Brigham Young University Idaho

Brigham Young University-Idaho is a private, four-year university affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Guided by that affiliation, BYU-Idaho seeks to create a wholesome learning environment in which students can strengthen their commitment to their faith and receive a quality education that prepares them for leadership in the home, the community, and the workplace. BYU-Idaho offers programs in liberal arts including the sciences, engineering, agriculture, management, and performing arts. The university is broadly organized into six colleges, and its parent organization, the Church Educational System (CES), sponsors sister schools in Utah and Hawaii. The university's focus is on undergraduate education, hosting 18 associate and over 70 bachelor's degree programs; and it operates using a three-semester system also known as "tracks". Students at BYU-Idaho are required to follow an honor code, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings (e.g., academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol). Approximately 99 percent of the university's students are members of the LDS Church, and a significant percentage of the student body take an 18- (women) or 24-month (men) hiatus from their studies to serve as missionaries. A BYU-Idaho education is generally less expensive than similar private universities, due largely to a significant funding by LDS Church tithing funds, helping keep tuition rates low.