Animal Sciences at University of Idaho

University of Idaho's Animal Sciences program outperforms both state and national benchmarks while keeping debt remarkably low. Graduates earn $36,486 in their first year—above the national median of $34,073 and substantially higher than Idaho's state median of $31,074. More importantly, that $25,000 median debt sits in the 13th percentile nationally, meaning 87% of comparable programs saddle students with more borrowing. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 is manageable, and earnings climb 20% to nearly $44,000 by year four.

Context matters here: this is one of only two Animal Sciences programs in Idaho, and it substantially outearns BYU-Idaho's program ($25,661 vs. $36,486). For Idaho families, that in-state advantage translates to real purchasing power in a rural state where cost of living tends to be lower than national averages. The program ranks solidly in the 60th percentile among Idaho programs across all fields.

The main tradeoff is straightforward—Animal Sciences isn't a high-earning field anywhere, so families need to understand their child is choosing this work for reasons beyond income. But if your student is committed to animal agriculture or veterinary-adjacent careers, University of Idaho delivers competitive preparation without the debt burden that makes similar programs elsewhere financially precarious.