Best Colleges in Utah of 2023

Founded and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University-Provo is a private university offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. There are four BYU campuses: the two primary locations in Utah as well as a Hawaii and Idaho campus. Many students eventually transfer to the Hawaii location their second or third year to take advantage of the beautiful island campus; however, BYU Provo itself has proximity to many natural wonders. With plenty of hiking, biking, and camping opportunities in and around Provo, BYU students can enjoy the beauty of Utah. BYU-Provo, home to the Missionary Training Center, is known for its emphasis on LDS culture and values and its nationally renowned language studies programs.

Located in Salt Lake City, the University of Utah has the lowest student-to-faculty ratio among comparable Utah universities. Additionally, the University of Utah's average tuition for in-state students is well below the national average for four-year degrees, making this university a great value for in-state students. Recent increases in student body diversity, graduation rates, and research funding have ensured a changing, prosperous future for the University of Utah. Although the University of Utah offers many degree options, their programs in Research and Experimental Psychology and Speech Communication and Rhetoric attract the most students owing to the copious research funding and excellent faculty.

Westminster College is a private liberal arts university located in the heart of Salt Lake City with notable programs in business, marketing, and management among 51 other majors and programs. As part of the university's value of service, students at Westminster regularly engage in community service hours. One of the smaller schools on this list, Westminster College nevertheless fosters a thriving student culture by offering over 40 extracurricular clubs and organizations. Westminster College has also recently started the Center for New Enterprise, an exciting program within the Gore School of Business that seeks to help foster entrepreneurship in the community and student body.

Utah State University is a public land grant university with a campus of over 400 acres and over 7,000 acres of university-owned land across the state. With expert faculty honored for the Sustainable Landscape Horticulture Program and over $335.5 million available in research funding, there are plenty of resources for students to receive hands-on research experience in their field during their time at Utah State. Whatever plans a student has for their future, Utah State University likely offers an undergraduate or graduate degree or a career certification to help them achieve their dreams. Additionally, Utah State offers thousands of on-campus work opportunities to help students afford their degrees.

Southern Utah University, a public university in Cedar City, is focused on providing a career-focused and hands-on learning experience. The university's nursing school is ranked third in the state and provides hands-on experience to hundreds of young health professionals every year. Additionally, Southern Utah University's emphasis on fine arts is reflected in their affiliation with the Utah Shakespeare Festival. For the past four years, Southern Utah University has frozen their tuition rates in spite of inflation in an effort to help secondary education become more accessible to their growing student body. Southern Utah University has offered a number of master's degrees in the past, and they have expanded to now offer a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

Nationally recognized for their alumni's low median student debt, Weber State University is a public university with many associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in the humanities, sciences, health professions, and other fields. Located near Mt. Ogden, Weber State hosts an annual hiking outing for students and faculty alike, one of many community engagement activities one can find on campus. Weber State University also offers extensive scholarship opportunities; for example, the Dream Weber Program provides free tuition to students whose families earn less than $50,000 a year. The most popular undergraduate degree programs at Weber State include Nursing, Computing, and Radiologic Sciences.

Utah Valley University is dedicated to providing students with a career-oriented educational experience and the skills they need to succeed in their respective fields. For students who want hands-on experience in their field, UVU's Innovation Academy is a program that collaborates between various UVU departments and university partners to make more fieldwork experience accessible to graduate and undergraduate students alike. Students can expect superb university support services geared toward building a supportive, inclusive academic community, regardless of student identity, economic status, or gender. Additionally, Utah Valley University offers extension courses so that members of the community can gain experience in various professional and creative fields.

Snow College, though founded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is now a public university located in Ephraim. In addition to traditional associate certificates and four-year degrees, Snow College offers specialized and short-term vocational training programs (for example, the popular Bachelor's Degree in Music with an emphasis in Commercial Music). Their extension campus in Richmond is dedicated to providing specialized career training in fields like agriculture, computer information systems, and cosmetology. Among comparable universities who award associate degrees and vocational certificates, Snow College is nationally renowned for its high graduation rate and average annual earnings of its graduates.

Of all the universities on this list, Utah Tech University offers the lowest tuition per credit for both undergraduate and graduate courses. True to the university's mission of polytechnic innovation, Utah Tech's Atwood Innovation Plaza has resulted in over 175 patents filed. With almost 30% of the total undergraduate student body enrolled, Utah Tech's Registered Nursing program is a major draw to this university. Additionally, UTU offers innovative master's degrees, such as the five-semester program in Marriage and Family Therapy. With over 20 degree plans offered online, students can pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as continuing education courses.