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Administration Building seen from Friendship Bridge
Stueckle Sky Center

Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master’s degrees since 1965.[6] It became a public institution in 1969.

Boise State offers more than 100 graduate programs, including a variety of MBA programs and the MAcc program in the College of Business and Economics; master’s and PhD programs in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Education; MPA program in the School of Public Service; and the MPH program in the College of Health Sciences. It is classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity”.[7] In the 2024 fiscal year, Boise State reported total research awards exceeding $83 million and research expenditures over $70 million.[8]

The university’s intercollegiate athletic teams, the Broncos, compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference.

History

Main article: History of Boise State University

The school became Idaho’s third state university in 1974, after the University of Idaho (1889) and Idaho State University (1963). Boise State awards associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. As of 2010, it has over 75,000 living alumni.

Year Event
1892 St. Margaret’s School was founded in Christ Chapel (Boise, Idaho), a forerunner to Boise Junior College
1932 BSU was founded as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church at St. Margaret’s Hall
1933 First season of football
1934 Episcopal Church ends its affiliation and board of directors after assumes leadership.
1940 Campus is moved to present site on the south bank of the Boise River
  • Formerly the site of the Boise Airport – (photo – 1930s) – (photo – 1940s)
  • Administration Building opens, built by WPA – (photo – 1940s)
  • College Field (1940–49), the first football stadium, opens at site of present Student Union Building – (photo 1) – (photo 2)
1942 Old Student Union opens – (photo – 1940s) – (photo – 1950s)
1947 After a year as an assistant, Lyle Smith is elevated to head coach of the football team.
  • overall record of 156-26-8 (.848) with five undefeated seasons, 16 conference titles, and a national JC championship (1958);
  • steps down after 1967 season to become athletic director
1950 First Bronco Stadium (1950–69), on present site – replaced in 1970
1951 Completion of first dormitories: Driscoll Hall (men) and Morrison Hall (women)
1955 Bronco Gymnasium constructed – (photo)
1958 Football team wins NJCAA national championship
1964 Library opens – (photo)
1965 Baccalaureate degrees introduced; becomes Boise College
  • Alumni Association is formed, enrollment reaches 5,000
1966 Liberal Arts Building constructed – (photo 1) – (photo 2)
1967 New Student Union Building constructed – (photo)
  • Chaffee Hall dormitories constructed – (photo)
  • John Barnes becomes the college’s third president
1968 Football team begins competition as a four-year school, competing as an independent in NAIA for two seasons
1969 State system of higher education assumes control, becomes Boise State College
  • Final football season in second Bronco Stadium (northwest–southeast alignment) – (photo – late 1960s) (photo – 1968)
1970 Construction of multiple buildings: Business, Vocational Education, and Towers dormitories
1971
  • Begins publishing the Western Writers Series, monographs focusing on authors of the American Frontier and American West
  • expansion of Student Union Building (1967); Auxiliary Gymnasium completed
1972 Four-story addition to Library (1964) completed
1974 University status granted, becomes Boise State University on February 22
1975 Bronco Stadium adds upper deck to east side: 20,000 capacity – (photo)
1976 Tony Knap departs for UNLV; UCLA assistant coach Jim Criner is named head football coach for 1976 season
1977 Barnes resigns after spring semester; Richard Bullington, vice president of academic affairs, serves as interim president
1978
  • Science/Nursing building opens
  • John Keiser becomes president on August 1
  • Big Sky (& BSU) moves up to the new Division I-AA
1979
  • Seven-story Education building dedicated in January
  • enrollment reaches 10,000
1980 construction of BSU Pavilion begins in February, (photo 1981)

– displaces tennis courts and baseball field – (photo – 1971) (photo – late 1970s)

