Best Teaching Schools and Degrees in Idaho

This guide is written for aspiring teachers looking to obtain a teaching degree in Idaho. There are many colleges and universities in the state that offer teacher preparation programs that prepare students for a career in education. Scroll down to find lists of top-rated teaching programs, a table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. For those interested in finding a qualified teaching school in Idaho, this guide should help you locate a program that best suits your individual career objectives.

Quick Facts

There are 11 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Idaho.¹
7 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*¹
7 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*¹
6 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*¹
No schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019.²
No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020.³
1 school ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019.⁴
3 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.⁵
5 not-for-profit teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.

*For not-for-profit colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.

Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs in Idaho

US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019

Boise State University (#39 tie)

US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019

Boise State University (#126 tie)
Northwest Nazarene University (#180 tie)
University of Idaho (#228-299)

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Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs

We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in Idaho according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the Idaho State Department of Education for the preparation of teachers. Completing a state-approved teacher preparation program is an important step towards earning licensure.

While accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is not a requirement for licensure, it is included in the following table as CAEP provides a highly-regarded accreditation that is accepted in many states. Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies. We have also included rankings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group that scores teacher preparation programs at the national level using key standards chosen to measure students’ preparation for success in teaching. For further information on the NCTQ’s program rankings, please see the notes below the table.

You will also find data on teacher preparation program enrollment, completion, and licensing exam pass rates by institution for the 2017-2018 academic year in this table. These data points are collected from annual US Department of Education records under Title II (Teacher Quality) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides for reporting that holds institutions and state departments of education accountable for increasing academic achievement through improvements in teacher quality.

Programs that are not ranked, or for which data is not available, in a given category are denoted as “-“.

State-Approved School	CAEP Accred.?⁶	NCTQ Undergrad Elementary Prog. % (2016)**⁷	NCTQ Undergrad Secondary Prog. % (2017)**⁷	Teacher Prep Prog. Enrollment⁸	Teacher Prep Prog. Completers⁸	Licensing Exams Pass Rate⁸	Net Price***¹
Boise State University	Yes	—	—	550	175	99%	$13,363
Brigham Young University Idaho	No	66%	71%	1,279	348	97%	$7,727
College of Idaho	No	—	—	390	11	83%	$22,277
Idaho State University	Yes	25%	—	195	60	100%	$12,637
Lewis-Clark State College	Yes	79%	76%	111	41	97%	$11,482
Northwest Nazarene University	Yes	—	94%	218	52	100%	$19,204
University of Idaho	Yes	49%	—	85	88	98%	$14,997

*The NCTQ rated undergraduate elementary teaching programs in 2016 and undergraduate secondary teaching programs in 2017 by national percentile based on their overall scores on the NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. Schools that do not provide data on all key standards or that fall below the top 50% of schools nationally are not included by the NCTQ in their ratings. Visit the NCTQ website for more information on its standards and methodologies.
**Net price is per year for undergraduate tuition as calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics based on the cost of attendance (tuition, books, room and board, and related expenses) for students who qualify for in-state tuition and fees, less the average financial aid award (including grants and scholarships).

Profiles of Well-Known Schools

University of Idaho: Located in Moscow, ID just eight miles from the Washington State border lays the University of Idaho and its College of Education. The Idaho College of Education prepares teachers, educators and administrators for the responsibility of educating individuals for careers in private and public education within the K-20 sectors. The University of Idaho is only eight miles from Washington State University and works with students to offer lower tuition rates through a reciprocity agreement. The University of Idaho confers degrees ranging from bachelor’s to doctorates in educational fields including elementary education, secondary education, K-12 administration, educational policy, special education, instructional technology and more. Classes are offered at the main campus in Moscow as well as satellite locations in Coeur d’Alene and Boise.

Boise State University: Boise State University is home to College of Education that consists of the departments of Bilingual Education, Counselor Education, Curriculum, Instructional and Foundational Studies, Educational Technology, Kinesiology, Literacy, and Special Education and Early Childhood Studies. The College of Education at Boise State is highly regarded as one of the finest in the Pacific Northwest. It is home to over 2,300 students with the majority being enrolled in one of the 25 undergraduate degree programs. The graduate and doctoral programs consist of approximately 600 students total enrolled in 14 programs. Boise State education majors are known for their passion for students and ability to draw potential out of students at any age. The school features above average passing test scores and grades among their undergraduate and graduate populations.

