Affordable Colleges in Idaho
All 12 colleges in Idaho, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is College of Southern Idaho at about $6,095 a year; the costliest here is Provo College-Idaho Falls Campus at $33,576. A typical Idaho school on this list lands near $15,635.
Cheapest first, that means College of Southern Idaho, Brigham Young University-Idaho and College of Eastern Idaho. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Every college in Idaho, cheapest first · 12
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- College of Southern Idaho
- Brigham Young University-Idaho
- College of Eastern Idaho
- North Idaho College
- Idaho State University
- University of Idaho
- Lewis-Clark State College
- The College of Idaho
- Boise State University
- Northwest Nazarene University
- Eagle Gate College-Boise Campus
- Provo College-Idaho Falls Campus
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in Idaho?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is College of Southern Idaho at about $6,095 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in Idaho cost on average?
- Across the 12 colleges in Idaho that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $15,635 a year after aid, running from $6,095 to $33,576.
- Are community colleges cheaper in Idaho?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in Idaho has a net price around $8,778 a year, against about $19,481 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $10,703 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 18% to 39%, with a middle of about 25%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free