HIGHER EDUCATION

Photo by Steve Greenwood

Affordable, Accessible Education

by SAVANNAH KING

Utah is one of the top states in the nation for higher education, and for good reason

Utah is the No. 2 state in the nation for higher education and consistently ranks among the top states in the country for high school completion.

A 2018 report by WalletHub named Utah the 11th-most educated state in America. After graduating high school, eight out of 10 students enroll in one of the state’s eight public colleges and universities. In the 201920 academic year, enrollment at Utah’s public colleges and universities increased to 184,000.

The Utah Promise Scholarship is the state’s first needs-based scholarship program. It aims to open opportunities for students who face economic barriers and covers tuition and fees for the first two years of college for qualifying students when federal grants fall short. The scholarship is the newest of four major scholarships offered by the state.

“We are pleased to now offer a range of scholarship opportunities that will ensure Utahns have greater access to higher education,” said Harris H. Simmons, chair of the Board of Regents. “These programs support the board’s mission of helping more Utahns access

and complete a postsecondary education.”

Utah offers the fourth-lowest average tuition and fees ($6,956 in 2018-19) for public four-year institutions in the country. Lower costs translate into less debt. In fact, Utah has the lowest student debt in the country at $18,850 per student. Additionally, students in Utah have the lowest proportion of graduates with student debt.

According to updated enrollment projections from the Utah System of Higher Education, Utah’s public colleges and universities can expect to see more than 43,000 additional students over the next decade. The largest percentage growth is expected to come from Southern Utah University, at a 4.7% growth rate, with Dixie State University closely following at 4.4%. And, Utah Valley University expects to enroll nearly 56,000 students by 2028.

Computer Science for All

Utah has embarked on an ambitious plan to ensure that every public K-12 student in the state has the opportunity to learn computer science by 2022.

Utah will be the 12th state in the nation to develop and implement such a program. The Utah Computer Science Master Plan was developed through a generous grant from the Pluralsight One Fund and the support, input and engagement of subject matter experts and stakeholders across industry sectors, including members of the Talent Ready CS Committee.

“Computer science is now a foundational literacy that is critical to preparing Utah students to succeed in our technology-driven world,” said Aaron Skonnard, CEO of Pluralsight, co-founder of Silicon Slopes and member of the executive board of Talent Ready Utah. “Every school in Utah must teach computer science, and every student must have equality of opportunity to learn computer science regardless of whether they pursue a career in technology. With the approval of our state master plan, we now have a roadmap to achieve that outcome, and we are one step closer to delivering on Gov. Herbert’s goal of ensuring every K-12 student in Utah has the opportunity to learn computer science by 2022.”