Why This Matters

  • 20 COLLEGES IN UTAH

    According to College Navigator, Utah has nine private for-profit colleges, four private non-profit colleges, and seven public colleges.

  • $7,390 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    College Board has determined that this is the sum that the typical Utah college student paid in tuition during the 2021-22 school year for an in-state public school.

  • $14,800 PER U.S. STUDENT GIVEN IN FINANCIAL AID

    For the 2020-21 school year, full-time students across the U.S. received this amount in financial aid on average.

Our Research

This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar schools in Utah. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), a reputable organization that examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of education programs in the northwestern United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 50 Colleges in Utah

Best Colleges In Utah
01
Intelligent Pick
Brigham Young University
01
Best Student-to-Faculty Ratio
The University of Utah
01
Best Private Research Institution
Westminster College
01
Best Sustainability Focus
Utah State University
01
Best Public Institution
Southern Utah University
01
Best Scholarships
Weber State University
01
Best Fieldwork Experience
Utah Valley University
01
Best Vocational Training
Snow College
01
Most Affordable
Utah Tech University

 

What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Utah

In order to maximize the earning potential of your college degree, it’s important to look at the industries and companies that are growing in your state and attempt to match your field of study with market trends. According to a report from October 2021, the industries that showed the biggest positive changes in growth in Utah include leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and transportation and warehousing.

For those looking for employment with a bachelor’s degree, the five fastest-growing careers in Utah are data scientists, information security analysts, software developers, statistical assistants, and construction managers.

Reviewing the largest 150 employers in Utah will give you a sense of the types of job opportunities that are available in this state. These employers include University of Utah Health, Arup Blood Svc, ICON Health & Fitness Inc, Century Link, and more.

What’s Next?

Financial aid programs, both federal and state, are available to help pay for college and can come in the form of grants, scholarships, and other types of aid. Here we’ve listed some resources to help you find financial aid in Utah.

  • Utah State Aid Programs. The Utah System of Higher Education lists scholarship programs that are available based on need or to encourage participation in certain essential fields, such as the Utah criminal justice system and education system.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Every year, $120 billion is paid out by the U.S. Department of Education in federal financial aid for college students. Students may receive financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, loan, and work-study programs. Students may apply by going to the online FAFSA form, or they can visit FAFSA4caster to find out more information about eligibility.
  • CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop lists information for each state about scholarships and grants that are available for college students. Students can filter their search by degree type and the state they wish to study in.