Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho or BYUI) is a private college in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the college is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Previously known as Ricks College, it transitioned from a junior college to a baccalaureate institution in 2001.

The college's focus is on undergraduate education. When it transitioned to a baccalaureate institution in 2001, BYU-Idaho offered about 50 bachelor's degrees and 19 associate degrees. As of 2024, the institution offers 102 bachelor's degrees (5 of which are online), 22 associate degrees, and 6 other online degrees. It operates on a three-semester system known as "tracks." The college is broadly organized into 35 departments within six colleges.

Its parent organization, the Church Educational System (CES), sponsors three sister schools—Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, and Ensign College—as well as the educational organizations Seminaries and Institutes of Religion and BYU-Pathway Worldwide. Clark Gilbert, the CES commissioner, said that each CES higher educational organization has a distinctive role and strategy, with BYU-Idaho being "the teacher".

The vast majority of students are Latter-day Saints. All students attending BYU–Idaho agree to follow an honor code that mandates behavior in line with the church's teachings. A significant percentage of students take an 18-month (women) or 24-month (men) hiatus from their studies to serve as missionaries. Tuition rates are generally lower than those at similar universities, due largely to funding provided by the church from tithing donations, various scholarships, financial aid, and on-campus student jobs.

History

Bannock and Fremont stake academies On November 12, 1888, the LDS Church created the Bannock Stake Academy in Rexburg."Rexburg, Idaho: Bannock Stake Academy, Its Growth And Purpose". Deseret News. May 22, 1902. p. 7. The precursor to BYU–Idaho, like several other colleges and universities across the mountain west, was established as a "stake academy" first, as Mormon settlers colonized the eastern Snake River Plain in the 1880s. As a stake academy, its purpose was that of a modern secondary school as public schools had not yet been established. Jacob Spori served as its first principal and remained in that role for three years.

As the population grew, it became necessary to divide the geographical area designated by the Church as the Bannock Stake, and the Fremont Stake was created; thus, in 1898, the school was renamed the Fremont Stake Academy.

During the 1901–1902 school year, there were 165 students enrolled. For boys, it taught seventh and eighth grade, a two-year high school, a two-year teaching school, and a missionary course, and for girls it taught a course in plain and needlework.

Ricks College The LDS Church decided to combine the Fremont, Bingham, and Teton Stakes into one educational district, and the presidency of these stakes became the Board of Education of the LDS church school. Consequently, Bannock Stake Academy needed a new name, and, in 1903, the school was renamed as Ricks Academy in honor of Thomas Ricks. Ricks was the president of the LDS Church's Bannock Stake at the time it was founded and the chairman of the school's first Board of Education."Parkinson, Elder W.C. (August 8, 1903). "Condition of the Stakes of Zion". Deseret Evening News. p. 23. By the early twentieth century, stake academies had largely been discontinued as public schools became more established in the western United States. Ricks Academy survived as it had added a year of college work to its curriculum and in 1917 was granted state certification, which allowed graduates to teach in the state of Idaho. At that point, it was known as Ricks Normal College with George S. Romney as its first president. In 1923, it was renamed Ricks College and functioned as a two-year junior college., Chapter 4: "'Ricksie' Drops 'Normal'" It served as a junior college for most of the remainder of the twentieth century, except for a brief period from 1948 to 1956 when it operated as a four-year institution., Chapter 9: "'Lambing Sheds' for a Four-Year College"

In the 1920s and 1930s, the LDS Church began to close, or hand over, its academies to state governments because of better established public education and economic strains on the church. In 1931, a bill was introduced to the Idaho Senate to allow the Idaho Board of Education to accept Ricks College as a gift from the church in order to operate a junior college,"Rexburg Seeks Junior College: Bill Would Have State Accept Ricks Academy as Gift for Site". Associated Press. The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington). p. 8. but the bill did not pass."Legislature Now Considers Tax Measures". Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho). February 26, 1931. p. 1. Bills handing over Ricks College to the state of Idaho were presented at three more legislative sessions, (1933,"State Offered Ricks Academy". Associated Press. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. January 31, 1933. p. 14."Ricks Academy Effort Fails". Associated Press. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. February 24, 1933. p. 2. 1935,"Senate Declines to Accept Ricks College". The Burley Herald (Burley, Idaho). February 21, 1935. p. 1. 1937"Senate Spurns ricks Donation: Measure Giving College to State Meets Defeat, By Vote of 16 to 28". The Idaho Statesman. February 4, 1937. p. 1.), but all were rejected. After almost a decade of facing closure, the church decided to keep Ricks College open. The college emerged with the support of local patrons and accreditation as a junior college by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges in 1936."Eight Schools Earn Sanctions". Spokane Chronicle. April 9, 1936. p. 11.

