456 |
| Personal & travel | $3,552 | $5,930 | −$2,378 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$510 | −$1,937 | +$1,427 |
| Sticker price | $23,738 | $21,527 | +$2,211 |
| Average grants | −$8,907 | −$9,334 | +$427 |
| You pay | $14,831 | $12,193 | +$2,638 |
“+” means University of Idaho 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 University of Idaho
What is the University of Idaho acceptance rate?
University of Idaho accepts 76% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 9,666 of 12,222 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 990–1230 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
How much does University of Idaho cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,738 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,831 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,270 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,791.
How much do University of Idaho graduates earn?
Former University of Idaho students earn a median $54,670 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Idaho graduation rate?
57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Idaho degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Idaho costs about $58,444 after grants ($13,374 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,670 ten years after starting, $18,873 more than high school graduates in Idaho ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.1 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: “University of Idaho: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-idaho (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).