University of Idaho facts for kids
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| Motto | "A Legacy of Leading" |
|---|---|
| Type | Public land-grant research university |
| Established | January 30, 1889 |
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Parent institution
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Idaho State Board of Education |
| Accreditation | NWCCU |
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Academic affiliations
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Space-grant |
| Endowment | $465 million (2023) |
| President | C. Scott Green |
| Students | 11,849 (Fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 9,796 (Fall 2023) |
| Postgraduates | 1,929 (Fall 2023) |
| Location |
,
,
United States
46°43′34″N 117°00′40″W / 46.726°N 117.011°W |
| Campus | Distant town, 1,585 acres (6.4 km2) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Argonaut |
| Colors | Silver and vandal gold |
| Nickname | Vandals |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I FCS – Big Sky |
| Mascot | Joe Vandal |
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The University of Idaho (often called U of I or UIdaho) is a large public university in Moscow, Idaho. It's known as Idaho's main university for research and is also a "land-grant" university. This means it received land from the government to help fund education, especially in agriculture and engineering.
For 71 years, until 1963, the University of Idaho was the only university in the state. Its law school, which started in 1909, was officially recognized in 1925.
Today, over 11,000 students attend the Moscow campus. The university offers 142 different study programs, from accounting to wildlife management. These include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The University of Idaho has the highest graduation rates among public universities in Idaho. It also does a lot of research, bringing in a large amount of research funding for the state.
The U of I has the biggest campus in Idaho, covering about 1,585 acres (6.4 km²) in the Palouse region. The university is home to the Idaho Vandals sports teams, who compete in Division I athletics. Besides the main campus in Moscow, there are smaller campuses in Coeur d'Alene, Boise, and Idaho Falls. The university also has a research park and many local offices across the state.
Contents
History of the University of Idaho
On January 30, 1889, the governor of the Idaho Territory, Edward Stevenson, signed a bill that created the University of Idaho. It was set up to be the state's "land-grant" university. This means it was given land by the government to help fund education, especially in practical subjects.
The university first opened its doors to students on October 3, 1892. There were 40 students in the first class. The first group of students to graduate in 1896 included two men and two women.
In 2023, the University of Idaho started a non-profit group called Four Three Education. This group plans to buy the University of Phoenix.
Exploring the Campus
The Moscow campus of the University of Idaho is very large, covering about 1,585 acres (6.4 km²). It has 253 buildings. The campus also includes parking lots, bike paths, computer labs, and an 18-hole golf course. There are also arboreta (areas with many different kinds of trees) and farms.
The Administration Building
The Administration Building is famous for its 80-foot (24 m) clock tower and its old-fashioned "Collegiate Gothic" style. It was built between 1907 and 1909 and is a symbol of the university. This building has classrooms, an auditorium, and offices for the university's leaders.
The first Administration Building burned down in 1906. Classes were held in other places in Moscow until the new building was ready. The new building was designed to look like Hampton Court Palace in England.
In 1911, former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt even gave a speech outside this building.
Hello Walk
"Hello Walk" is a very well-known path on campus. Along this path, you can find monuments like Presidential Grove, where famous people like Teddy Roosevelt planted trees. There's also a statue honoring the Spanish–American War.
Idaho Student Union Building
The Idaho Student Union Building (ISUB) opened in 2000 and is a central spot on campus. It has a food court, a coffee shop, a credit union, and a convenience store. Students can also find study areas, Wi-Fi, and services like academic help and the Writing Center here.
In 2005, classrooms were added to the ISUB, making it a place where students can learn, study, relax, and get university services all in one building.
Bruce M. Pitman Center
The Bruce M. Pitman Center is on the east side of campus. It houses important offices like financial aid, admissions, and student services. Students can also use meeting rooms, a computer lab, and even a movie theater here.
The building used to be a motel that the university bought in 1936. Student-run media, like The Argonaut newspaper and KUOI-FM radio station, have their offices on the third floor.
In 2014, the building was renamed to honor Bruce M. Pitman, who worked at the university for over 41 years.
ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center
The "Kibbie Dome" is a large multi-purpose building and the main home for Vandal athletics. It's used for football, soccer, tennis, and indoor track and field. Its unique roof, built in 1975, uses natural wood arches that stretch 400 feet (122 m) high.
Before the dome was built, this site had a stadium called Neale Stadium. The Kibbie Dome can hold 16,000 people for football games and 7,000 for basketball games. It's also used for concerts.
Idaho Central Credit Union Arena
The Idaho Central Credit Union Arena (ICCU Arena) is next to the Kibbie Dome. It opened in 2021 and is the new home for the men's and women's basketball teams. The university had wanted a new arena for over 50 years.
This 4,200-seat building cost about $51 million. It's mostly made from engineered wood, using over 850 Douglas fir beams from the university's own forest. The first basketball game in the new arena was on October 29, 2021.
