The College of Idaho
#1 Best Business Colleges in Idaho- Graduation Rate
- 63% C+
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $48,473 B-
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $19,481 C-
- Close to the national average
- Acceptance Rate
- 49% B+
- Selective, but achievable with strong credentials
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 14.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $14.7 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Business Colleges in Idaho.
Every $1 spent returns $14.7 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,067,649.
What The Data Says
-
A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Every $1 invested returns $14.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.8%
- Top 30%
- Patents
- 84
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 43
- Downstream influence
Why The College of Idaho Matters
The College of Idaho is a private college in Caldwell, ID and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. 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
- Private College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate College
- Enrollment
- 1,041
- Setting
- Suburban
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, Psychology, Social Sciences
Why students choose The College of Idaho
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
Selective — admits about 49% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1070–1280. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $19,481 a year after grants and scholarships — 14% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $48,473 ten years after enrolling — 19% above the typical college, against $24,500 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 31% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.49 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
The College of Idaho has an acceptance rate of 49%, making it accessible for many students seeking a private education. With an enrollment of 1,041, the school offers a close-knit community where students can engage with peers and faculty alike.
Graduates from The College of Idaho earn a median salary of $48,473 within ten years of completing their degree. While the mobility rate is not available, the school serves a diverse student body, with 25% receiving Pell Grants, indicating a commitment to supporting students from low-income backgrounds.
The net price for attending is $19,481, with a median debt of $24,500 upon graduation. Students who thrive here are often those pursuing degrees in Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, Psychology, Social Sciences, or Education. The supportive environment and focused programs help students build a solid foundation for their careers.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective The College of Idaho 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 The College of Idaho? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Caldwell, Idaho, The College of Idaho reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 49%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,180. The graduation rate is roughly 63%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Retention Rate
- 82%
- SAT Average
- 1180
- ACT Midpoint
- 26
- SAT Range
- 1070–1280
- ACT Range
- 23–31
- Full-Time Faculty
- 62%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $7,798
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 10:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.63
- First-Gen Students
- 27%
- Applicants
- 4,490
- Admitted
- 2,044
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 The College of Idaho? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at The College of Idaho is $37,845, 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 $19,481. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $14,026 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $24,500 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $37,845
- Out-of-State
- $37,845
- Avg Net Price
- $19,481
- Median Debt
- $24,500
- Pell Grant Rate
- 25%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 47%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $14,026
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $16,218
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $17,773
- Family Income $110K+
- $23,095
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 The College of Idaho — 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 The College of Idaho Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of The College of Idaho earn a median of $48,473, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $42,097
- 8 Years
- $48,582
- 10 Years
- $48,473
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.51x
- Earning > $25K
- 61%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (160)
- 58%
- 100% (160)
- 58%
- 100% (160)
- 58%
- 100% (160)
- 58%
How The 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 The College of Idaho Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, The College of Idaho delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $19,481/year ($77,924 total). Graduates earn $48,473 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,145,573 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,067,649 (14.7× your investment). The median debt is $24,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 63% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $77,924
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,145,573
- Net Return
- $1,067,649
- ROI Multiple
- 14.7×
- Cost Per Year
- $19,481
- Median Debt
- $24,500
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 63%
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 The College of Idaho Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
The College of Idaho 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 1.94%, well above the typical college. About 5.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 34.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $92,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.94%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 34.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 5.6%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $125,268
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
The College of Idaho produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 84 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.76%
- Top 30% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 84
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 43
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.99%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $1,605,173
- Investment Income
- $-14,037,702
Top Programs
The fields The College of Idaho 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.
- Business & Marketing 32% $37,891 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 25% $26,368 early-career
- Psychology 12% $32,002 early-career
- Social Sciences 7% $28,558 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 5%
- Education 3%
- Visual & Performing Arts 3%
- Physical Sciences 3%
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 The College of Idaho'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
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- 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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into The College of Idaho? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Caldwell, Idaho, The College of Idaho reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 49%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,180. The graduation rate is roughly 63%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend The College of Idaho? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at The College of Idaho is $37,845, 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 $19,481. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $14,026 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $24,500 in federal student loans.
Is The College of Idaho Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of The College of Idaho earn a median of $48,473, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does The College of Idaho Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
The College of Idaho 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 1.94%, well above the typical college. About 5.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 34.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $92,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is The College of Idaho? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at The College of Idaho. Its economic connectedness score is 1.49, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 13% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to The College of Idaho.
- Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and SciencesFayette, MO · Close peer52% grad $48,991 earn 57% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor, MI · Close peer61% grad $51,732 earn 52% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Mount St. Joseph UniversityCincinnati, OH · Close peer56% grad $51,509 earn 59% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Freed-Hardeman UniversityHenderson, TN · Close peer70% grad $47,485 earn 60% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Maryville CollegeMaryville, TN · Close peer49% grad $49,279 earn 61% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Quincy UniversityQuincy, IL · Close peer44% grad $50,369 earn 51% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is The College of Idaho? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at The College of Idaho. Its economic connectedness score is 1.49, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 13% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note