Utah public college enrollment rises less than 1% as growth slows
Fall headcount rose from 216,117 to 217,864, compared with about 4% growth a year earlier, while technical colleges grew faster.
Correction, Oct. 24, 2026: what we corrected ↓
Based on reporting by Deseret News: Utah. Read the original story →
Fall enrollment at Utah's public degree-granting colleges rose less than 1% this year, from 216,117 to 217,864, according to data from the Utah System of Higher Education reported by the Deseret News. That compares with growth of about 4% the year before, from 207,005 to 216,117. [1]
Analysts have warned of a "demographic cliff." A Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute report said the state's population ages 18 to 24 is expected to begin declining around 2029 for about 20 years. The report also noted that fewer high school graduates nationwide are enrolling in college than at peaks about 15 years ago. [1]
Utah State University grew about 8%, from 29,831 to 32,286, and the University of Utah rose just over 2%, from 38,257 to 39,060. Weber State went from 33,293 to 33,558 and Salt Lake Community College from 31,473 to 31,691. Utah Valley University fell from 48,670 to 47,685, Southern Utah University from 15,825 to 15,567, Utah Tech University from 13,207 to 12,733 and Snow College from 5,561 to 5,284. [1]
Technical colleges across the system grew about 5.9%, from 38,634 to 40,914, and Tooele Technical College grew almost 20%. Of this fall's students, 53% are female and 51% are ages 18 to 24. [1]
Correction, Oct. 24, 2026: An earlier version repeated the Deseret News figure of 5.73% for technical college growth. The enrollment numbers it reported, 38,634 to 40,914, work out to about 5.9%. The Utah State figure now reads about 8%, since 29,831 to 32,286 is 8.2%.
Sources
This story was written by AI from the report by Deseret News: Utah, which has the full story. How we write stories.