University of Idaho is in Moscow, Idaho, a town far from major cities, in Latah County. It is a public, four-year university offering programs through the doctoral level. The Carnegie classification—the system that organizes United States universities according to what they do—places it among high research activity institutions, with a four-year, primarily residential profile. It is also identified in the official 2023 file as a Land Grant Institution, a historic designation it shares with only 80 of the 3,012 institutions in this database. None of these labels tells you what your child’s life there will be like. They do tell you what category of school you are beginning to investigate.
A Large University, but Not All of It Is Undergraduate
University of Idaho reported 11,849 enrolled students in the official fall count. It is a large school: the government places it in the band of 10,000 to 19,999 students, and among similar public universities, its size is one of the most common—neither among the largest nor among the smallest.
But that large number hides something important. Of the 11,849 students, only 9,269 are undergraduates. The other 2,580 have already completed an undergraduate program and are in graduate school. If your child is entering to pursue a bachelor’s degree, the number that matters to your child is 9,269, not the total of nearly 12 thousand. It is a small detail, but exactly the kind of detail that gets lost when someone sees only the large figure on the admissions page.
Of those undergraduate students, 9 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with similar public universities, University of Idaho falls below the midpoint of the group on this measure. That does not make it a bad school, just as a higher proportion would not make it better. It is simply information about who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, it is worth asking during a visit what Latino student organizations exist, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the offices speaks Spanish. The campus is nearly evenly divided between men and women: 51 out of every 100 are women. And slightly more than half of incoming students, 63 out of every 100, already lived in Idaho when they applied. If your family lives outside the state, your child would probably arrive as one of those coming from somewhere else, rather than as part of the local majority.
How the Year Is Organized and What Happens to Credits Your Child Already Has
The academic calendar here uses semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. University of Idaho officially reported that it accepts credit for AP examinations and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, licenses, previous certifications, or military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual enrollment program.
Here is the part you cannot skip: the university’s statement that it accepts AP does not mean it will give your child credit for every examination. The report does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward the specific program your child wants. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not plan on saving a semester until you have that letter in hand.
As for the academic offerings, between July 2022 and June 2023, University of Idaho awarded 1,504 bachelor’s degrees across 26 families of fields of study. None accounts for most of the total—not even business and management, the largest, which represented only 13 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. It is a broad offering without a single dominant field. Compared with similar schools, University of Idaho falls in the quarter with the greatest variety of field families represented in its report. Still, the 26 families with rows in the report are not 26 programs guaranteed to be available to your child: a family groups several programs, and a row may show zero degrees for that year. Verify the exact program that interests your child.
The ratio of students to instructional staff is 17 to 1, a figure near the midpoint compared with similar universities. This number does not tell you the size of first-year classes—that information simply is not available in this report.
The university also reports structured opportunities such as study abroad, credit-bearing developmental education, and preparation and certification programs for those who want to become teachers.
Admission: They Accept Most Applicants, but Have Specific Requirements
University of Idaho does not have open admission. Of the nine admission considerations the government asks institutions about, it marked three as required: the high school record, the high school grade point average, and the English proficiency examination when applicable. Everything else—class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio, work experience, or whether a family member attended—was reported as not considered in the admission decision.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English examination applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. It is the kind of issue families discover late if they do not ask in time.
Now for the numbers that truly show how accessible this door is: of 12,222 first-time applicants in the 2023 cycle, 9,666 received an offer of admission. That is 79 out of every 100. It is a common proportion among similar public universities, slightly below the midpoint of the group. Put another way, although thousands of applications arrive, 8 out of every 10 receive a yes. That gives your child a real reason to apply and also a reason to submit a complete application on time, because that percentage comes from a single cycle. If many more applicants apply in your child’s year without the number of available places increasing, the figure could fall on its own.
Here is a fact that surprises many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 19 ultimately enroll. The other 81 had a place here and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that choice, and a low enrollment rate does not mean the experience is bad. What it does mean is that other people’s decisions do not predict yours. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year will actually cost—before removing this university from your list or adding it.
The SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application is still complete. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—64 out of every 100, a high proportion compared with similar schools—the middle half scored between 490 and 610 in reading and writing and between 460 and 590 in mathematics. That 490 is not a minimum for admission, and that 610 does not guarantee anything either: these are data from students who already enrolled, not from everyone who applied.
If your child arrives here after studying at another institution, or expects to do so along the way, consider this: in fall 2023, 490 transfer students arrived from other institutions, a high count. And of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 18 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing here. Transferring universities is not failure. But if your child is in that situation—on either side, arriving or leaving—request written confirmation, using the exact course list, of which credits will be recognized before the move.
