Quad

Head-to-head

College of Idaho
Southwestern

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    College of Idaho costs about $10.6K less per year on average than Southwestern ($22,255 vs. $32,881, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Southwestern graduates 14 pts more of its students than College of Idaho (73% vs. 60%)

    Graduation rate
  3. 3

    Southwestern grads earn $8.4K more ten years out than College of Idaho's ($56,878 vs. $48,473)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    College of Idaho has 6 pts more first-gen students than Southwestern (27% vs. 20%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    College of Idaho's grants cover 57% of its full price on average, vs. 51% at Southwestern

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    Southwestern is a bit larger (1,440 vs. 1,041)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Southwestern admits 43%, College of Idaho 49%; College of Idaho's yield is higher, at 15%.

Acceptance rate
College of Idaho49%
Southwestern43%
Quad's selectivity
  • College of IdahoSelective
  • SouthwesternSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
College of Idaho
1070–1280
Southwestern
1130–1300
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • College of IdahoRigor and GPA very important
  • SouthwesternGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Southwestern is a bit larger than College of Idaho (1,440 vs. 1,041 undergrads); both have the same Pell share, 25%.

Undergrads
College of Idaho1K
Southwestern1.4K
Pell Grant share
College of Idaho25%
Southwestern25%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at College of Idaho, and Business/Commerce at Southwestern.

Students per faculty member
College of Idaho10 to 1
Southwestern11 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • College of IdahoBusiness Administration and Management, General22%
  • SouthwesternBusiness/Commerce, General24%

What each costs

College of Idaho costs about $10.6K less a year than Southwestern on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
College of Idaho$22.3K
Southwestern$32.9K
Aid generosity
College of Idaho57%
Southwestern51%

What each pays off

Southwestern's former students earn more, a median $56.9K ten years after enrolling; both graduate at least 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
College of Idaho$48.5K
Southwestern$56.9K
Graduation rate
College of Idaho60%
Southwestern73%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • College of IdahoGrowing+287%
  • SouthwesternGrowing+81%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;The College of Idaho Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2025 applicants;The College of Idaho Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2023;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why