Students attending colleges in Boise can access the best of both city life and outdoor recreation. The area has fewer weather extremes than many cities; in fact, it's sunny 200 days of the year. Education, health care and technology are the predominant industries here.
Idaho's Fast Forward program gives 7th-12th graders funds to pay for college entrance exams and dual credit courses, which count toward both high school and college. Boise Public Schools Foundation funds AVID, an elective that helps middle and high school students get to college through skills training, accelerated coursework and college planning.
Two of the colleges in Boise focus on a variety of career education programs.
The Boise campus of Carrington College offers associate degree and certificate programs in a variety of medical, pharmacy, and dental programs. Students can prepare for careers as nurses, technologists, medical/dental assistants and more. Programs connect students with the health care community through clinical rotations or externships with local medical professionals.
Stevens-Henager College has campuses nationwide. Its Boise campus has degree programs in health care, technology, business and graphic arts. The school awards associate, bachelor and master's degrees.
There are two universities in Boise.
Boise State University offers undergraduate degrees in 200 areas of study. It's the first public university to collaborate with Harvard Business School to access Harvard curriculum via an innovative online program. Campus life at Boise State is vibrant, with 260 student clubs and organizations, fraternities and sororities, and numerous varsity sports teams for men and women. Fun fact: A NASA astronaut teaches on campus.
Boise Bible College is a small, nondenominational Christian college. All degree programs include three elements: general education, Bible, and professional (ministry) studies. Extracurricular activities for students include music, drama, and intramural sports.
Of the colleges in Boise, only Boise State University offers advanced degree programs. In fact, it is also the largest graduate school in Idaho, with a dozen doctoral programs and more than 60 master's programs. Point of pride: The university is classified as a doctoral research institution with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
To see other higher education options in the state, view our Idaho colleges list.
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