At The College of Idaho, we’re creative, original, dedicated and relentless. We fearlessly pursue our passions – all while supporting each other. We live in to the “YoteFam” – our close-knit family – we empower each other, show up for each other and amplify each other’s endeavors. Through our First-Year Experience, we create a sense of community and prepare you for lifelong learning. It starts at orientation and our retreat in the Great Outdoors; it builds as you move into your first-year living communities; and it continues on your first day of class in your first-year seminar. And that’s all before we plan an impromptu hiking trip, launch a new way to enrich our campus and beyond through clubs and organizations or head into the world together to grow a global perspective.
First-Year Experience
Dorm Life
Our close-knit family welcomes you to forge lifelong bonds and grow as a leader — from freshman living communities to bonfires on the quad, food and cultural festivals, and more opportunities to find your home away from home.
Outdoor Program
Push your boundaries, redefine your limits and nurture your resilience, all while learning about teamwork and preserving the environment.
Clubs & Organizations
Getting involved in activities on campus and in the community is easy at The College of Idaho. Our small and supportive campus makes student clubs the perfect place to share interests, take on leadership roles, and learn from your fellow Yotes.
First Experiences as a Yote
During my first meal on campus as a freshman who didn’t know a soul, I took the first seat I could find in the cafeteria next to two students from Egypt. This would become one of the most fascinating lunches of my life. The College community is full of impressive people from the U.S. and all over the world, and to be able to get to know them and engage with them every day has been the highlight of my college experience.
I chose CofI because of the genuine nature I experienced from the people when I first visited. I felt as if the faculty wanted me to be here because of who I was and my skill set, and not just to add another number to their roster. Not only was CofI able to provide a close-knit community, which was very important to me, but they were able to provide a small school environment with big world exposure and thinking.
The first CofI professor I met was Dr. Mark Gunderson, and I recall being amazed at his open honesty, his sense of human, and his broad knowledge base. As I met more College faculty, I realized that Dr. Gunderson is not an outlier – he is an excellent exemplar of how incredible all CofI faculty are. Though there are other universities I could have gone to, that was a huge factor that made the College very appealing.
The moment I set foot in college, I knew that I needed more than just an education; I craved a sense of belonging and community. Fortunately, The College of Idaho provided me with exactly that – a tight-knit, supportive YoteFam of faculty and students who were dedicated to helping me reach my full potential. The people here take a leap of faith in each other, lifting each other up and celebrating their differences.
I had dreams of going to college in a big city. But after meeting with professors at CofI, that changed. They encouraged me to apply for a scholarship, saying “we think you’d be great.” They didn’t even know me, but they were already giving me so much opportunity. I got the clear message that “hey, there’s a place for you here; we want you here; and we want you to be able to come here and succeed.”
Originality and Purpose, Amplified
