When it comes to deciding on a college, you and your child probably looked at a TON of different factors like tuition fees, cost of living in the area, areas of study, and many more. But, did you ever consider what your return on investment would be? How much of a difference can it make to choose BSU or Idaho State, over schools in other states? Well according to new findings from Payscale, the difference can be pretty significant.

Payscale looked at several different factors in order to find the schools with the best return on investment. While everyone's experience is different, this info could help you make those difficult choices about where to go to school AND how much more money will be in your pocket down the road.

Here's how Idaho schools ranked on the Payscale list (among 1875 schools nationwide):

#306 - University of Idaho

  • 20 Year Return on Investment**: $368,000
  • Total 4-year cost: $80,200
  • Graduation rate: 56%
  • Typical years to graduate: 5
  • Average loan amount: $28,000

# 455 - Idaho State

  • 20 Year Return on Investment**: $314,000
  • Total 4-year cost: $133,000
  • Graduation rate: 44%
  • Typical years to graduate: 4
  • Average loan amount: $26,200

#553 - BOISE STATE

  • 20 Year Return on Investment**: $288,000
  • Total 4-year cost: $80, 500
  • Graduation rate: 39%
  • Typical years to graduate: 5
  • Average loan amount: $24,500

*Rankings based on no financial aid assistance.

**Return on Investment =  Difference between 20 Year Median Pay for a bachelor’s grad and 24 Year Median Pay for a high school grad minus Total 4 Year Cost.

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