Direct Admissions

The Idaho State Board of Education Direct Admissions initiative will provide more Idaho students with the opportunity to obtain a postsecondary certificate or degree.

Direct Admissions proactively admits Idaho public high school seniors to the state’s public higher education institutions based on each student’s grade point average (GPA) and SAT/ACT score.

A Board-approved benchmark GPA and college entrance exam score will determine a student’s admission eligibility.  Students at or above the benchmark will be pre-accepted to Idaho’s eight public universities and colleges: Boise State University, Idaho State University, the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho and North Idaho College.

Students not meeting the benchmark will be admitted to the six public higher education institutions that offer certificate or associate degree programs: Idaho State University College of Technology, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho and North Idaho College.

Each fall, high school seniors and their parents or guardians will be notified of their acceptance and encouraged to research the academic and professional-technical programs offered throughout the state’s community colleges and four-year institutions. Students will be required to complete an admission application to the institution of their choice as a next step in the admissions process.  Students can apply to one or more of Idaho’s colleges or universities at once, and for free, using Apply Idaho.

Regardless of which letter a student receives, they still have the option to apply to any or all of Idaho’s public colleges and universities under normal deadlines and be considered alongside all other in-state and out-of-state applicants.

More Next Steps links to explore: