The College of Idaho

Private · Selective · ID

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationID · West

SettingSuburban

Undergrads1,041

Student:faculty10:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate58%

6-yr grad rate62.5%

Drop-out rate18.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$38k

Out-of-state tuition$38k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity43%

Gender diversity51.4%

International11.4%

Identity—

Overview

The College of Idaho, in Caldwell, is the state's oldest private college, founded in 1891 by a Presbyterian minister, and a small liberal-arts school built around an unusually structured academic philosophy. It draws a more international student body than its size and rural setting would suggest, with students arriving from well beyond the Pacific Northwest, and its alumni rolls include a notable run of Idaho governors and civic leaders — an outsized political footprint for a college of its size.

Academics

The defining feature is the PEAK curriculum, which requires every student to complete a full major plus three minors spanning different knowledge areas — natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and fine arts, and professional or applied fields — a deliberate structural push toward breadth that shapes the whole undergraduate experience rather than sitting alongside it as a general-education requirement. Pre-med and the sciences are particular strengths, with a track record of strong medical- and graduate-school placement for a school this size, aided by close faculty mentorship that a small college makes possible.

Campus & student life

Caldwell is a small, quiet town not far from Boise, and the college's compact size makes for a tight-knit campus community where students and faculty know each other by name. The international student presence, notably from the Pacific Rim, adds more cultural range than is typical for a small college in this region. Athletics compete at the NAIA level as the Yotes, and campus social life is built around that same small-college closeness rather than a large sports culture.

Getting in

Admissions looks for students genuinely drawn to the breadth-over-specialization philosophy of PEAK, since the curriculum asks for real commitment across multiple minors rather than early narrowing into one field. The college leans holistic, weighing fit with that academic model alongside the strength of the transcript, and its relatively small applicant pool means individual essays and stated interest in the PEAK approach get real, close attention.

After graduation

Strong pre-med placement is the clearest outcomes story, with the college's science programs feeding graduates into medical school and other health professional programs at a rate unusual for its size. The PEAK curriculum's breadth also shows up in a politically and civically active alumni base, including the college's long run of Idaho governors.

Worth knowing

The PEAK curriculum is unusual nationally and worth understanding before applying — it suits a student who wants structured breadth, not one set on diving straight into a single specialty from freshman year. Merit scholarships are a significant part of how the college competes for students against larger, better-known institutions.

collegeofidaho.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate49.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1070–1280 · ACT 23–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Own application.

The College of Idaho runs two non-binding Early Action rounds followed by Regular Decision, then rolling admission for remaining spots.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