College Viability Inspection Report

Idaho State University

Idaho · Public

Idaho State University is a public institution in Idaho, enrolling 7,302 students as of 2024. It graduates 19% of students in four years, returns 72% of freshmen for a second year, and costs an average of $12,174 a year after grants and scholarships. Of the 9 inspection checks that could be evaluated, 3 are flagged: Retention, Graduation, and Equity Gap. This report benchmarks Idaho State University's most recent reported year (2024) against 2,000+ U.S. colleges across three dimensions: student outcomes, financial health, and value for money. All figures are drawn from federal IPEDS filings and are reported without editorial judgment.

Idaho State University Inspection Flags

Student Outcomes
Financial Health
Value for Your Money

Inspection flags are nine independent checks across student outcomes, financial health, and cost-to-value that surface areas of a college's reported numbers worth a closer look. A triggered flag means the college's data met a specific threshold that students and families may want to ask about — for example, graduation rates slipping below a level, or tuition rising while outcomes decline. A clear flag means the threshold was not met. Flags are signals for further conversation, not verdicts.

Look Beyond the Brochure. Then Ask Your College.

Changing the Balance of Power from Colleges to Students and Families.

Every campus tour is a sales pitch. Colleges will show you the beautiful quad and the smiling Dean — not what doesn't flatter them. The right questions can reveal information that significantly impacts your experience.
College Viability
Data Summary

Idaho State University — All Reported Indicators

Plain-text reference table of every metric and inspection flag for Idaho State University. Values reflect IPEDS-reported figures; percent changes reflect endpoint-to-endpoint 2020 → 2024 comparison; percentiles reflect 2024 national rank against four-year public and private nonprofit institutions. Cells marked "not reported" indicate the indicator was not present in IPEDS for this institution.

Student Outcomes

Metric2024 Value5-Yr % ChangeNational Percentile
Four-Year Graduation Rate19.0%+35.7%18th
Six-Year Graduation Rate34.0%+6.3%18th
Full-Time Retention Rate72.0%+14.3%36th
Pell Grant Six-Year Graduation Rate28.8%+1.6%17th
Pell-to-Non-Pell Graduation Gap11.7pp+78.5%62nd
Pell Share of Cohort46.2%+28.1%65th

Financial Health

Metric2024 Value5-Yr % ChangeNational Percentile
Revenue-to-Expense Ratio1.10×+7.6%55th
Total FTE Enrollment7,302-1.4%84th
Endowment Value$100.2M+69.9%65th
Net Assets (End of Year)$336.9M+31.1%78th

Value for Money

Metric2024 Value5-Yr % ChangeNational Percentile
Instructional Spending %42.3%-9.6%81st
Student Support Spending %5.5%+11.8%17th
Administrative Spending %14.3%+7.0%31st
Instruction+Support to Admin Ratio3.35×-13.6%65th
Average Net Price$12,174-6.3%20th
Net Price: $0-30K Income$10,593-30.2%32nd
Net Price: $30K-48K Income$10,011-38.3%26th
Net Price: $48-75K Income$11,538-37.5%23rd
Net Price: $75K-110K Income$14,483-29.0%20th
Net Price: $110K+ Income$16,288-21.1%14th

Inspection Flags

FlagSectionStatus
Retention Below 80%
Idaho State University's retention rate fell below 80% in 5 of 5 reported years — triggering the 3-of-5 threshold.
Student OutcomesTriggered
Four-Year Graduation Rate Below 50%
Idaho State University's 4-year graduation rate fell below 50% in 5 of 5 reported years — triggering the 3-of-5 threshold.
Student OutcomesTriggered
Pell Gap Exceeds 10 Points
Idaho State University's Pell graduation gap exceeded 10 percentage points in 4 of 5 eligible years — triggering the 3-of-5 threshold.
Student OutcomesTriggered
Revenue-to-Expense Below 1.0
Idaho State University's ratio stayed at or above 1.0 in all 5 reported years — ending at 1.10× in 2024.
Financial HealthCleared
Enrollment Declined 5% or More
Idaho State University's total enrollment fell from 7,403 to 7,302 students between 2020 and 2024 (-1.4%) — less than the 5% decline that triggers this flag.
Financial HealthCleared
Endowment Under $50M or Growth Under 15%
Idaho State University's endowment is $100.2M and grew +69.9% between 2020 and 2024 — clearing both the $50 million size threshold and the 15% growth threshold.
Financial HealthCleared
High Cost, Low Completion
Idaho State University costs less than the national median AND graduates students at below-median rates — only one of two conditions is met.
Value for MoneyCleared
Spending on Students Below the National Median
Idaho State University spends $3.35 on instruction and student support per $1 of admin in 2024 — at or above the national median of $2.75 in every reported year.
Value for MoneyCleared
Rising Price, Falling Outcomes
Either net price did not rise or the graduation rate did not decline between 2020 and 2024 — flag not triggered.
Value for MoneyCleared