Boise State University (BSU) is a public university founded in the state of Idaho, USA in 1932 by members of the Episcopal Church. Originally called the Boise Junior College, the institution became independent from the church and moved to its present location on the banks of the Boise River in 1934. The university has been baccalaureate and master's degrees since 1965 and when university status was gained in 1974 it became Idaho’s third state university. Since that time BSU has grown to become one of the the largest higher education institutions in the US state of Idaho. BSU actively encourages application from overseas students and there is an active international community on campus.

Today BSU offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs across almost 200 areas of study split over seven colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health Sciences and Social Sciences and Public Affairs. Some of the most popular courses at undergraduate level are nursing and psychology while educational technology and business administration are popular choices with graduates.

The university campus stretches along the southern bank of the Boise River covering 175 acres of tree-lined paths punctuated by over 170 university buildings. Among the academic, administrative and residential buildings there are also restaurants, a bookstore, an art gallery and restaurants for students as well as the massive Albertsons Library. The university also owns the Taco Bell arena that sees big name acts playing shows to crowds of thousands. The Morrison centre is another performing arts venue on campus with seating for over 2,000 people.