Brigham Young University - Idaho Reviews

  • 50 Reviews
  • Rexburg (ID)
  • Annual Tuition: $4,536
92% of 50 students said this degree improved their career prospects
86% of 50 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

J Foulger
  • Reviewed: 3/24/2023
  • Degree: Business
"First off, Pathway was a waste of a year of schooling and the credits from it are useless anywhere but BYUI. BYUI online was a disappointment. While the instructors are generally good, support for online students is non-existant - you're on your own. It's nearly impossible to talk to a human and when you do, it's some fresh faced, clueless kid who is neither trained nor compensated but has been duped into volunteering. They lack real world experience and knowledge adequate to answer the most basic questions or help students make informed choices about course planning. What they will do is defer to automated software, it was grad planner when I was attending, which is difficult to understand and interface with. I quickly grew weary of the requisite "group work" every course I took assigned. No one took those busy work assignments seriously, I saw this both as a student and a TA. As a 40 year old who has been working in a career for over 20 years, I don't need practice learning to collaborate with others on projects just so BYUI advertising can perpetuate the propagandist lie that "just because its online, you're not alone." I'm LDS, grew up LDS, went to LDS seminary in high school, and served a two year mission, was married in the temple and have 5 kids so I could do without the requirement to take religion courses that teach primary school level doctrine. I neither need nor wish to be proslitized at school, I want a degree as quickly as I can get it while working full time. Being forced to take courses about the restoration, the family or whatever does little more than make a long process longer and cost more money. If I could do it over again...I wouldn't. I earned a certificate and couldn't bring myself to go any further as it was using up every minute of time outside work I had to spare while only getting 3 credits/semester."
Annon
  • Reviewed: 3/10/2023
  • Degree: Biology
"The campus is very pretty. The professors are excellent and helpful, and I don't have a problem with the rules or honor code. That being said their lack of communication with students is appalling. They spam their student's emails with daily announcements. Some of the information is important, but most are things like dances, spiritual thoughts, and events on campus. Glitches and technical issues are RAMPANT. Situation 1: Recently, I had to drop a second block class. While I was trying to drop the course, a message kept popping up saying that I was going to drop all my courses. I thought something was wrong. Because of the yearly required training at my office, I've been going to work early. BYUI opens after I leave and closes before I get off, so I couldn't call them to get help. On top of this, I didn't know when the drop deadline was because my "important dates" calendar has been down for the past two semesters, but it was early so I assumed I was safe. Well, I finally had time to call them before work. Not only did I find out that the "drop all courses" message was normal, but they have two deadlines, and I missed the first one. Mind you, I tried to drop the class before the deadline. I just didn't want to lose all of my classes. The first deadline was to get a tuition refund so I asked if I could file a petition to get my tuition back because of tight finances and technical issues with my calendar. I was told that my circumstances don't qualify for a petition. Situation 2: I don't qualify to live in student-approved housing because of my marital status. I go to school alone. My partner doesn't live with me at school because they have a job in our hometown, but I still can't live on campus in "single student" housing. We cannot afford to have two apartments on one income. When I go to Rexburg I cannot find an affordable place to live. To this school and the people that run it, a rule is a rule. They will not make exceptions, revisions, or compromises. They don't care about your circumstances, no matter what."
RobC
  • Reviewed: 10/24/2022
  • Degree: Information Technology
"I am a online student that studies that has taken the pathways program. The cost per credit is cheap(Under $100 per credit) that I do not need financial aid. The online courses are must easier than my high school class(1991 grad). Now hearing this, this college is for students who know what they want and are willing to work with the advisors. The students must plan for their classes themselves and are responsible for their work. If you can not plan and do the work then do not apply. The tech classes online are very easy since most of them are computer based training videos and online questions. Several of the classes I completed after a few weeks so I can focus on other classes. The only issue I have is working fellow students who ignore their team work or does not speaking English enough to understand the classes. The online professors are expecting you ask for their help if needed. Do not assume the professor to give you all the answers. Otherwise than that, I am overall happy with the classes."
PJ
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2022
  • Degree: Marriage & Family Therapy
"We were ranked number one in the nations for research in the Marriage and Family Studies field, and it’s easy to see why. I feel I have an edge over the competition with the curriculum I’m given and the instructors I learn from. All are leaders in their field and are concerned about me personally, and ready to discuss and answer questions liberally. I would recommend this University to anyone."
ANONYMOUS
  • Reviewed: 5/21/2022
  • Degree: Construction Management
"If you want a good bang for your buck, then this is the university to go to. If you look at it, you get the best ROI (Return on Investment) from this school as compared to others on this list. I personally studied CM with a minor in Business Management and got the same job out of school as other graduates from universities on this list. I felt that my program prepped me for the industry enough to give me a good foundation to build on. If you can deal with the religious requirements of the university, it could serve you well to probably graduate debt free and be making $70k a year out of school. Piece of advice? Building your professional network, doing internships and competing in construction competitions are more important than GPA. GPA is important, don't get me wrong, but nowhere near as important as strategic relationships, hard skills and experience."
