facebook-pixel

BYU enrollment bounces back after Mormon missionary age change in 2012

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Brigham Young statue at BYU in Provo.

Provo • BYU's enrollment has reached levels not seen since 2012, when the LDS Church announced it was lowering the age required to serve Mormon missions.

The Daily Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2e3Qyes ) that Brigham Young University has 33,360 students this fall semester, about 30 more than four years ago.

Enrollment had dropped 10 percent after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lowered the minimum age for missionaries from 21 to 19 for women and from 19 to 18 for men.

BYU spokesman Todd Hollingshead says the school had expected it would take a few years before enrollment reached what it was before the change.

Fewer than half of BYU students were returned missionaries in 2012, compared to 65 percent of students this semester.

The Associated Press

Help The Tribune report the stories others can’t—or won’t.

For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism.  As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.

You can help power this work.