In latest U.S. News & World Report ranking "national universities," the University of Idaho shares No. 160 with three other colleges & universities (Illinois State, Texas Tech, and Rhode Island). Idaho is the top ranked school in the Western Athletic Conference. It is followed by Hawaii (164), Utah State (170), Nevada (181), Louisiana Tech (194). New Mexico State is not rated. University of Washington is the top-ranked college in the region at No. 42. Others include: Oregon (101) Oregon State (138), Montana State (190), & Montana (194). Gonzaga, meanwhile, is No. 3, Whitworth No. 9, Eastern Washington No. 63, and Boise State No. 67 on the "regional university" list.

Of UIdaho, U.S. News & World Report writes: "Students can explore the restaurants and festivals in the city, or get involved with more than 200 clubs and Division I sports on campus. Idaho’s silver-and-gold sports teams are called the Vandals, thanks to an old newspaper account of the 1917 basketball team vandalizing their opponents on the court."

• You can find complete break-down of rankings here