Business Schools in Idaho

Spanning the northwestern limit of the American Rockies, a good portion of the Columbia Plateau, and the Snake River Plain, Idaho is a land of soaring mountains, undulating hills, and pristine farmland. Admitted to the union in 1890 as the 43rd state, it is the 14th largest by area but 12th least populated, with over 1.7 million people. Idaho is popularly associated with potatoes, and the state indeed produces over one-third of the nation’s spuds and many other agricultural products. However, its economy is much more modern than many might expect: science and technology is now its largest single sector and responsible for over 70% of its exports.

Idaho is a pretty small and remote state, so it unsurprisingly has relatively few business school options: data from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) shows nine public and non-profit schools that grant undergraduate business degrees in the state, of which five are accredited. Choosing an accredited school assures you that the program you select has clear objectives and produces quality outcomes while adhering to national and international standards. Accredited schools also typically offer a richer educational experience by providing interaction with real businesses.

All of the schools in this article have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). They are all public or non-profit and regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

In this article, you will find the critical data you need to help you choose the Idaho business school that best suits your unique needs, based on various key factors, including tuition, financial aid, entrance exam scores, acceptance rates, and more. The sections that follow describe undergraduate programs and job prospects for business school graduates in Idaho.

Undergraduate Business Schools in Idaho

Idaho’s business schools are mostly very inexpensive. Four of the schools have tuition figures below $8,000, and these also offer financial aid very close to their tuition numbers, which means finances need not prevent you from getting the education you are after. The fifth school, Northwest Nazarene University, is quite a bit higher than the others at $28,650, with the maximum financial aid of around $16,800. This is still not a particularly expensive school, but it clearly costs quite a bit more than the others.

We have acceptance rates for three of our schools, all of which are high or very high: 76% at the University of Idaho, 95% at Northwest Nazarene University, and 97% at Lewis-Clark State College. Graduation rates for undergraduate business degrees in Idaho are slightly on the low side, with an overall average of 40%. The best graduation rate, 56%, is at the University of Idaho, while the lowest, 27%, can be found at Lewis-Clark State College.

The table below shows you all the essential data you need about undergraduate business schools in Idaho, including annual in-state tuition costs, average aid per student, acceptance rates, SAT and ACT score ranges of accepted students, and graduation rates. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.

School	City	Tuition	Aid	Median SAT	Median ACT	Accept. Rate	Grad. Rate
Boise State University	Boise	$7,080	$7,055	915-1150	20-26		39%
Idaho State University	Pocatello	$6,956	$5,854				28%
Lewis-Clark State College	Lewiston	$6,120	$5,611	820-1030	18-23	97%	27%
Northwest Nazarene University	Nampa	$28,650	$16,818	1000-1240	21-27	95%	49%
University of Idaho	Moscow	$7,232	$7,289	930-1170	21-27	76%	56%

Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in Idaho

From 2016 to 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data predicts total growth of at least 5% in 32 of 37 business and management occupations across the US. The highest growth will be for market analysts and marketing specialists, at 22.8% over ten years, with financial managers coming in second at 18.7%.

Idaho has had strong employment figures for most of the last two decades. Its current rate is very low at 2.9%, compared to a national average of 4%. About 45,830 people were employed in Idaho’s business and management sector in 2016, though figures for CEOs were not available. The largest subgroup was general and operations managers at 12,490, well ahead of all other categories.

According to BLS data, Idaho ranked 37th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for the overall average annual wage across all occupations in 2016 at $51,807, a little below the national average of $57,617. Business and management occupations had a weighted average annual salary of around $76,540 that same year. Again, CEO figures are not included in this number, so the actual average is higher. Idaho is one of the few states where CEOs are not the highest-paid category; that honor goes here to architectural and engineering managers. Most management positions fell between $70,000 and $110,000. The lowest-paid of the groups was tax preparers at $35,740.

Occupation Title	BLS.gov Code	2016 Total Employment Idaho	Mean Hourly Wage Idaho	Mean Annual Wage Idaho	National Growth 2016-26
Accountants and Auditors	13-2011	3,960	$31	$64,640	8.0%
Administrative Services Managers	11-3011	1,140	$35	$72,120	9.1%
Advertising and Promotions Managers	11-2011	130	$31	$64,760	5.8%
Architectural and Engineering Managers	11-9041	1,140	$60	$124,460	7.4%
Budget Analysts	13-2031	140	$34	$70,490	10.4%
Business Operations Specialists	13-1199	2,820	$32	$67,220	10.1%
Chief Executives	11-1011	**	$48	$99,870	11.9%
Compensation and Benefits Managers	11-3111	80	$42	$87,130	0.187
Compensation, and Benefits Specialists	13-1141	260	$28	$57,820	5.6%
Compliance Officers	13-1041	1,220	$28	$58,350	5.0%
Construction Managers	11-9021	1,300	$39	$81,650	8.9%
Cost Estimators	13-1051	1,170	$28	$57,590	10.3%
Credit Analysts	13-2041	250	$29	$61,010	11.4%
Credit Counselors	13-2071	40	$22	$46,180	5.5%
Financial Analysts	13-2051	450	$36	$74,150	4.9%
Financial Examiners	13-2061	120	$38	$79,150	8.2%
Financial Managers	11-3031	2,370	$47	$97,960	10.6%
General and Operations Managers	11-1021	12,490	$38	$79,400	7.1%
Human Resources Managers	11-3121	710	$41	$84,450	-7.8%
Human Resources Specialists	13-1071	1,680	$30	$62,380	6.9%
Information Systems Managers	11-3021	1,260	$51	$105,660	12.0%
Insurance Underwriters	13-2053	160	$32	$66,260	10.2%
Labor Relations Specialists	13-1075	170	$25	$52,540	8.5%
Loan Officers	13-2072	2,580	$32	$66,660	11.5%
Logisticians	13-1081	500	$35	$73,190	22.8%
Management Analysts	13-1111	2,460	$39	$81,470	8.8%
Market Analysts and Marketing Specialists	13-1161	1,560	$26	$54,600	10.0%
Marketing Managers	11-2021	890	$52	$108,240	6.5%
Meeting and Event Planners	13-1121	360	$18	$38,250	8.4%
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers	11-2031	280	$39	$81,890	10.8%
Purchasing Managers	11-3061	310	$44	$90,650	-5.2%
Sales Managers	11-2022	1,800	$51	$105,910	9.8%
Tax Examiners and Revenue Agents	13-2081	300	$25	$51,320	13.9%
Tax Preparers	13-2082	520	$17	$35,740	11.5%
Training and Development Managers	11-3131	110	$37	$77,330	-0.6%
Training and Development Specialists	13-1151	1,100	$28	$57,840	10.8%

Other Popular State Pages

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics:https://nces.ed.gov/
2. AACSB, Best Business Schools:https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited
3. ACBSP, Business Schools:https://acbsp.org/page/accreditation-overview
4. IACBE, Business Schools:https://iacbe.org/accreditation/
5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/home.htm
6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Employment and Wage Estimates Idaho: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_id.htm
7. US News & World Report, 2018 Best Business Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools