The Idaho State Board of Education approved a 3.5% tuition and fee increase for the upcoming academic year during a special meeting Friday.
BOISE, Idaho — Tuition for students planning to attend four-year institutions in the Gem State has increased following a decision from the state board.
The Idaho State Board of Education during a special meeting Friday approved a 3.5% tuition and fee increase for all the state’s public four-year institutions. Board President Kurt Liebich defended the increase, citing inflationary pressures and operational costs.
“We have to keep in mind that where our institutions are starting from is a position of incredible affordability,” Liebich said in a news release. “We have some of the lowest cost tuition rates in the entire nation. Inflation is real. We are in an environment that we haven’t seen since the 1970s.”
The increase will take effect for the 2025-26 academic year. Annual tuition and fees will rise for full-time resident undergraduate student. The Idaho State Board of Education provided a breakdown of how much the increase will be:
- Idaho State University: $8,610 to $8,914
- Lewis-Clark State College $7,610 to $7,876
- University of Idaho $9,084 to $9,400
- Boise State University $9,048 to $9,364
Board officials said institution leaders based their requests for the increase on rising operational costs and state-mandated cost-of-living increases for employees.
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for June 17-18, 2025, at Idaho State University in Pocatello.