May Smith
  • Reviewed: 2/21/2021
  • Degree: Management
"BYU-Idaho has a fair social scene and instructors, but they have a horrific counseling center and graduation advisors. Working with the BYU-Idaho counseling department, especially for online students is the bane of my existence. BYU-Idaho is good preparation for some things, but please do your research. Making simple adjustments and correcting I-Plan errors (which happen frequently) is worse than pulling teeth. DO NOT come to school here or at least DO NOT rely on I-Plan to fulfill your requirements. It is an unreliable system. It takes about a week to get a response (phone call) from a student staff member and then another week to get an email response from an actual advisor. If you are on campus it is a bit easier but not by much. CES schools are not as compatible as they claim to be. If you ever decided you'd like to transfer from here to BYU Hawaii or BYU Provo you are looking at at LEAST a full semester of unaccepted credits if not more. This is because states have different educational requirements. If you choose a non-CES school, all of the religion credits you taken often count for nothing- or if you're lucky and your major has electives then maybe; maybe, your school will accept them there. Even with a completed Associate's this remains true. I am living in Provo now and see this time and time again. You will be lucky if you have an entire semester of retake classes. If you are truly planning to live in Idaho for 5 years (yes, being a full-time student you will actually graduate in 5, not 4 years) and you will 100% NEVER transfer to another major or university then go for it. Study at BYU-Idaho. Otherwise- Do your research! DO NOT study here. I have spent hours, days, weeks, months, and years working with unhelpful academic advisors that are primarily made up of underpaid students. Student counsellors are happy to pick up the phone, but do not know much about anything at all. It is a huge headache to work with this school, if you want to have a spiritual experience go to EFY and then go to school somewhere else."
KJ
  • Reviewed: 11/4/2019
  • Degree: Elementary Education
"I really loved my time at BYU-I! I loved the atmosphere, the activities, and my teachers. There are many ways to get involved - and I recommend you do! I felt that everyone truly cared about my development in my degree as well as developing myself as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I also loved the small-town feel and the beauty that each season brought. If I could I'd go back I'd want to get more involved! Many opportunities are at your feet if your thinking about going!"
Jessica Plummer
  • Reviewed: 8/16/2019
  • Degree: Biology
"My college, Brigham Young University - Idaho is a great place to attend university; I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. However, it should be noted that the culture in the school and town is a little intense. It is a highly religious community in a very small town in the southeast corner of Idaho. It is not for everyone, but my instruction in the chemistry department was wonderful, and I loved learning and growing at BYU-Idaho."
Amber Selin
  • Reviewed: 8/7/2019
  • Degree: Elementary Education
"The elementary education program at BYU-I is one that is continually learning and growing itself. I had some really great professors. I also had some not so great ones. I loved how a majority of the professors really did care about the things they were teaching about and wanted their students to succeed. They had a strong content knowledge and I felt that they were qualified. There were- however- several instructors who I felt were not qualified to teach the classes they were teaching. Some had just been placed randomly, without any former experience in their content areas. The program administrators were overall helpful. It was difficult at times to find answers to questions and multiple times there was many errors when technology came into place (signing up for classes or student teaching for example). My student teaching experience was not the best. I did not have much support and I felt that none of the work I did for the collegiate course was ever reviewed. However, I did learn how to become a very self-sufficient teacher. I know since I have graduated there have been a great deal of changes so I know that the program is continuing to better itself. Overall, I was satisfied with my time in the elementary education program at BYU-I"
Gabriela Calvi
  • Reviewed: 5/8/2019
  • Degree: Public Health
"I'm very pleased with the learning environment BYU-I provides to the on-campus and online students. The professors are experts in the field, caring, understanding of students situations, and more than willing to work with the students. The tutoring center has an amazing staff in all subjects to help students succeed. BYU-I programs are very affordable and have an abroad range of educational activities."
My Thoughts
  • Reviewed: 3/27/2019
  • Degree: Teaching
"My first semester at BYUI was the best semester of school ever but then after that everything collapsed. Very unwelcoming environment. Teachers and staff only care about money and being right. I was given an F when I had a B+ on Canvas. I did everything I could to get it fixed and absolutely nobody helped me. I filed a grievance and the staff didnt care that Canvas was wrong the entire semester and saw it as okay to be wrong. About half my class had the same problem and they still didnt care. The school says they love to help their students and makes it seem like the students are most important as their top priority but that has been proven to be an absolute lie. Its disgusting how little help is given and how uncaring the people are. Education should be fair and at this school it wont be. Ive talked to my other friends about their views of the school, too. One says they care too much about the rules and make them more strict than our Church commandments actually are. She also had some issues she was also trying to resolve with the school too and nobody helped her either. My other friend said that the on campus apartments are charging her to cancel her contract even though she dropped out of the school and wont be allowed to live there anyways since she wont be a student. This same friend also had to withdrawal from all of her classes one week before finals because she was in the hospital and had to go home early because of a mistake that the health center made. Ive seen too many terrible things happening at BYUI. I dont recommend going here."
