Two Idaho colleges landed notable spots in U.S. News & World Report’s latest annual college rankings.
The University of Idaho received a lofty national ranking for affordability, while a Moscow-based college — connected to a controversial church with ties to Christian nationalism — is Idaho’s highest-ranked liberal arts college.
College and university leaders closely watch the annual rankings — and on Tuesday, the U of I and Lewis-Clark State College were quick to send out news releases touting their numbers.
U.S. News & World Report uses more than 15 metrics for its overall college and university rankings. Student outcomes — graduation and retention rates and post-graduation earnings — account for 52% of the overall score. The magazine then sorts colleges and universities into several separate classifications.
Here are some takeaways (with links to the full reports for each school):
The U of I received the state’s top grade in the national universities category, receiving a middle-of-the-pack No. 208 ranking. U.S. News & World Report ranked 427 national universities.
The U of I ranked highest on the list of “best value schools,” coming in No. 23 overall. The U of I is the highest-ranked public university in this category. For the past several years, the U of I has trailed only one other public institution, the University of North Carolina.
“This ranking reflects what we work hard to deliver every day: an exceptional education that remains within reach for students and families,” U of I President Scott Green said in a news release. “Our students pursue research, learn by doing and build connections that prepare them to succeed after graduation, creating value not just for Idaho but nationally as well through the work they go on to do.”
The U of I also ranked No. 66 as a best value school for in-state students.
Boise State ranked No. 299 in the national universities category. Its top-ranked program, nursing, came in at No. 94.
Idaho State landed between No. 382 and No. 422 among national universities (no specific ranking was released). Idaho State’s highest-ranked program, also in nursing, came in at No. 135.
LC State ranked No. 27 among 73 regional colleges in the West. LC State was also ranked No. 6 among public schools, climbing two spots from last year. The college also landed No. 23 for social mobility — which measures success rates for Pell Grant recipients — and climbed 12 spots in this category.
In a news release, LC State noted that it is the only Top 10 public college in Idaho or Washington. “LC State continues to enhance the incredible value it provides to students, families, communities, and Idaho, and we’re grateful that this ranking captures that progression,” President Cynthia Pemberton said.
NNU ranked No. 41 among 110 regional universities in the West. It ranked No. 19 among private schools, and No. 71 for social mobility.
New Saint Andrews ranked No. 132 among 206 national liberal arts colleges, and No. 121 among private schools. Doug Wilson — pastor of Moscow-based Christ Church — founded New Saint Andrews in 1994 and is a permanent member of the college’s board. (Click here for a 2024 Boise State Public Radio podcast series on Christian nationalism, with segments focused on Christ Church and Wilson.)
C of I ranked No. 142 among national liberal arts colleges, and No. 128 among private schools.
Brigham Young University-Idaho
BYU-Idaho, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ranked No. 172 among national liberal arts colleges, and No. 148 among private schools. Its undergraduate engineering program ranked No. 71.
