One of the largest incoming classes in the history of The College of Idaho has pushed total enrollment to its highest-ever point for the 2021-22 academic year.
The College welcomed the second-largest class of freshmen in the history of the school – 296 students – and the total number of new students on campus, including transfers, is 338, which is the third-largest ever.
Those two numbers pushed the College’s total enrollment to 1,145 students, the largest number in the 130-year history of the school. The previous high of 1,144 was set in the Fall of 2014. The previous highs in freshmen (360) and total new students (403) both came in the Fall of 2019.
“This year marks the fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth, and to set an all-time record is truly remarkable. It clearly demonstrates the confidence that students and their families have in the College, and the value they place on exceptional academics, a liberal arts foundation, and the small, close-knit environment fostered here,” said Brian Bava, the College’s Vice President of Enrollment. “I am extremely proud of our team and what they accomplished during a challenging year, and I look forward to continuing to build on this success during the next recruitment cycle.”
Among the incoming freshmen, the average grade-point average was 3.78 while the average ACT score was 25, well above the national average of 20.6, as reported by U.S. News & World Report for the 2020 academic year. Both of those numbers represent a continuing upward year-to-year trend dating back multiple years.
Nearly 60 percent of the student population hails from the state of Idaho, with Oregon, Washington, and California each represent approximately five percent. Internationally, The College of Idaho currently has 218 students representing 92 foreign countries, which is nearly 20 percent of the student body. That percentage is one of the tops in the nation, ranking no. 10 by U.S. News & World Report among all national liberal arts colleges.
“Sixteen years ago, the College had a grand total of 12 international students from 10 countries, which represented 1.5 percent of the total student body. To now be ranked in the Top 10 by U.S. News & World Report for percentage of international students is something we could only have dreamed of back then, so it is extremely gratifying to continue to set records for the number of international students and the percentage of the student body they represent,” Bava said. “The impact these students have in the classroom, across campus extra-curricularly, in the residence halls, and throughout the greater Caldwell community is truly amazing.”
Nepal (13), Eswatini (formerly Swaziland, 12), South Africa (8), and Ethiopia and Iraq (7 each) are the five foreign countries with the most students currently enrolled at the College.
The College of Idaho has a 130-year-old legacy of excellence. The College is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition and history of producing successful graduates, including seven Rhodes Scholars, three governors, and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field—empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.