Lewis-Clark State College
#5 Best Colleges in Idaho- Graduation Rate
- 43% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $46,001 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $15,635 C+
- Close to the national average
- Acceptance Rate
- 88% D+
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 16.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $16.2 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best Colleges in Idaho.
Every $1 spent returns $16.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $952,542.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 43% — 25% below the national average.
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Social mobility rate of 2.13% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
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Every $1 invested returns $16.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Lewis-Clark State College Matters
Lewis-Clark State College is a public college in Lewiston, ID and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by an above-average alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate College
- Enrollment
- 2,385
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Humanities, Education
Why students choose Lewis-Clark State College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Accessible — admits about 88% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $15,635 a year after grants and scholarships — 9% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $46,001 ten years after enrolling — 13% above the typical college, against $18,500 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 25% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.07 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Lewis-Clark State College has an acceptance rate of 88%, making it accessible for a wide range of students. This high acceptance rate reflects the college's commitment to welcoming diverse backgrounds and fostering an inclusive environment for learning.
Graduates from Lewis-Clark State College earn a median salary of $46,001 ten years post-graduation. However, only 43% of students complete their degree within six years. This statistic highlights the importance of student support and engagement for those who seek to improve their earning potential and career outcomes after college.
The net price for attending Lewis-Clark State College is approximately $15,635, with a median student debt of $18,500. About 24% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating a significant number of low-income students benefit from financial aid. Those who thrive here typically pursue degrees in high-demand fields such as health professions, business, and computer science.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Lewis-Clark State College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Lewis-Clark State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Lewiston, Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 88%
- Retention Rate
- 61%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 96%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $7,551
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 15:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.48
- First-Gen Students
- 40%
- Applicants
- 3,938
- Admitted
- 3,417
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Lewis-Clark State College is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 16% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.
- Yield Rate
- 16%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 44%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 3%
- of enrolled freshmen
There is an early lane. Lewis-Clark offers Early Action, so you can apply ahead of the regular deadline and hear back sooner without committing to enroll.
Test-optional, in practice. Only about 47% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Lewis-Clark State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Lewis-Clark State College is $22,028, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,635. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,080 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $18,500 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $7,610
- Out-of-State
- $22,028
- Avg Net Price
- $15,635
- Median Debt
- $18,500
- Pell Grant Rate
- 24%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 26%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $13,080
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $14,044
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $15,127
- Family Income $110K+
- $19,004
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Lewis-Clark State College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Lewis-Clark State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Lewis-Clark State College earn a median of $46,001, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $42,133
- 8 Years
- $45,231
- 10 Years
- $46,001
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.4x
- Earning > $25K
- 61%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (63)
- 15%
- 100% (63)
- 15%
- 100% (63)
- 15%
- 100% (63)
- 15%
How Lewis-Clark Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Lewis-Clark State College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Lewis-Clark State College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,635/year ($62,540 total). Graduates earn $46,001 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,015,082 in total earnings — a net gain of $952,542 (16.2× your investment). The median debt is $18,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 43% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $62,540
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,015,082
- Net Return
- $952,542
- ROI Multiple
- 16.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $15,635
- Median Debt
- $18,500
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 43%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Lewis-Clark State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Lewis-Clark State College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.13%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 17% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $66,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.13%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 17.0%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 12.5%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $89,671
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $860,174
- Investment Income
- $71,528
Top Programs
The fields Lewis-Clark State College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Health Professions 33% $77,388 early-career
- Business & Marketing 15% $52,482 early-career
- Humanities 12%
- Education 6% $40,027 early-career
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 5% $39,544 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 3%
- Criminal Justice 3% $43,660 early-career
- Psychology 2% $28,558 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Lewis-Clark State College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Lewis-Clark State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
As a public institution in Lewiston, Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Lewis-Clark State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Lewis-Clark State College is $22,028, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,635. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,080 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $18,500 in federal student loans.
Is Lewis-Clark State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Lewis-Clark State College earn a median of $46,001, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Lewis-Clark State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Lewis-Clark State College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.13%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 17% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $66,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Lewis-Clark State College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Lewis-Clark State College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.07, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Does Lewis-Clark State College offer Early Decision?
No. Lewis-Clark State College does not report a binding Early Decision plan, though it does offer a non-binding Early Action option (2025-26 Common Data Set).
Is Lewis-Clark State College really test-optional?
In practice, yes. Only about 47% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Lewis-Clark State College (2025-26 Common Data Set).
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Lewis-Clark State College?
About 16% of admitted students choose to enroll at Lewis-Clark State College — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Lewis-Clark State College.
- SUNY College of Technology at CantonCanton, NY · Close peer41% grad $47,860 earn 92% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Black Hills State UniversitySpearfish, SD · Close peer40% grad $46,674 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery, AL · Close peer34% grad $44,391 earn 92% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Maryland Eastern ShorePrincess Anne, MD · Close peer35% grad $47,697 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Framingham State UniversityFramingham, MA · Close peer49% grad $52,349 earn 84% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Southern Oregon UniversityAshland, OR · Close peer43% grad $49,175 earn 89% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Lewis-Clark State College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Lewis-Clark State College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.07, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note