HIGHER EDUCATION IN UTAH

Utah’s continued success is, in large part, due to the state’s robust, innovative, and efficient system of public colleges and universities. This system includes:

Eight technical colleges

• Bridgerland Technical College

• Davis Technical College

• Ogden-Weber Technical College

• Southwest Technical College

• Uintah Basin Technical College

• Dixie Technical College

• Mountainland Technical College • Tooele Technical College

Two research universities

• University of Utah

• Utah State University

Four regional universities

• Weber State University

• Southern Utah University

• Utah Tech University

• Utah Valley University

Two community colleges

• Salt Lake Community College

• Snow College

UTAH’S COLLEGES CONNECT STUDENTS TO EMPLOYMENT

Utah’s colleges continue to see growth in enrollment and had more than 215K students enrolled for fall 2022. Last year, Utah’s public colleges and universities awarded more than 60,500 degrees and certificates. Currently, about 71% of all USHE awards are aligned with high-wage, high-demand occupations (4- and 5-star jobs as delineated by the Utah Department of Workforce Services); a number the system is looking to increase even more in coming years.

Utah’s system of public colleges and universities is vital to supplying the talent force of the future. Each college is uniquely tuned in to industry needs to provide students with valuable skills to succeed in the workforce. Occupations that require some level of higher education are expected to grow faster over the next several years, and most occupations projected to grow the fastest require education beyond high school — making Utah college graduates the primary talent pipeline for the state’s rapidly developing economy.

UTAH’S UNIVERSITIES CONDUCT CUTTING-EDGE AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH

High-end research, innovative commercialization, and entrepreneurship in higher education are also critical to sustainable economic growth. Last year, Utah garnered a record $1.14 billion of outside funds for research and grants at Utah’s public colleges and universities, which not only provide significant benefits to the higher education community, the state of Utah, and society as a whole but also through patents and job creation.

Both research universities in the state, the University of Utah and Utah State University, have earned the prestigious R1 Classification from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, setting them apart as top-tier research institutions in the nation.

Utah Is Committed To Making College Accessible For All Students

The Utah Board of Higher Education — Utah’s higher education governing authority — is committed to providing students an accessible, affordable college education, with easily transferable credits, that gets students through school and into the workforce quickly. The Board has developed many programs in partnership with K-12 that focus on college access and readiness, which are key to an educated and trained workforce.

College Access Advising Program

Utah college access advisers inform and connect high school students to college opportunities after high school, from technical colleges to universities and everything in between. The advisers do this by supporting high school students on the milestones to college, such as guiding them through the college application process and advising them on scholarships, other financial aid, and more. Last year, the advising program grew nearly fourfold in a single year, from 13 college advisers serving 13 high schools in five school districts in 2020-21 to 48 advisers serving 51 high schools in 21 school districts in 2021-22.

Concurrent Enrollment

While in high school, students can also earn college credit at extremely low tuition rates through Concurrent Enrollment courses. Last year, nearly 49K high school students in 41 school districts participated in Concurrent Enrollment courses across the state, saving students an estimated $77.7 million in future tuition costs. Concurrent Enrollment saves Utah students time and money on their college education and gives them a direct connection to college opportunities while still in high school.

Dual Enrollment

Utah’s technical colleges also engage with local high school students through dual enrollment programs. Of the students enrolled at a technical college and belonging to the high school class of 2021, 20.37% earned a certificate before completing high school. In total, 1,634 high school students graduated from technical college programs in 2021 — up 23.69% over 2020. Student participation in technical college programs in 2021 saved them nearly $4 million in tuition costs.

The top five areas of study by graduates produced include:

• Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide

• Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)

• Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician

• Pharmacy Technician/Assistant

• Carpentry/Carpenter

State Scholarships And Aid

The Board of Higher Education awarded or allocated scholarship funds to institutions to support nearly 20,000 students in FY 2022. Almost 60% of all scholarships awarded were needs-based and intended to reduce barriers for first-generation and underserved student populations or industry-specific scholarships.

Opportunity Scholarship

The Opportunity Scholarship awards students based on academic achievement in high school. Requirements for this scholarship were developed to align with top predictors of college success and leverage the effectiveness of earning college credit while still in high school — with these requirements, students will be better prepared for their college experience.

Utah Promise Scholarship

The Utah Promise Scholarship was created in 2019 to help make college dreams a reality for all Utahns. The Utah Promise Scholarship covers the cost of tuition and fees for the first two years of college for qualifying Utah students with financial need. This scholarship is available at Utah’s public colleges and universities (including technical colleges), as well as the following private, non-profit institutions in Utah: Brigham Young University (Provo), Ensign College, Western Governors University, and Westminster College.

Technical College Scholarships

The Utah Technical College Scholarship provides financial assistance to students pursuing a technical education certificate in high-demand industries. This scholarship is available to recent high school graduates and adults enrolled in high-demand programs at a Utah technical college or a technical program at Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, USU Eastern, USU Moab, or USU Blanding.

Other State Scholarships and Aid

The state of Utah offers other scholarships and aid, including scholarships for future educators, veterans, and others. Go to ktsutah.org/resources for more information.

UTAH’S COLLEGES ARE AFFORDABLE:

• Utah graduates saw a 59.3% wage increase one year after completing a technical college certificate.

• Recent data show bachelor’s degree recipients took home $17,800 more in after-tax income than high school graduates.

• Those without a high school diploma face an unemployment rate twice as high as those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

• Utah’s public 4-year colleges have the fifthlowest tuition and fees in the nation.