Matthew Chun
  • Reviewed: 3/26/2019
  • Degree: Biology
"What I appreciate most about BYU-Idaho was the opportunity that I had to attend a quality university at an affordable price. At first the class scheduling can be confusing, or which classes to sign up for can be frustrating. However, by the end of my time attending BYU-Idaho, I was fortunate to graduate without any debt, and to qualify for the graduate program of my dreams."
Kalab F.
  • Reviewed: 3/6/2019
  • Degree: Law
"The international studies department was phenomenal. The professors and advisers were great within that department. The good ends there. The rest of the school, the administration included feel unorganized, unprofessional, and rather unhelpful. The academic advisers for general studies are students who often misled students and were not held responsible for their actions. I didn't transfer solely due to the fact that once I was involved in my departments courses I truly enjoyed the work and the insight from the professors."
Valerie Colwell
  • Reviewed: 2/27/2019
  • Degree: Child Development
"I loved studying at BYU-Idaho. The professors of my major were very in tune with the needs of their students. They knew each one by name and were willing to meet with and help students at any time and in any way they could. The class sizes were smaller and the prices were very reasonable for the quality of education I received."
Aric
  • Reviewed: 2/8/2019
  • Degree: Communications
"The rules here are horrible. They care more about the rules than they care about the students well being its disgusting. I have never been more depressed in my entire life than when I went to this school. I wish I couldve gone to a completely different school. The professors here are mediocre. They wanna hold your hand through everything. But they choose favorites left and right."
D Kraken
  • Reviewed: 10/5/2018
  • Degree: Psychology
"My core courses were tough but fully prepared me for entering the workforce. BYU-Idaho is a great school though sometimes the atmosphere, campus life, wasn't so great. It's a small town so not much to do when you are not in class. Most of the teachers are phenomenal and are willing to help you. I have had time where I went to a teachers office because I wasnt understanding the concepts and the teacher went above and beyond to help me understand. However, I struggled with the foundation courses. I felt like I didnt learn anything, that I was being forced to take classes that didnt matter to me. I was just doing the work to get a good grade. I did enjoy the religion courses, I learned a lot but the other courses was just work."
Hailey Belnap
  • Reviewed: 9/23/2018
  • Degree: Public Health
"This is an excellent school where they truly care about you learning experience and your future career. They work hard to help you through whatever challenges may come up in your life or education. They provide a faith based program and integrate their values into everything they do. Rarely will you have a class that will not ask for some thoughtful reflection on an applicable principle. You will be expected to incorporate the Honor Code into every aspect of your life. Doing so will help enable you to be the type of leader that the world needs and will assist you in building your career. The online classes are of exceptional quality and rival any in person lecture. I feel that the education I received there surpassed that of many of my peers who chose other universities. The only challenges I experienced was errors with the I-plan format. Sometimes it would show errors in my earned credits. Fortunately, I noticed the errors and it did not negatively impact me. Another potential issue for some people may be their limited number of online degrees. This wasn't an issue for me because they had the one that I needed. I know that others have been interested in degrees that they do not offer though. The professors are real people and understand real life problems. All of them were willing to work with me when I needed and extension after my boyfriend died. I felt supported and loved even while being a distance student. Several of the professors even reached out to me personally to make sure that I was doing okay."
Chaz Clark
  • Reviewed: 8/21/2018
  • Degree: Mechanical Engineering
"BYU-I is awesome, they are more interested in you as a person and your development into a Disciple of Christ above all else. In the engineering classes there were no more than 30 student and down to 6-8 in the top senior classes. They have good senior project budgets and the teachers are paid to be in their offices for you to come get help. I hands down put this school above all unless you are going into law or becoming a doctor, but they have a great nursing program if that is what you are going into."
Mele
  • Reviewed: 8/1/2018
  • Degree: Human Services
"Im currently a sophomore doing BYUI online and all my instructors have been great. The online program is easy to use. I feel that the Marriage and Family Studies is great program that definitely prepares you for graduate school or a career after graduating. It is also very interesting and fun program that is really teaches deep stuff but is easy to learn with the way they have designed their courses. I definitely recommend BYUI online and the Marriage and Family Studies program."
Diamondd Cragun
  • Reviewed: 6/25/2018
  • Degree: Psychology
"Brigham Young University-Idaho is a great university. I enjoyed my time there. I spent a majority of my time in psychology and sociology courses. I got to know my instructors very well as the classes were relatively small (no more than 25 students). The campus is big but not too challenging to get from one building on the south of campus to another on the north."