Private nonprofit · College

The College of Idaho

Caldwell, Idaho · Midsize suburb

#3 graduation rate in Idaho#4 for grad earnings in Idaho#5 best value in Idaho
49.1%
Admit rate
$19,481
Avg net price
63%
Graduation rate
$48,473
Median earnings

The College of Idaho is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Caldwell, Idaho (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 1,041 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,041 undergradsMidsize suburbSelective · 49% admitNAIA Division II · Frontier ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against The College of Idaho's admitted students.

Admit rate
49.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1070–1280
Avg GPA (est.)
3.45

Enter a test score to see where you land against The College of Idaho's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and The College of Idaho's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Caldwell, Idaho

Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The present-day location of Caldwell is along a natural passageway to the Inland and Pacific Northwest. Pioneers of the Trail traveled along the Boise River to Canyon Hill and forded the river close to the Silver Bridge on Plymouth Street. Caldwell has held an Indian Creek Festival every September since 2003. The event includes a fun run and a tug of war. Indian Creek Plaza, in downtown Caldwell, includes an ice ribbon each winter, as well as many events during the year. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
24 miles to Boise, ID
To the ocean
363 miles
Nearest airport
24 miles to Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI) · major hub

How The College of Idaho compares

Selectivity49.1%

More selective than 84% · #1 most selective of 7 in Idaho

SAT average1180

Higher than 52%

Graduation rate63%

Higher than 64% · #3 of 8 in Idaho

First-year retention82%

Higher than 67%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,473

Higher than 34% · #4 of 9 in Idaho

Average net price$19,481

Cheaper than 52% · #5 cheapest of 9 in Idaho

Median debt at graduation$24,500

Lower than 41%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,041

Larger than 38%

Percentiles compare The College of Idaho with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Idaho.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,090students
  • Undergraduate1,04196%
  • Graduate494%

Undergraduates by gender

1,041undergrads
  • Women50248%
  • Men53952%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White57%
  • Black1.5%
  • Hispanic18%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other or multiracial22%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,041
Graduate enrollment
49
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
25%
First-generation students
27%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$63,773
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,182
Endowment
$125,614,956

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
49.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1070–1280
SAT average
1180
SAT reading
540–650
SAT math
530–630
ACT composite
23–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.45

Cost

In-state tuition
$37,845
Room & board
$12,773
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$50,542
Average net price
$19,481

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)
63%
Graduated on time (4 years)
58%
First-year retention
82%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$42,097
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,473
Median debt at graduation
$24,500
Students with federal loans
47%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
67%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
58%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
54%

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
659
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
63%
Housing charge (year)
$5,460
Meal plan (year)
$6,765
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division II
Football conference
Frontier Conference
Varsity athletes
649 (410 men · 239 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 (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)208
Football131
Soccer71
Baseball49
Softball35
Basketball32
Lacrosse27
Volleyball23
Golf19
Beach Volleyball19
Swimming and Diving (combined)15
Skiing11
Tennis9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
9.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
11
Property offenses (2022–2024)
20

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,090 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.

10reported offenses a year
3.7 violent a year6.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
4.7
Motor vehicle theft
2.0
Rape
1.7
Fondling
1.7
Aggravated assault
0.3

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
$14,026
$30–48k
$16,218
$48–75k
$17,773
$75–110k
$19,729
$110k+
$23,095

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
$73,049

$17,773/year × about 4.1 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.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$24,744
average award, among those who get one

The College of Idaho discounts heavily: 98% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $24,744. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 269 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)
$48,473
Typical debt at graduation
$24,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
51%
Out-earn a HS grad
55%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.1 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
$46,966
Men
$54,501

Men out-earn women by $7,535 (16%) 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
93°F
Winter low
23°F
Annual rain
11″
Annual snow
9.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.00.71.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Nampa Sugar Factory, ID US station (6.1 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 The College of Idaho

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare The College of Idaho side by side →

Colleges near The College of Idaho

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.