Public · University
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho · Small city
- —
- Admit rate
- $12,193
- Avg net price
- 39%
- Graduation rate
- $45,608
- Median earnings
Idaho State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Pocatello, Idaho (small city setting), enrolling 7,583 undergraduates.
About Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat of and the largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, containing the city's airport. Nathaniel Wyeth of Massachusetts established one of the first permanent settlements at Fort Hall in 1834, which is only a few miles northeast of Pocatello. Pocatello is home to Idaho Museum of Natural History, Museum of Clean, Bannock County Historical Complex, and the Fort Hall Replica and Museum. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 148 miles to Salt Lake City, UT
- To the ocean
- 573 miles
- Nearest airport
- 9 miles to Pocatello (PIH)
How Idaho State University compares
Higher than 22% · #7 of 8 in Idaho
Higher than 36%
Higher than 26% · #6 of 9 in Idaho
Cheaper than 84% · #1 cheapest of 9 in Idaho
Lower than 74%
Lower than 42%
Larger than 85%
Percentiles compare Idaho State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Idaho.
Idaho State University campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate7,58377%
- Graduate2,22723%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women4,32757%
- Men3,25643%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White70%
- Black0.9%
- Hispanic16%
- Asian1.1%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 7,583
- Graduate enrollment
- 2,227
- Student–faculty ratio
- 14 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 28%
- First-generation students
- 36%
- Students over 25
- 19%
- Median family income
- $35,748
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $80,469
- Endowment
- $100,217,964
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 1,759 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Idaho90%
- Other U.S. states7.3%
- International2.4%
Most first-years stay in state — Idaho State University draws overwhelmingly from Idaho.
2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $8,610
- Out-of-state tuition
- $27,720
- Room & board
- $7,882
- Books & supplies
- $1,000
- Total cost of attendance
- $21,527
- Average net price
- $12,193
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 39%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 19%
- First-year retention
- 72%
- Transferred to another college
- 20%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $41,377
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,608
- Median debt at graduation
- $20,039
- Students with federal loans
- 23%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
About 20% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 1,213
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 16%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,098
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,826
- Application fee
- $50
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I-FCS
- Football conference
- Big Sky Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 445 (218 men · 227 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.8 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 22
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 49
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (13,061 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$11,538/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 81% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,700. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,288 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $45,608
- Typical debt at graduation
- $20,039
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 44%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 55%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $16,510 (43%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 91°F
- Winter low
- 21°F
- Annual rain
- 13″
- Annual snow
- 29.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pocatello City, ID US station (1.1 mi from campus).
What Idaho State University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Idaho State University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Idaho State University side by side →
University of North Alabama
Florence, Alabama · Small city · 62 mi to Huntsville
- Students
- 5,811
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $45k
Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, Texas · Distant rural · 44 mi to Houston
- Students
- 8,877
- Admission
- 79%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 980
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $45k
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, Louisiana · Small city · 43 mi to Baton Rouge
- Students
- 9,514
- Admission
- 99%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $46k
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, Florida · Midsize city · 1 mi to Tallahassee
- Students
- 7,582
- Admission
- 21%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1107
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $44k
Columbus State University
Columbus, Georgia · Midsize city · 4 mi to Columbus
- Students
- 5,625
- Admission
- 99%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 977
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $45k
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana · Large city · 3 mi to Fort Wayne
- Students
- 5,484
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1100
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near Idaho State University
Nathan Layne Institute of Cosmetology
Chubbuck, ID · Private for-profit · Certificate · 70 students
Integrated Massage Therapy Services
Blackfoot, ID · Private for-profit · Certificate · 7 students
Provo College-Idaho Falls Campus
Idaho Falls, ID · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 257 students
Austin Kade Academy
Idaho Falls, ID · Private for-profit · Certificate · 82 students
College of Eastern Idaho
Idaho Falls, ID · Public · Associate · 1,478 students
Cosmetology School of Arts & Sciences
Burley, ID · Private for-profit · Certificate · 40 students
Rexburg College of Massage Therapy
Rexburg, ID · Private for-profit · Certificate · 37 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Rexburg
Rexburg, ID · Private for-profit · Certificate · 224 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













