Boise State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Moscow, Idaho · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Boise State University is a public university in Moscow, Idaho that admits about 79% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $13,782 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Marketing and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 3.9 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Boise State University is a public institution located in Moscow, Idaho. For the most recent reporting cycle, Boise State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 79%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1088 and an ACT composite around 24. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,782 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Boise State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Boise State University?
Boise State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Boise State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 460–590, with an EBRW midpoint near 560. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–29. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | — |
| 50th percentile | 1088 |
| 75th percentile | — |
| 25th percentile | 20 |
| 50th percentile | 24 |
| 75th percentile | 29 |
How much does Boise State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $8,816 for in-state students and $29,784 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $10,380 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $13,782 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 23% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $13,782 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Boise State University
Most popular majors at Boise State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Boise State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Marketing and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Across all programs, Boise State University confers roughly 565 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $46,618 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 134 | $46,618 |
| Marketing | 90 | $62,208 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 76 | $47,927 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 62 | $86,119 |
| Sociology | 53 | $46,543 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 52 | $47,892 |
| Animal Sciences | 49 | $45,571 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 49 | $82,097 |
Is Boise State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Boise State University disclosed 30 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 3.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 16 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Idaho parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Boise State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Boise State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Boise State University
What GPA do I need for Boise State University?
Boise State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Boise State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 460–590, with an EBRW midpoint near 560. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–29.
How much does Boise State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Boise State University after grants and scholarships is $13,782 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Boise State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Boise State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Boise State University?
Boise State University accepts about 79% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Boise State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Boise State University is a public institution located in Moscow, Idaho.
What are the most popular majors at Boise State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Boise State University by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Marketing and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. The school awards about 565 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Boise State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Boise State University reported 30 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 3.9 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Boise State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.