Golf Course
The UI Golf Course was created in 1933 and opened with nine holes in 1937. It was expanded to 18 holes in 1970. It's a challenging course because of its hilly land and strong winds.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Students often call the Arboretum "Tree City" or "The Arb." It's a 65-acre (26 ha) area next to the golf course. It has beautiful gardens, ponds, and many different kinds of trees and plants from Asia, Europe, and North America.
The original part of the arboretum was started in 1910 by Charles H. Shattuck, who was in charge of the forestry department. He turned a treeless hill into a thick forest.
University Library
The U of I Library is the largest library in Idaho. It has over 1.4 million books, magazines, government documents, maps, and special collections. The library also has old and rare books, including many by famous Idaho writers.
The library opened in 1957. It was expanded in 1993 and updated in 2016 to include more modern study spaces and technology.
Memorial Gymnasium
The Memorial Gymnasium, or "Mem Gym," is another famous building on campus. It's known for its fun, athletic gargoyles on the brick ledges. The gym opened in 1928 to honor Idaho citizens who died in World War I and the Spanish–American War.
The Mem Gym was the main place for men's basketball games until 1976. The women's team played there until 2001. Today, it's still actively used for the women's volleyball team and for student sports and activities.
Under the Elms
Rare Camperdown elms trees line the path between the Music building and the Administration Building. These special "upside-down" trees have been on campus for over 80 years. Their unique weeping branches and knotty trunks are created by a special grafting process.
Steam Plant
Built in 1926, the steam plant heats all the buildings at the University of Idaho from one central spot. It used to burn coal, then oil and natural gas. In 1986, it was changed to burn waste wood chips from local sawmills. Using wood has made the plant much cleaner and cheaper to run.
A cool benefit of the steam plant is that its pipes run under the campus walkways. This keeps the walkways clear of ice and snow during the cold Idaho winters!
University Housing
The University of Idaho offers many places for students to live on campus. There are five residence halls: Wallace Residence Center, Theophilus Tower, McConnell Hall, Living Learning Communities, and North Campus Communities.
There are also apartments for older students, married couples, or students with families. First-year students usually live in specific residence halls. Students can also choose to live in a Fraternity or Sorority house.
Ridenbaugh Hall
Ridenbaugh Hall was built in 1901 and is the oldest building still standing on campus. It was originally a dormitory for women. The building was made with stone from Latah County.
Later, it was used for music practice rooms. Today, it houses the Art and Architecture gallery. Ridenbaugh Hall was the first building on campus to be named after a person. It was named after Mary E. Ridenbaugh, who was an important leader on the university's board.
Student Life
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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| White | 76% |
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| Hispanic | 11% |
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| Other | 6% |
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| Foreign national | 3% |
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| Asian | 2% |
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| Black | 1% |
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| Native American | 1% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 35% |
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| Affluent | 65% |
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The University of Idaho is in a rural area, and many students live on campus. There are four main residence hall communities and 27 fraternities and sororities. First-year students are required to live on campus.
Apartments are available on campus for families, married couples, and graduate students. There's even a special group of apartments for law students to help them study together.
Student Organizations
Students at U of I can join over 200 different clubs and organizations. These clubs cover everything from sports to faith-based groups. Palousafest is a fair held before the fall semester where students can learn about all the different ways to get involved. The university also publishes a literary journal called Fugue.
Greek Life
More than 20% of the students at the University of Idaho are part of Greek organizations (fraternities and sororities). Over 44% of students who live on campus are involved in Greek life. These groups often have high academic achievements.
Academics and Learning
The University of Idaho has awarded many degrees over the years. This includes over 80,000 bachelor's degrees and thousands of master's, doctoral, and law degrees.
The university is divided into ten different colleges. Two of these colleges are just for graduate students: the College of Law and the College of Graduate Studies.
In 2002, the College of Letters & Science was split into two new colleges: the College of Science and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS).
The College of Law also opened a second campus in Boise in 2010. Now, law students can complete their full three-year program at either the Moscow or Boise location.
Here are some of the colleges at the University of Idaho:
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
- College of Art and Architecture
- College of Business and Economics
- College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Graduate Studies
- College of Law
- College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
- College of Natural Resources
- College of Science
University Rankings and Recognition
| ARWU World | 501-600 |
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| THES World | 501-600 |
| USNWR National University | 179 |
| Washington Monthly National University | 119 |
| Forbes | 339 |
- U.S. News & World Report has ranked U of I among the best public universities in the nation.
- It's also been named one of America's Top 50 Best Value Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.
- The Princeton Review includes the University of Idaho in its list of "Best 386 Colleges."
- The university has been recognized for its community service efforts, with thousands of students volunteering many hours to help others.
Special Programs
- Data Analytics (for graduate students only)
- Geographic Information Systems/Sciences.
Athletics
The University of Idaho is home to the Idaho Vandals sports teams. They compete in various sports, including football, basketball, and volleyball.
Notable Alumni
Many successful people have graduated from the University of Idaho. You can find a list of them at List of University of Idaho people.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Idaho para niños
- List of land-grant universities
- List of forestry universities and colleges
