Public · University

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho · Small city

#1 best value in Idaho
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.

PublicMidsize · 7,583 undergradsSmall cityNCAA Division I-FCS · Big Sky ConferenceCold winters

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
To the ocean
573 miles
Nearest airport
9 miles to Pocatello (PIH)

How Idaho State University compares

Graduation rate39%

Higher than 22% · #7 of 8 in Idaho

First-year retention72%

Higher than 36%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$45,608

Higher than 26% · #6 of 9 in Idaho

Average net price$12,193

Cheaper than 84% · #1 cheapest of 9 in Idaho

Median debt at graduation$20,039

Lower than 74%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment7,583

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

9,810students
  • Undergraduate7,58377%
  • Graduate2,22723%

Undergraduates by gender

7,583undergrads
  • 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)

All students
19%
Low-income (Pell)
34%
First-generation
33%

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)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)204
Football114
Basketball31
Soccer29
Softball24
Volleyball20
Tennis15
Golf8

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.

24reported offenses a year
7.3 violent a year16 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
14
Fondling
3.3
Rape
2.7
Aggravated assault
1.3
Motor vehicle theft
1.3
Arson
0.7

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.

< $30k
$10,593
$30–48k
$10,011
$48–75k
$11,538
$75–110k
$14,483
$110k+
$16,288

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.

Est. total to a degree
$54,913

$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.

81%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,700
average award, among those who get one

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.

Solid value

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.

Women
$38,782
Men
$55,292

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

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.00.81.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pocatello City, ID US station (1.1 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Idaho State University

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.