1981 Lyle Smith retires after 35 years at BSU, last 13 as athletic director.
1982 BSU Pavilion (multi-purpose arena) opens in mid-May for commencement – (photo – mid 1980s)
  • tennis courts relocated to former baseball infield
1983 Jim Criner departs for Iowa State, defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich promoted to head football coach for 1983 season
1984 Velma V. Morrison Center for performing arts opens on April 7
1986 Blue AstroTurf field installed at Bronco Stadium in summer, the first (and only) of its kind
  • football team posts first losing record since 1946, head coach Setencich resigns in November
1987 Washington assistant coach Skip Hall becomes head football coach
1989 Campus School acquired from the Boise School District in April
1990 football team reaches Division I-AA semifinals
1991 President John Keiser fired by state board of education on September 20.
1992 first doctoral degree approved: Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction
  • enrollment reaches 15,000; the state’s largest
1993 Pokey Allen from Portland State becomes head football coach, following the resignation (Nov. 1992) of Skip Hall
1994 football team wins Big Sky title and reaches the I-AA national championship game
1995 final football season in Big Sky Conference and Division I-AA
1996 athletic program moves to Big West Conference and NCAA Division I-A.
  • wrestling remains in the Pac-10, as an affiliate member.
  • Head football coach Pokey Allen dies of cancer in late December
  • bachelor’s programs established in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering
1997 Bronco Stadium expansion in south corners increases seating capacity to 30,000
1998 Houston Nutt departs for Arkansas, Oregon assistant coach Dirk Koetter becomes head football coach for 1998 season
1999 football team wins its first Big West title and the Humanitarian Bowl against Louisville
2000 football team wins second Big West title and Humanitarian Bowl against UTEP
2001 athletics moves to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), wrestling remains in the Pac-10, as affiliate member
2002 football team wins first WAC title and Humanitarian Bowl against Iowa State
2003 football team wins second WAC title and Fort Worth Bowl over host TCU
2004 enrollment reaches 18,456
  • BSU Pavilion renamed Taco Bell Arena in June ($4 million for 15 years)
  • football team goes undefeated in regular season for the first time as a four-year school, wins its third straight WAC title and finishes 9th in the BCS rankings, but lost the Liberty Bowl in Memphis to Louisville in a match-up of the two best BCS non-AQ conference teams that year.
2005 football team wins fourth straight WAC title, but loses MPC Computers Bowl at home to Boston College.
2006 BSU wins the WAC Commissioner’s Cup for the 2005–06 academic year.
  • Dan Hawkins departs for Colorado, assistant Chris Petersen promoted to head football coach for 2006 season
  • senior Ben Cherrington (157 lb.) wins NCAA national championship in wrestling; Cherrington and Tyler Sherfey are named the 2006 Pac-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, respectively.
  • football team is undefeated for the second time in three years, wins fifth straight WAC title and earns first BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma in January 2007.
2007 football team wins the Fiesta Bowl in January in a thrilling overtime finish. BSU finished the 2006 season as the only undefeated team in the nation (after Ohio State lost to Florida in the national championship game), and placed #5 in the final AP poll, with one first place vote, BSU’s highest ranking ever.
  • State of Idaho approves funding for a $35.9 million addition to Bronco Stadium. Expansion replaces the original press box (1970), adds luxury suites, club seats, and loge boxes in time for the 2008 season. The new capacity is 32,000.
  • BSU sells the film rights of the 2006 season to Michael Hoffman and Iron Circle Pictures, who will produce a documentary and later a feature film based on the story of the football program.
  • 2006 football team wins two ESPY Awards in the categories of “Best Game” (2007 Fiesta Bowl) and “Best Play” (Game-winning Statue of Liberty play).
  • Fiesta Bowl MVP Jared Zabransky appears as the cover athlete of the popular EA Sports video game NCAA Football 08.
  • junior Luke Shields is one of four male tennis players representing the U.S. at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Boise State celebrates its 75th anniversary and announces “Destination Distinction,” a campaign to raise $175 million.
2008 Broncos join the “10-20-20” club (10 football wins, 20 men’s basketball wins, 20 women’s basketball wins) for the 2007–08 season, only the 20th school since 1980 to achieve the feat.
2009 undefeated football team retained the WAC title and again played TCU in the postseason, in the Fiesta Bowl, and BSU won 17–10.

Campus

The 285-acre (1.15 km2) campus is located near downtown Boise, on the south bank of the Boise River, opposite Julia Davis Park. With more than 170 buildings, the campus is at an elevation of 2,700 feet (825 m) above sea level, bounded by Capitol Boulevard on the west and Broadway Avenue to the east. Through the 1930s, the site was the city’s airport.

Boise State West Entrance
Boise State West Entrance
Main Campus in 2018
Main Campus, 2018
Interactive Learning Center
Interactive Learning Center

Albertsons Library

Albertsons Library on Campus in 2018
Albertsons Library

The university library is named for grocery pioneer Joe Albertson. It houses more than 650,000 books, over 130,000 periodicals, 107 public terminals for student use, and access to over 300 online databases.[9]

Morrison Center

The Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts has 2,000 seats in its primary performance hall, and hosts a wide variety of fine arts performances, including the Broadway in Boise series, concerts and other events.[10] The venue opened its doors in April 1984.

Computer Science Department

The computer science department moved away from the main campus to a new building in downtown Boise. The CS department occupies 53,549 gross square feet, the full second and third floors of the building. The university’s CS program is now located in the same building as Clearwater Analytics and within short walking distance of about 20 more of Boise’s top technology companies.[11]

Micron Center for Materials Research

The Micron Center for Materials Research was established with a $25 million gift from Micron Technology, which is headquartered in Boise.[12] Completed in 2020, the building was designed by Hummel Architects and Anderson Mason Dale Architects, with Hoffman Construction as lead contractor. The building is designed with one research wing, home to sensitive equipment, and state of the art research laboratories, and a second wing, to hold classrooms, and office space. This latest donation by Micron marks a total of $40 million invested in materials science and engineering programs and associated research at BSU,[13] resulting in a full complement of degrees in materials science and engineering including bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs.

