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Enrollment at Utah’s public colleges and universities up by over 4,000 for second year in a row

Utah’s public colleges and universities are seeing another increase in student enrollment this fall semester.

The first “snapshot” of student enrollments for the 2017-18 school year (fall semester, third week) shows the number of students at the state’s public colleges and universities increased by 4,869 students, for a net increase of 2.78 percent over Fall 2016. This increase is on top of last year’s increase of 4,739 students.

The percent increase in full-time equivalent (FTE)* students was slightly larger, at 2.92 percent, which indicates more students are attending college full-time.

For more information, see our enrollment dashboards.

“It’s great to see so many students choosing to attend college, as it will make a significant difference in their future earnings, career opportunities, and quality of life. Our colleges and universities are working hard to ensure courses are available and student services are continued for all students,” said Dave Buhler, Utah Commissioner of Higher Education. “As we anticipate adding over 60,000 students in the next decade, it will be increasingly important to continue to receive legislative funding to keep higher education accessible and affordable for all Utahns.”

Eight out of ten Utah high school graduates who enroll in college attend one of Utah’s public colleges and universities – the primary talent pipeline for Utah’s fast-growing workforce. With over 180,000 students, together the state institutions would rank as the state’s second largest city.

Differences in enrollment growth between USHE institutions reflect the distinct mission of each institution and how external factors, such as changes in the economy and changes in individual academic programs, impact each institution.

TOTAL HEADCOUNT                                            2016 2017 CHANGE CHANGE
University of Utah 32,061 32,800 739 2.30%
Utah State University 28,118 27,679 – 439 -1.56%
Weber State University 26,809 27,949 1,140 4.25%
Southern Utah University 8,955 9,468 513 5.73%
Snow College 5,350 5,563 213 3.98%
Dixie State University 8,993 9,673 680 7.56%
Utah Valley University 34,978 37,282 2,304 6.59%
Salt Lake Community College 29,901 29,620 – 281 -0.94%
 USHE 175,165 180,034 4,869 2.78%

 

TOTAL FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)*                                                           2016 2017 CHANGE CHANGE
University of Utah 27,439 27,984 545 1.98%
Utah State University 21,974 22,024 49 0.22%
Weber State University 16,509 17,183 674 4.08%
Southern Utah University 7,186 7,542 357 4.96%
Snow College 4,034 4,085 52 1.28%
Dixie State University 6,852 7,382 530 7.74%
Utah Valley University 23,706 25,037 1,331 5.61%
Salt Lake Community College 15,624 15,693 69 0.44%
 USHE 123,325 126,930 3,606 2.92%

 

*Total FTE approximates the number of students enrolled full-time each semester (15 semester hours for undergraduate students; 10 semester hours for graduate students).

 

Media Inquiries

Trisha Dugovic
Communications Director
801.646.4779