Office of the President

Boise State University is on the rise. Powered by creativity and innovation, we stand uniquely positioned in the Northwest as an emerging metropolitan research university.

Located at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills, we enjoy pristine outdoor recreational opportunities, from whitewater rafting to snow skiing. But we also are situated less than a mile from downtown Boise, an urban capital city that affords opportunities to live and learn in the center of government, business, arts, technology and health care.

From its earliest days, Boise State has been a place where students come first, with award-winning faculty devoted to excellent teaching. Our undergraduates are among the primary beneficiaries of our dedication to advanced graduate studies and the pursuit of groundbreaking research and technology.

You may know us best for the unique color of our football field, but I can assure you that the innovation and creativity behind Boise State’s success goes far beyond the blue.

• U.S. News and World Report has twice listed Boise State as one of the top up-and-coming schools in the nation. The magazine also consistently ranks our College of Engineering among the nation’s top undergraduate engineering programs for public, comprehensive universities.
• We are Idaho’s largest university with 19,993 students in fall 2010, continuing a longstanding growth trend that spans more than 20 years. We also have the most rigorous admissions standards in the state — more than 76 percent of our incoming freshman have a 3.0 GPA or higher and nearly 40 percent of our incoming freshman have a 3.5 GPA or higher.
• Our student body includes a record 31 National Merit Finalists who excel in our Honors College.
• Boise State is an emerging research leader in biomolecular science, innovative materials, health and public policy, sensors, and nanoelectronics and integrated systems.
• With the fastest growing research program in Idaho, grant funding has approximately tripled since 2004, with more than $50 million in 2010.
• About 15 percent of Boise State undergraduates participate in research projects with faculty. Research experience as an undergraduate is a rare opportunity that can lead to scholarships and acceptance into prestigious graduate programs and employment opportunities.
• Former NASA astronaut and educator Barbara Morgan is a Distinguished Educator in Residence at Boise State, providing vision and leadership to the State of Idaho on science, technology, engineering and math education.
• Boise State’s Department of Educational Technology is on the cusp of new Internet-based teaching methods and, from a 3D visualization classroom to multi-media labs, campus is teeming with hotspots for tech-savvy students.
• Boise State’s faculty has performed well above the national average over the past two years in the number of invention disclosures and patent applications.
• More than one million people visit campus annually for cultural, athletic and entertainment events. Signature events include Bronco sports, the Gene Harris Jazz Festival, Distinguished Lecture Series, and the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Idaho Human Rights Celebration.
• Since 1990, a Boise State professor has been named the Idaho Professor of the Year 11 times in academic areas from political science and nursing to Spanish and history.
• The university offers 168 academic programs and almost 200 degrees and certificates, including four doctoral degrees, 74 master’s degrees, 14 graduate certificates and more than 100 undergraduate degrees. Programs are offered in seven academic colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Graduate, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs.
• Boise State has the largest undergraduate nursing program in Idaho and an internationally-accredited business school. It also is the only university in the United States to offer a master of science degree in raptor biology.
• The university’s Centre for Creativity and Innovation sparks “aha moments” for people and organizations in Idaho by being a catalyst for creative collaboration.
• Boise State’s carbon footprint is among the smallest in the country for higher education institutions. Green construction standards that include natural geothermal heating and expanding access to public transportation are examples of the university’s commitment to sustainability.
• We have national champions among us. In 2011, both the Talkin’ Broncos speech and debate team and the Boise State Spirit Squad won national crowns in their respective competitions.
• In just the past four years, the university has opened or started construction on 11 new major building projects on campus encompassing more than 600,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory, office, event and common area space.
• Boise State is home to the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts and Taco Bell Arena and plays host to top-notch entertainment, from “Wicked” to Elton John, Radio City Music Hall to Cirque du Soleil.

There is so much more to learn about our university. Website directories and the A-Z index can help you find exact contact and subject information. I invite you to explore and discover the innovative culture that is Boise State.

Dr. Bob Kustra
President