Lewis-Clark State College: Lewis-Clark State College, located in Lewiston, Idaho, has been educating teachers for over a century and provides several options for acquiring teaching endorsements and certificates. The main programs include the Elementary Education Certification Program and the Secondary Teacher Education Program which prepare new teachers with a combination of coursework and teaching experience in the classroom. There is also a Kinesiology Program that prepares individuals to teach K-12 physical education and 6-12 health. All teacher education programs are fully accredited by the NCATE.

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School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Idaho

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Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Idaho

Note: Student Reviews are based on the experiences of a few individuals and it is unlikely that you will have similar results. Please review the “Data, Student Reviews and Other Information” section in our Terms of Use and Disclaimers.

Boise State University
1910 University Dr
Boise, ID 83725
(208) 426-1011
https://www.boisestate.edu/

Student Review: “The educational technology department at Boise State is the perfect learning environment for me. Its online program gives me the flexibility to work full-time teaching and caring for my family and being able to learn when I can find the time. I find that the coursework includes practical, real-life skills that I can implement and apply immediately to classroom instruction. Given the nature of the assignments I have had in the five courses I’ve taken thus far, I have found the faculty to be exceptional. They are even willing to go the extra mile to speak with me one-on-one over the phone to help solve technical issues. The elective courses provide students with cutting-edge topics like Games in Education offered by Dr. Chris Haskell. In this class, students are exposed to taking a course that has been completely gamified in every way. Students are encouraged to generate their own game-like ideas and take them to the next level so they can be used in classroom instruction. The technology integration course offered by Professor Schroder was amazing. Through every assignment, learners were exposed to new tools of the trade that could be used and implemented instantly in the classroom.” -Student at Boise State University

Brigham Young University-Idaho
525 S Center
Rexburg, ID 83460
(208) 496-2411
https://www.byui.edu/

Student Review: “Brigham Young University-Idaho’s teaching program for my degree was a great experience for me. I felt that the classes I was required to take to gain experience in my content area were helpful, useful, and applicable to my life outside of teaching. I felt my classroom experience helped me gain insight on how to be a teacher. The university was in process of improving the teaching degree for all teaching majors while I was in school. After learning how to apply teaching skills specifically to my content area and actually doing my student teaching, my confidence as a teacher flourished. Actually being in a classroom and having that hands-on experience with an actual full-time teacher close by to assist me as I learned was influential in my learning.”

College of Southern Idaho*
315 Falls Ave
Twin Falls, ID 83301-1238
(208) 733-9554
www.csi.edu

Idaho State University
921 S 7th Ave
Pocatello, ID 83209
(208) 282-3620
https://www.isu.edu/

Student Review: “I enjoyed my time at Idaho State University overall. There were numerous opportunities and requirements to observe and work with master teachers in varying capacities from an early point in the program. The Music Education program was somewhat isolated from the rest of the Education Department because of all the proprietary music requirements that the rest of the Education majors didn’t have to take which was good and bad. The most difficult thing I have had to deal with since graduation from ISU is classroom management. The Motivation and Management class that the rest of the Education majors have to take isn’t required of the Music Education majors.” -Brett B., student at Idaho State University

Student Review: “Idaho State University has an excellent teacher education program. The professors are very helpful, and care whether you succeed or not. I feel as though I was overly prepared to be a great teacher, all because of this program. It is accredited, and rigorous, but worth the work. The administration is extremely nice and helpful. They go above and beyond to make sure you get your degree. There are ample scholarships available for teacher education candidates, and they are not too terribly hard to get. The only negative thing I would say about the program is that the sole elementary education advisor needs an assistant. She does so much work for us, above and beyond her duties. To conclude, being in the teacher education program at Idaho State University was a very positive experience.” – Student at Idaho State University

Lewis-Clark State College
500 8th Ave
Lewiston, ID 83501-2698
(208) 792-5272
www.lcsc.edu

Northwest Nazarene University
623 Holly St
Nampa, ID 83686-5897
(208) 467-8011
www.nnu.edu

The College of Idaho
2112 Cleveland Blvd
Caldwell, ID 83605-4432
(208) 459-5011
www.collegeofidaho.edu

University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive
Moscow, ID 83844-2282
(888) 884-3246
www.uihome.uidaho.edu

An asterisk (*) denotes a two-year or certificate program in education. While a two-year degree will not qualify graduates for teacher certification, it can be a good starting point for a teaching career. To learn more about what you can do with this degree, see our guide to associate’s degrees in education.

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Tile
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2019.
4. US News & World Report Best Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
5. US News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
6. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
7. National Council on Teacher Quality Teacher Preparation Program Review: https://www.nctq.org/review/home
8. US Department of Education 2018 Title II Reports: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx

Idaho Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide