•AVERAGE: 69
A large public research institution in Pocatello, ID, a city named one of the best small cities for business in the US by Forbes. Founded in 1901, Idaho State was originally built as an academy, but just before WWI, riding the national wave of technical education, was converted into Idaho Technical Institute, a model that still remains deeply rooted in Idaho State. ISU continued to grow in this vein until the post-WWII emphasis on science and technology brought a boom in the kinds of education the college specialized in, allowing the technical institute to reach full university status by the 1960s. Today, Idaho State is officially designated as Idaho’s home for health services and medicine, cementing Idaho State’s status at the top of Idaho’s public higher education.
Academic Programs
Idaho State offers more than 250 degree programs at all levels, from certificates and associate’s degrees to doctorates, taught by highly trained, terminal degree-holding faculty at a 15:1 student/faculty ratio. Following their mission and heritage, and committed to giving the people of Idaho the most practical, valuable education possible, Idaho State’s College of Technology provides career and technical students professional certificates and associate’s degrees with the resources and quality of a full university, while the traditional academic programs help students develop their careers as leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs.Idaho State’s special designation in the Idaho public higher education system is as the state’s healthcare leader, and the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences is the state’s premiere home for nursing and other health professions. In addition to the School of Nursing, School of Health Professions, Office of Medical and Oral Health, and the Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences division, ISU’s Meridian campus is home to the Health Science Center, which provides medical and dental care for low-income and disadvantaged patients while educating the next generation of nurses, dentists, and medical professionals.
Student Life
Idaho State is home to more than 13,500 students, slightly more women than men, and a diverse set of young people from 42 states and 58 countries. Campus life is busy and active, with more than 100 student-led clubs and organizations providing community-building, entertainment, and support networks. Those groups include academic honor societies and professional groups like the Student Nurses Association; cultural organizations like Native Americans United; and a number of religious clubs (Idaho is a highly religious state, after all, especially Evangelical Protestant and Latter-Day Saints).Idaho is also an outdoor sports-lover’s paradise, and the ISU Outdoor Adventure Center is a critical part of student life and the recreational life of southeastern Idaho, from the Pontneuf Range Yurt System (Mongolian tents for hikers and campers) to the Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group, ISU is dedicated to making Idaho’s rich natural world accessible and enjoyable for all. Besides outdoor recreation, ISU’s Division I Bengals teams keep students engaged and excited with their fierce Big Sky Conference rivalries.