The 1950s brought renewed consideration of closing the college and possibly moving it. However, church president David O. McKay decided against this course of action after a visit to the campus.Prince, G.A. & Wright, W.A. (2005). David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press., p. 190. During the 1976 Teton Dam flood, Ricks College was used as a center for disaster relief operations., Chapter 16: "Eyring, the Bicentennial, and the Great Flood" By the late twentieth century, the college had become the largest private junior college in the country with over 7,500 students.

BYU–Idaho On June 21, 2000, the LDS Church announced that Ricks College would become a four-year institution known as Brigham Young University–Idaho."LDS church announces Ricks college name change". Associated Press. South Idaho Press. June 22, 2000. p. 1."Surprise Decision Changes Ricks to BYU-Idaho, Adds Four-Year Degrees". The Daily Utah Chronicle. June 28, 2000. p. 2. BYU–Idaho became the third BYU campus, after the campuses in Provo and in Hawaii. The name change became official just over a year later on August 10, 2001."Slow change to BYU-Idaho becomes official". Associated Press. South Idaho Press. August 10, 2001. p. 3. For the 2001–2002 school year, its athletics teams continued to compete under the name Ricks College, as the school decided to discontinue all of its sports teams after that season and it did not make financial sense to order all new uniforms with the new name for exactly one season."Ricks dropping athletics". Associated Press. Bonner County Daily Bee (Bonner County, Idaho). August 18, 2001. p. 7.

Among the associated changes were the elimination of the intercollegiate athletic program and the institution of a larger activities and intramural athletics program. The college also established a "three-track" system which admits students on a specific track of two semesters (including the Spring semester) rather than the standard fall and winter semesters. Among other changes to campus facilities to accommodate the associated growth, the Hyrum Manwaring Student Center was renovated and enlarged and a new auditorium building, the BYU–Idaho Center, with seating for 15,000, was built. The buildings were dedicated in December 2010.

Campus

The campus sits on a hill overlooking the city of Rexburg and the Snake River Valley and includes nearly forty major buildings and residence halls on over . Off-campus facilities include a Livestock Center and the Henry's Fork Outdoor Learning Center near Rexburg. The Teton Lodge and Quickwater Lodge near Victor, Idaho, are utilized as student leadership and service centers.

The main campus includes a planetarium, an arboretum, and geology and wildlife museums. The college also operates several athletic fields and facilities around campus which are used to support intramural programs and the expanded student activities program that was instituted when intercollegiate sports were discontinued in 2001. Facilities include a football and track stadium, tennis courts, general use fields and the John Hart Physical Education building, which seats 4,000 in its main gym and is used for athletic events and concerts. The building also includes a large fitness center, a pool, auxiliary gymnasiums, racquetball courts and equipment room, all of which are open to students, faculty and staff. On December 17, 2010, the BYU–Idaho Center was dedicated and opened to students. The building contains a 15,000-seat auditorium used for the weekly campus devotional, graduation ceremonies and concerts. The building also features a multi-purpose area with 10 basketball courts and can be subdivided by drop dividers as needed. The David O. McKay Library holds a collection of over 300,000 volumes with about 142,000 transactions processed by the library's circulation services annually.

In support of the fine arts and entertainment, the campus also includes the Ruth H. Barrus Concert Hall which houses the acclaimed Ruffatti organ, the third largest organ owned by the Church after those housed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and Conference Center, respectively. KBYI-FM, a 100,000 watt public radio station, also broadcasts to eastern Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana from the campus.

Organization

BYU-Idaho is led by Alvin "Trip" F. Meredith, a church general authority, who began serving as president in August 2023. Along with other members of CES, BYU–Idaho is under the direction of a board of trustees, which includes the First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve, other general authorities, and presidents of church organizations. BYU–Idaho is organized into six colleges: College of Health and Life Sciences College of Business and Communication College of Education and Human DevelopmentCollege of Language and Letters College of Performing and Visual Arts College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Academics

BYU–Idaho offers several associate-degree programs in addition to its bachelor-degree programs. Across the six colleges, there are thirty-three departments, offering over eighty-seven bachelor-level programs and twenty associate-degree programs. BYU–Idaho's engineering programs rank in the top 75 nationally.