In 2025, researchers from Boise State’s Nagarajan Lab received a five-year federal biochemistry grant, the first of its kind awarded in Idaho, to advance molecular research and interdisciplinary science education.[14]

Other campuses

Extended Studies at Boise State offers regional programming at the College of Western Idaho in Nampa, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Gowen Field, Twin Falls, Lewiston, and Coeur d’Alene.[15] BSU also offers 29 degrees and certificates fully online.[16] Beginning in 2016, Boise State began partnering with the Harvard Business School to offer the Harvard Business School Online business fundamentals program to Idaho students and the business community. This collaboration is the only such Harvard collaboration with a public U.S. university.[17]

Academics and organization

Boise State’s more than 190 fields of study are organized into the following colleges and schools:[18]

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Business and Economics
  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering
  • Graduate College
  • College of Health Sciences
  • School of Public Service
  • College of Innovation and Design
  • Center for the Visual Arts Boise State University, 2022

The university also has an honors college.[19] Within the College of Arts and Sciences is the School of the Environment,[20] approved by the Idaho State Board of Education in 2022 and established in 2023.[21][22]

Boise State’s fall enrollment in 2016 was 23,886 students, and approximately 76 percent of these students were Idaho residents.[23] More than 90 percent of Boise State’s first-year students come directly from high school.[23]

In the 2015–16 school year, Boise State awarded diplomas to 3,916 distinct graduates, including 18 doctorates, 10 education specialists, 670 master’s and 2,998 bachelor’s degrees.[24][better source needed] The university is classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities – High research spending and doctorate production”.[7] According to the National Science Foundation, the university received approximately $48 million in research and development funding in 2022, ranking it 217th in the nation for research revenue and expenditures at that time.[25]

Publishing

In 1971, the university published the Western Writers Series, monographs focusing on authors of the American Frontier and American West.[26] BSU ceased publishing new titles at the end of 2006.[27] The university maintains an on-line library of publications and documents related to Idaho history through the Albertsons Library.[28]

The Center for Idaho History and Politics offers a nine-credit place-based field school called “Investigate Boise” which focuses on heritage, government, and urban affairs. Each series of classes results in a student written and faculty edited publication.[29]

For the 2024–2025 academic year, the middle 50% of enrolled students scored between 1050 and 1360 on the SAT (with a 50th percentile of 1210), between 530 and 680 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section (50th percentile: 610), and between 520 and 680 on the SAT Math section (50th percentile: 600).[30]

Athletics

Main article: Boise State Broncos

Boise State’s athletic nickname is the Broncos, and the official mascot is Buster Bronco. Men’s teams include football, basketball, cross country, track and field, golf, and tennis. Its women’s teams include volleyball, basketball, cross country, swimming and diving, soccer, track and field, gymnastics, golf, softball and tennis. Most of these teams compete in the Mountain West Conference (MWC).

Boise State College joined the NCAA in 1970 in the university division (Division I), except for football, which was in the college division (later Division II) for the first eight seasons. Big Sky Conference football moved up to the new Division I-AA (now FCS) in 1978, and the Broncos won the national championship two years later. BSU moved up to Division I-A (now FBS) in 1996 in the Big West Conference, joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2001, the Mountain West Conference in 2011, and will join the Pac-12 Conference in 2026. The moves from the WAC and the Mountain West came after the conferences dropped sponsorship of football.

Albertsons Stadium

Main article: Albertsons Stadium

Albertsons Stadium is home to the Boise State football program. It hosted the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in 1994 and 1999, and has been the home to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl since 1997.

Boise State vs Fresno State on The Blue Turf, November 9th 2018

Boise State Football has a long history of success starting with the junior college days and the national championship team of 1958, coached by the father of Bronco football, Lyle Smith. Now named Lyle Smith Field in Albertsons Stadium, the synthetic turf field was standard green before 1986. “The Blue” was the idea of athletic director Gene Bleymaier and was the first non-green football field in the country. This field is also nicknamed “The Smurf Turf” due to its color. Through 2019, Boise State’s home record was 189–39 (.829) in 34 seasons on The Blue, with fifteen conference championships.[31]

Ground was broken after the 1969 season, and it opened in September 1970 with a capacity of 14,500. Subsequent expansions were completed in 1975 and 1997, and current capacity sits at around 37,000.

ExtraMile Arena

Main article: ExtraMile Arena

Known as the “Boise State University Pavilion” until June 2004, and “Taco Bell Arena” between 2004 and 2019,[32] ExtraMile Arena is home to BSU basketball, wrestling, women’s gymnastics, community events, and several concerts each year. Opened in May 1982, the arena seats 12,380 on three levels. It has hosted rounds one and two of the NCAA basketball tournament on nine occasions from 1983 to 2018, and the third and fourth rounds of the NCAA women’s tournament in 2002.

