Tiny Idaho College Outsmarts the Big Universities, Ranks #1 in Idaho

'Back to School' season has certainly come and gone here in the Treasure Valley. Local schools from kindergarten all the way to the university level are well underway and into the academic year.

Some in our area, however, have 'enrollment' on their minds more than others.

That famous 'early decision' deadline looms for many high school seniors across the State of Idaho and some may be choosing to continue their education right here in the Gem State. While each student is looking at different schools for different reasons--and prioritizing what is important to them in their next big life step--a recently released survey could offer insight into their decisions.

WalletHub, a popular online personal finance and information site, has ranked the top colleges and universities in the United States for 2026 and the list includes a few Idaho options.

Criteria that went into averaging out rankings included:

• Admission Rate
• Net Cost
• Student Faculty Ratio
• On-Campus Crime
• Gender & Racial Diversity
• Graduation Rate
• Post-Attendance Median Salary

All of the above are important factors.

Ranking third in Idaho? Northwest Nazarene University--a private Unviersity based in Nampa, Idaho.

Second place bragging rights go to the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho--which is also home to a prestigious law school!

First in Idaho? The College of Idaho, a private university located in the heart of Caldwell, Idaho. To those engaged in higher education, this comes as no surprise. The College of Idaho has long been a school that offers rigorous education and requires top academic pre-requisites for admission.

Boise State University did not show up anywhere on the list.

See the full thing for yourself, HERE.

Not long ago, a survey claimed to have ranked the top High Schools in our area--did you attend any of these top ranking schools in the Boise Area?