Money: Two Very Different Prices and What Is Actually Paid
At University of Idaho, among 145 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $9,930. Among 139 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $12,902; among 141 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $18,322. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band of 145 students and the highest-income band of 141 students is $8,392. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $14,377.
The advertised price is not the same as the price people pay. Here, for students with low income, the average net price was $9,930 in academic year 2022-23.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask for it before applying.
The Aid Students Receive and Why It Is Not the Same as a Pell Grant
93 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some grant or aid that does not have to be repaid. Here, receiving something is the norm, not the exception, and compared with similar universities, University of Idaho falls in the quarter where grant or scholarship aid reaches the most students. Among those who received it, the average for the year was $11,215.
But pay attention: the Pell Grant—the specific federal aid for low-income families—reached only 31 out of every 100 students. Aid in general reaches almost everyone; aid based on family income reaches fewer than one-third. That difference may come from other federal, state, or institutional sources, and this report does not make it possible to determine exactly which ones. What I can tell you very clearly is this: do not read that 93 out of every 100 as a promise for your child. It is what happened with other students last year. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the grant or scholarship if grades decline.
As for loans, 31 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal loan, and those who borrowed received an average of $6,032 that year. It is a middle-range proportion compared with other similar universities. Some students here make it through the year without debt, while others borrow. This overall percentage does not determine which group your child will fall into; the financial aid letter that arrives in writing with your child’s name on it does. And that average of $6,032 is for a single year and only for federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include anything parents may borrow separately, nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates. The university also offers an installment tuition payment plan, if that helps organize the family budget.
Campus Life: Housing, Sports, and What to Ask for in Writing
University of Idaho has its own housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 2,498 students. Living there is not required for all first-time, full-time students, although that does not indicate whether a specific program might require it. The university also offers meal plans, but the number of meals per week varies by plan. The existence of rooms does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: request the annual rate, the application deadline, and written confirmation of whether a place is guaranteed or your child will enter a waiting list.
There is ROTC for all three branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force—something that only 135 of the 3,012 universities in this database report having. But its appearance in the report does not confirm that the program operates on this specific campus or what openings or scholarships it offers. Ask about each branch separately and directly.
The university competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. That is institutional membership, not a guaranteed place for your child: if your child is interested in a sport, write directly to the coach to ask about openings, division, and whether that sport offers scholarships.
As for distance education, most undergraduate students, 94 out of every 100, take at least one in-person class. Only 6 out of every 100 study entirely at a distance. The library operates with paid staff. It has physical and digital materials and offers interlibrary lending. Among the services and support the institution reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, a point of contact for veterans and military personnel, and a student veterans’ organization.
Do They Stay? Do They Graduate? The Long-Term Numbers
Of the cohort that entered full-time in fall 2022, 75 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had graduated one year later. This is slightly below the midpoint among similar public universities on this measure. Among part-time students, the number was much lower, at 33 out of every 100—however, these are different groups with different circumstances and cannot be compared directly.
As for graduation, of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 61 out of every 100 had graduated here within six years. At four years, the figure was only 41 out of every 100—twenty points lower. Four years is the period most families include in their budgets, so that gap truly matters: before signing, ask in writing how long the program that interests your child usually takes and how the cost changes if it extends for another year.
For that same cohort of 1,514 students, the exact breakdown is as follows: 922 graduated here, 280 transferred to another institution, 23 remained enrolled without completing, and 289 fell into the “no longer enrolled” category—a category that does not explain why and may include both those who left and those who completed after the measured period.
Looking at eight years, using a different cohort that entered in 2015-16, 62 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who received a Pell Grant—low-income students—the figure was 57 out of every 100, eight points lower than among those who did not receive one. If your family would qualify for Pell today, this does not determine your child’s outcome, but it is a valid question to ask the university directly: what counseling, emergency aid, and renewal of internal grants or scholarships exist specifically for students in that situation?
What Comes Next
You now know, through real numbers and without a marketing filter, one important part of what University of Idaho is: a large university in a small town, with relatively accessible admission, a lower-than-average price if your family qualifies as an Idaho resident, and six-year graduation outcomes that are slightly above those of its peers, although there is a real gap between four and six years.
But this piece by itself is not the plan. You still need to combine it with what your child wants to study, what your child has already accomplished in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. If you live outside Idaho, the financial calculation changes completely. If your child already has AP credits or credits from another university, that written equivalency letter is not optional; it is the next step. And if the plan is to pursue a very specific program, verify that it exists, rather than merely confirming that the CIP family appears in a report.
You are not deciding today. You are understanding, and that alone is a step many families do not manage to take with this level of clarity. The rest—the admission letter, the financial aid letter, and the conversation with your child about how far away they are willing to live—comes later, with more information in hand and less uncertainty weighing on you.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by University of Idaho to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent University of Idaho or any agency of the United States government.