Boise State University
Boise, ID
87.2%
Acceptance Rate
$9,048
Avg Cost (In-State)
$27,788
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
61%
Graduation Rate
17,674
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
0
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$55
Interview
Not required
Essays: No essay required for general admission
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$45,251
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$51,658
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
61%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $79,301 | $91,491 | 498 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. | $76,843 | $89,863 | 260 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $37,954 | $53,278 | 239 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | $45,318 | $64,202 | 209 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General. | $38,831 | $51,708 | 187 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other. | $34,244 | $60,164 | 176 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $48,776 | $66,283 | 174 |
| Psychology, General. | $30,865 | $51,184 | 151 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Boise State University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Boise State University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Idaho Opportunity Scholarship
Up to $3,500/year
stateID residents with 2.7+ GPA + financial need attending an ID eligible postsecondary institution.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗Idaho LAUNCH
Up to $8,000
stateID HS grads pursuing in-demand careers; covers tuition + fees up to a cap at ID public or eligible private institutions.
Deadline: Apply during senior year of HS
Learn more ↗Boise State Presidential Scholarship
Up to full tuition
universityTop Boise State incoming freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗U Idaho Go Idaho Scholarship
$2,500-$8,000/year
universityTop U Idaho freshmen via tiered automatic merit.
Deadline: February 15
Learn more ↗Boise State University BSU Promise
Tuition + fees at BSU for Pell-eligible
universityIdaho Pell-eligible HS grads attending Boise State.
Deadline: FAFSA
Learn more ↗BYU-Idaho Tuition Discount
LDS Church-subsidized low tuition rate
universityLDS Church members attending BYU-Idaho; already-subsidized rate via Church endowment.
Deadline: Apply with admission
Learn more ↗Idaho Chafee Education and Training Voucher
Up to $5,000/year
stateID current/former foster youth ages 14-23; ID Health & Welfare Independent Living.
Deadline: Rolling
Learn more ↗Idaho Community Foundation Scholarship
$500-$10,000
localHS seniors from Boise / Idaho via Idaho community foundation funds; multiple sub-awards.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Idaho Society of CPAs Scholarship
$1,500-$3,000
stateIdaho residents majoring in accounting at ID institutions.
Deadline: April
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $18,165 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $17,974 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $20,731 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $23,573 |
| $110,001+ | $25,893 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Boise State University →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 87.2% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
87.21%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
27.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
32.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
76.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
18.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
51.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
75.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
47.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Not considered
Visits, info sessions and opening emails don't move the needle here.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA
87% acceptance
Both admit around 87% of applicants, with 12k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE
87% acceptance
Both admit around 87% of applicants, with 11k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
87.5% acceptance
Both admit around 88% of applicants, with 28k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
78.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (79% vs 87%) but out-of-state cost runs $18k — meaningfully less than $28k.
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
91.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 87%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $28k.
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
95.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (95% vs 87%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $28k.
Reaches above this college
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
11.6% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but more selective (12% vs 87%) — a stretch target if Boise State University is already on your list.
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
11% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but more selective (11% vs 87%) — a stretch target if Boise State University is already on your list.
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
9.8% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but more selective (10% vs 87%) — a stretch target if Boise State University is already on your list.
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