The construction of the pavilion began in February 1980 on the site of the tennis courts and a portion of the BSU baseball field. The Bronco baseball team played their home games in 1980 at Borah Field (now Bill Wigle Field) at Borah High School, and the program was discontinued that May. The tennis courts were rebuilt immediately west of the arena, on the former baseball field (infield & right field).

Student life

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2024
Race and ethnicity[33] Total
White 71%
 
Hispanic 14%
 
Other[a] 8%
 
Asian 3%
 
Black 2%
 
Foreign national 1%
 
Economic diversity
Low-income[b] 24%
 
Affluent[c] 76%
 

Boise State’s enrollment for the 2023–24 year was 26,727 students, with approximately 69 percent Idaho residents.[23] Boise State University has the largest graduate enrollment in Idaho.[34] More than 90 percent of Boise State’s first-year students come directly from high school.[23]

Housing

At Boise State “18% of the students live in college-owned, -operated or -affiliated housing and 82% of students live off campus.”[35]

Social fraternities and sororities

Boise State has seen an increase in its Greek community; as of fall of 2023, there are 8 Panhellenic sororities and 11 fraternities active on campus. In 2023, the fraternity Alpha Kappa Lambda was suspended for a period of four years due to hazing rituals and incidents of alcohol abuse.[36]

Rankings

Notable alumni

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Boise State University people.

See also

References

Informational notes

  1. ^ Other consists of Multiracial Americans & those who prefer to not say.
  2. ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
  3. ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

Citations

  1. ^ “Idaho State Board of Education-Public Higher Education”.
  2. ^ “U.S. and Canadian 2025 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2025 Endowment Market Value” (XLSX). National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  3. ^ “Hansen selected as Interim Provost”. June 30, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c “Facts and Figures”. Boise State University.
  5. ^ “Colors – Office of Communications and Marketing”. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  6. ^ “Boise State Enrollment Breaks Record”. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  7. ^ a b “Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup”. acenet.edu. American Council on Education. 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  8. ^ “2024 Research Highlights – DRED”. Boise State University. 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  9. ^ “Fast facts about Albertsons Library”. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  10. ^ “Performance & Technical Facilities – Theatre Arts”. Theatre Arts. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  11. ^ “Computer Science Program Moving into Downtown Boise | Update”. news.boisestate.edu. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  12. ^ “Micron’s Long History, Support, Key to Growth of College of Engineering”. Boise State University. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  13. ^ “Boise State to Receive Largest Charitable Gift in Its History – $13 Million From Micron to Advance Materials Science”. Micron Technology.
  14. ^ “Nagarajan lab wins five-year biochemistry grant, first of its kind in Idaho”. Boise State News. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  15. ^ “Boise State University Locations Throughout Idaho – Flex”. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  16. ^ “Growing Number of Online Programs Help Students Succeed – Update”. news.boisestate.edu. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  17. ^ “Boise State offers credit-bearing digital course from Harvard Business School – Inside Higher Ed”. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  18. ^ “Academics”. Boise State University. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  19. ^ “Colleges and Academic Units”. Provost. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  20. ^ Brevik, Kristen (June 6, 2023). “Introducing Boise State’s new School of the Environment”. Boise State News. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  21. ^ “Relentless Faculty Innovation”. Unbridled: The Campaign for Boise State. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  22. ^ “Research”. Office of Sustainability. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  23. ^ a b c d Management, Student Affairs and Enrollment. “Home”. Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
  24. ^ “News”. Boise State News.
  25. ^ “National Science Foundation, Research Revenue and Expenditures of Research Universities”.
  26. ^ “About Us – Western Writers”. boisestate.edu. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  27. ^ “Western Writers Series”.
  28. ^ “Albertsons Library Digital Collections”. boisestate.edu. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  29. ^ “Publications Office – Boise State University”. boisestate.edu. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  30. ^ “Common Data Set 2024–2025”. Boise State University. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  31. ^ “Visit “The Blue”, Boise State Football’s Home”. Varsity B Club. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  32. ^ “Boise State will rename Pavilion ‘Taco Bell Arena’“. Daily Herald. June 18, 2004. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  33. ^ “College Scorecard: Boise State University”. Boise State University Facts and Figures. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  34. ^ Boise State University. “Boise State University Facts and Figures”. Boise State University. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  35. ^ “U.S. News & World Report- 2024 College Rankings”.
  36. ^ Black, Brydon (February 5, 2023). “Boise State fraternity suspended for hazing”. Arbiter Online. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  37. ^ “2025-2026 Best National Universities Rankings”. U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  38. ^ “2025-2026 Best Global Universities Rankings”. U.S. News & World Report. June 17, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.