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Understand Idaho

Idaho public postsecondary enrollment

89,073

Students enrolled in Idaho public postsecondary institutions, 2025

+4.2% since 2024 (85,477); +19.1% since 2020 (74,779); +23.1% since 2015 (72,360)

Source: Idaho State Board of Education, Fall Snapshot Postsecondary Enrollment. Data period 2025. Published .

Idaho public postsecondary system-wide fall enrollment headcount, by year.

Change and comparison

From 2011 (71,427) to 2025 (89,073), the change was +24.7%.

The latest figure, 2025, is the highest in the series, which begins in 2011.

Among 50 states and the District of Columbia, Idaho ranked 38th highest in 2022 on postsecondary enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics. California was highest at 2,486,788 and Alaska lowest at 20,152.

Among Idaho and its 6 neighboring states, Idaho ranks 4th highest; Oregon is next above at 194,987 and Nevada next below at 113,588.

Boise State University is the largest category at 28,461; Idaho State University is next at 13,910.

Historical data

Idaho public postsecondary enrollment, 2011 to 2025Idaho public postsecondary enrollment, 2011 to 2025. Idaho: 71,427 in 2011, 89,073 in 2025.050k100k201520202025IdahoPeopleIdaho public postsecondary enrollment, 2011 to 2025Idaho public postsecondary enrollment, 2011 to 2025. Idaho: 71,427 in 2011, 89,073 in 2025.050k100k201520202025IdahoPeopleIdaho public postsecondary enrollment, 2011 to 2025Idaho public postsecondary enrollment, 2011 to 2025. Idaho: 71,427 in 2011, 89,073 in 2025.050k100k201520202025IdahoPeople

Source: Idaho State Board of Education, Fall Snapshot Postsecondary Enrollment. Published .

Data table (15 rows)
PeriodIdaho (people)
201171,427
201278,288
201374,992
201475,874
201572,360
201674,632
201776,014
201877,221
201978,918
202074,779
202178,295
202278,601
202380,922
202485,477
202589,073

Headcount by institution

Idaho public postsecondary fall enrollment headcount by institution and year, category one of Boise State University, Idaho State University, University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, North Idaho College, or College of Eastern Idaho.

  1. Boise State University28,461
  2. Idaho State University13,910
  3. University of Idaho12,383
  4. College of Western Idaho11,724
  5. College of Southern Idaho10,545
  6. North Idaho College4,662
  7. Lewis-Clark State College4,037
  8. College of Eastern Idaho3,351

Source: Idaho State Board of Education, Fall Snapshot Postsecondary Enrollment. Data period 2025. Published .

Data table (8 rows)
Institution2025 (people)
Boise State University28,461
Idaho State University13,910
University of Idaho12,383
College of Western Idaho11,724
College of Southern Idaho10,545
North Idaho College4,662
Lewis-Clark State College4,037
College of Eastern Idaho3,351

Headcount by institution over time

Headcount by institution over timeHeadcount by institution over time. 8 series. Boise State University: 19,664 in 2011, 28,461 in 2025.010k20k30k201520202025Boise StateUniversityIdaho StateUniversityUniversityof IdahoCollege ofWesternIdahoCollege ofSouthernIdahoNorth IdahoCollegePeopleHeadcount by institution over timeHeadcount by institution over time. 8 series. Boise State University: 19,664 in 2011, 28,461 in 2025.010k20k30k201520202025Boise StateUniversityIdaho StateUniversityUniversity ofIdahoCollege ofWestern IdahoCollege ofSouthern IdahoNorth IdahoCollegeLewis-ClarkState CollegeCollege ofEastern IdahoPeopleHeadcount by institution over timeHeadcount by institution over time. 8 series. Boise State University: 19,664 in 2011, 28,461 in 2025.010k20k30k201520202025Boise StateUniversityIdaho StateUniversityUniversity ofIdahoCollege ofWestern IdahoCollege ofSouthern IdahoNorth IdahoCollegeLewis-ClarkState CollegeCollege ofEastern IdahoPeople

Source: Idaho State Board of Education, Fall Snapshot Postsecondary Enrollment. Published .

Compared with other states

Every state is compared on postsecondary enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics: NCES IPEDS total fall enrollment at all degree-granting postsecondary institutions (public, private nonprofit, and for-profit) for the nation and every state, at each year Digest of Education Statistics table 304.10 prints (1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2012, and 2017 through 2022).

  1. United States18,580,026
  2. California2,486,788
  3. Texas1,567,017
  4. Utah401,218
  5. Washington311,068
  6. Oregon194,987
  7. Idaho125,249
  8. Nevada113,588
  9. Montana47,134
  10. Vermont39,888
  11. Wyoming29,971
  12. Alaska20,152

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, Tables 208.40, 203.20, 304.10, and 211.60. Data period 2022. Published .

The first 10 of 52 rows; the full table is below.

State2022
1. United States18,580,026
2. California2,486,788
3. Texas1,567,017
4. New York1,117,623
5. Florida999,223
6. Illinois677,446
7. Pennsylvania633,991
8. Arizona624,719
9. Ohio612,352
10. North Carolina553,180
Data table (52 rows)
State2022
1. United States18,580,026
2. California2,486,788
3. Texas1,567,017
4. New York1,117,623
5. Florida999,223
6. Illinois677,446
7. Pennsylvania633,991
8. Arizona624,719
9. Ohio612,352
10. North Carolina553,180
11. Virginia546,280
12. Georgia541,594
13. Massachusetts468,960
14. Michigan466,458
15. Indiana436,234
16. Utah401,218
17. New Jersey378,819
18. Minnesota373,128
19. Colorado346,716
20. Missouri333,470
21. Maryland329,092
22. Wisconsin316,129
23. Washington311,068
24. Tennessee308,710
25. Alabama294,009
26. Kentucky261,751
27. South Carolina242,672
28. Louisiana238,689
29. New Hampshire214,537
30. Iowa202,287
31. Oregon194,987
32. Connecticut187,764
33. Kansas185,985
34. Oklahoma184,218
35. Mississippi155,950
36. Arkansas154,781
37. Nebraska134,815
38. West Virginia132,923
39. Idaho125,249
40. Nevada113,588
41. New Mexico110,082
42. District of Columbia99,329
43. Rhode Island74,413
44. Maine71,475
45. Hawaii58,841
46. Delaware57,022
47. South Dakota51,317
48. North Dakota51,074
49. Montana47,134
50. Vermont39,888
51. Wyoming29,971
52. Alaska20,152

Source

Organization
Idaho State Board of Education
Dataset
Fall Snapshot Postsecondary Enrollment
Geography
Idaho (statewide)
Time coverage
2011-2025 (higher_ed_enrollment, higher_ed_enrollment_by_institution)
Update frequency
Annual
Published
Original file
https://boardofed.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PSR1_FallSnapshot_2025_Headcount.pdf
Methodology
https://boardofed.idaho.gov/research-data/enrollment-snapshots/
License
Public domain. State of Idaho government work.
Our copy
Fall Snapshot Postsecondary Enrollment, built by scripts/fetch-osbe-factbook.py

Caveats

  • Value is headcount, a physical person, not full-time-equivalent enrollment.
  • In fall 2012 the enrollment census date changed from the 10th day of term to October 15; earlier years are not restated.
  • Private and out-of-state institutions, and enrollment reported separately as professional-technical-only, are not included.
  • Idaho's four-year graduation rate and go-on rate are published only through the Idaho Report Card web application, which has no static download.

State comparison:

Organization
National Center for Education Statistics
Dataset
Digest of Education Statistics, Tables 208.40, 203.20, 304.10, and 211.60
Geography
Nation and every state (50 states plus the District of Columbia)
Time coverage
2022 (student_teacher_ratio); 1990-2024 selected years (public_school_enrollment_nces); 1970-2022 selected years (higher_ed_enrollment_nces); 1969-2021 selected school years (teacher_avg_salary_nces)
Update frequency
Annual
Published
Original file
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d25/tables/xls/tabn203.20.xlsx
Methodology
https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/
License
Public domain. U.S. federal government work.
Our copy
Digest of Education Statistics, Tables 208.40, 203.20, 304.10, and 211.60, built by scripts/fetch-nces-digest.py

Caveats

  • The pupil/teacher ratio counts teachers of students with disabilities and other special education staff, so it runs higher than a classroom class-size figure.
  • Public school enrollment (table 203.20) is fall Common Core of Data state-reported membership, a different count and date than SDE's own fall LEA figure.
  • Higher education enrollment (table 304.10) counts every public, private nonprofit and for-profit degree-granting institution in a state, not just Idaho's public institutions that OSBE counts.
  • Tables 208.40 and 304.10 run through fall 2022, the newest edition of each; table 211.60 runs through school year 2021-22, its newest edition.
  • NCES's state teacher salaries (table 211.60) are National Education Association estimates of average classroom teacher salary, which differ in definition from SDE's certificated-staff average used for Idaho's own figure (education.teacher_avg_salary, dataset sde-staff).

Where sources disagree

  • Public school enrollment (NCES), Idaho, 2024: idaho-sde publishes 318,067. NCES Digest of Education Statistics table 203.20 (fall 2024 CCD state-reported enrollment) gives 315,626 for Idaho, versus the Idaho State Department of Education's own fall 2024 fall LEA membership count of 318,067 used for education.public_school_enrollment (dataset sde-enrollment). NCES compiles the CCD figure from state-reported totals for its own national survey; SDE's figure is Idaho's own fall membership count and count date.
  • Postsecondary enrollment (NCES), Idaho, 2022: idaho-osbe publishes 78,601. NCES Digest of Education Statistics table 304.10 (fall 2022 IPEDS enrollment) gives 125,249 for Idaho, versus the Idaho State Board of Education's own fall 2022 headcount of 78,601 used for education.higher_ed_enrollment (dataset osbe-factbook). NCES's IPEDS-based figure counts every public, private nonprofit, and for-profit degree-granting institution in Idaho; OSBE's figure counts headcount at Idaho's public four-year institutions and community colleges only.
  • Average teacher salary (NCES), Idaho, 2021: idaho-sde publishes 54,231.6. NCES table 211.60 gives $54,232 for school year 2021-22, an NEA estimate of average classroom teacher salary; SDE's figure is its own payroll average for the teacher activity, a different definition.

Cite

Cite this page as Understand Idaho, “Idaho public postsecondary enrollment”, https://understandidaho.com/education/higher-education/, retrieved on the date you read it, and the publisher named above for the figures themselves. The dataset behind it is described in the data catalog.

This page was last updated .