Brag Points

Student-centered, engaged learning:

Continues to have a record number of National Merit Scholars – only second amongst public institutions of higher education in the Northwest and more than all other Idaho institutions combined.

Named by the Corporation for National and Community Service to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts—more than 3,800 students volunteered more than 150,000 hours to community and service-learning. This is the fifth consecutive year Idaho has earned this highest federal recognition for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

Provides enhanced executive education offerings, from the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute to the new Professional Science Master's degree.

Recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the “373 Best Colleges” in America in its 2011 edition. The Princeton Review also ranks U-Idaho as one of the nation’s top 286 environmentally responsible colleges.

Enrolled 12,312 students in fall 2011, including 1,243 students taking classes at U-Idaho centers off the Moscow campus.

Attracted some of the best and brightest: the average GPA of high school students entering the University of Idaho in the fall 2011 was 3.33.

Competitive research and learning opportunities:

Leads regional team of researchers to better understand and plan for a changing climate in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to a $20 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Selected by NASA as one of nine organizations – under the University’s Idaho Space Grant Consortium – to host NASA’s 2011 Summer of Innovation Projects.

The University of Idaho is among Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” for 2012. U-Idaho ranked 154th among the nation’s research universities, and 85th in the west. Overall, the University of Idaho ranked 449 out of 650 – which is the top 20 percent of all undergraduate institutions in the nation. Forbes calculates its rankings on quality of teaching, great career prospects, graduation rates and low debt levels.
Leads a network of nine Idaho colleges and Universities in the largest bio-medical research project in Idaho’s history. The Idea Network of Biomedical and Research Excellence – INBRE – creates new, state-of-the-art research facilities, providing greater research opportunities for faculty and students at every college and university in the state, and increasing Idaho’s competitiveness for federal biomedical research funding.

Initiated an annual University Innovation Awards ceremony for our top faculty, students and alumni who have moved technologies from their research labs into the marketplace via licenses or U.S. patents.

High-yield innovation and research enabled U-Idaho researchers to hold 22 disclosures of discovery and submit 10 patent applications, while another 10 were approved.

Ranked by Washington Monthly magazine’s College Guide as 68th in the nation among institutions that are America’s best in social mobility, research and service.

Community connections:

Contributes nearly $1 billion to Idaho’s economy through the combined activities of U-Idaho and its alumni. That’s nearly 2 percent of the state’s economy.

Increased outreach to non-traditional and minority students, including military veterans and their families, and Hispanic youth.

Helps Idaho communities fulfill their visions for sustainable growth and development through the University’s Building Sustainable Communities Initiative and Extension programs. U-Idaho is working with community leaders to improve the physical and economic health of more than 60 Idaho communities.

Earned the Outreach Scholarship/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award for the western U.S. region for partnering with the Coeur d’Alene tribe and its reservation communities to create a long-term vision to achieve prosperity. Was one of five finalists for the 2010 national C. Peter Magrath University/Community Engagement Award.

Opened the VandalStore fan shop, the bookstore’s first off-campus location in August 2010, in downtown Boise. The store has not only been financially viable, but it’s also provided an opportunity for interaction with alumni and friends of the university.

Completed a $1.2 million renovation of the performance hall in the Lionel Hampton School of Music building in Fall 2010. Funded through donations, the hall is now known as the Haddock Performance Hall.