One Utah college saw historic student enrollment this fall — growing by nearly 15%

As other states face daunting drops in student enrollment, Utah’s public colleges and universities are continuing to buck trends with record-breaking growth this fall.

In fact, the boom was so big for Utah schools that the percentage of growth was the largest it’s ever been — at 4.4% overall — surpassing even last year’s record number, according to data released this week.

The number of added students — 9,112 more going into higher education this year — has also never been so high. The state now has a total of 216,117 enrolled across its eight traditional schools in its public system. That matches the population of Salt Lake City proper.

Last year, there were 207,005 students overall and the system saw 4.3% growth.

One school, in particular, saw substantial growth and accounted for almost half of the added students this fall. That is Salt Lake Community College.

After some tougher years with the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-year school rebounded far beyond its past dips. SLCC added 4,036 students this fall for a historic 14.7% jump in year-to-year growth. It now has a population of 31,473 students.

Meanwhile, Utah Valley University has kept its title as the largest school in the state with 48,670 students and the second-largest growth at 4%.

Overall, the numbers position Utah well — and provide some cushioning — for what analysts say will arrive here in the coming years: The same enrollment cliffs other states are currently experiencing. Utah’s is just delayed a bit.

The drop here is forecast to start in 2032 — with numbers continuing to decline for a full decade after that, according to population data analysis from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. Growth could start slowing as soon as 2027.

The big cause behind that is slowing birth rates.

It’s expected the number of students enrolled in the state’s colleges and universities will decrease by more than 50,000 over that time period of decline, according to the policy institute.

The Utah Legislature instituted budget cuts across the Utah System of Higher Education this year, with leaders saying they want schools to be more lean now in preparation for the impending cliff.

Colleges and universities have been directed to reprioritize high-wage and high-demand programs, as well as to focus on graduating students quicker.

Here are some highlights from the latest student population data.

SLCC bounces back big

The state’s second-most affordable college has now surpassed its pre-pandemic enrollment levels, making for its most significant growth on record.

Before its sizable bump in enrollment last year, the last time the school saw growth was in 2019 with a peak of 29,517 students.

SLCC President Greg Peterson said he’s proud to see this fall’s numbers rise so significantly.

To him, it marks more students getting an education that accessible and affordable — through certificates and associate degrees, as well as a pathway to transfer later to a larger university for a four-year program.

“SLCC is an excellent launchpad setting our students up for future success,” he said in a statement.

Snow College sees small dip

Only one school, Snow College, saw a drop — though not significant one.

The small, rural college in central Utah reported 16 fewer students enrolled this fall than last year, which is less than half of a percentage decline.

Meanwhile, Snow reports a 17% increase in degree completion over the past five years. It’s likely at least some of the loss in enrollment can be attributed to more students graduating — and doing so faster.

UVU and the U. are the largest

Utah Valley University in Orem remains the largest school in the state. This fall, it added 1,861 students.

Last year, it added slightly more with 2,156.

The school is an open admissions institution, meaning there is no required GPA or standard test scores for admittance.

The state’s flagship institution, the University of Utah, is the next largest at 38,257 enrolled. It saw 3.5% growth this fall, adding 1,287 more students.

“Enrollment growth only matters when it leads to student success,” said Paul Kohn, senior vice provost for strategic enrollment and student success in a statement.

As such, the school said it’s investing in more academic support and career readiness resources. And it announced a new effort Tuesday to fully cover tuition for students from low-income families.

Its degree completion rate for the last academic year also grew by 8% for undergraduates.

Roughly 44% of those were in science and math. And more than 80% were in fields, according to the school’s data, that that state considers high-demand, including teaching and social work; Weber State University in Ogden had the same figure.

Pushing for students to finish their degrees

Likewise, the Utah System of Higher Education is shifting its focus away from enrollment and more toward students completing their degrees.

Geoff Landward, the system’s commissioner, told state lawmakers on Tuesday that growing the student body is the wrong metric to focus on, particularly when it comes to funding higher education.

That leads to unnecessary competition between the state’s schools to try to get the most students, instead of focusing on where those students would be best served. Each college and university has a unique mission, he said, and that should be the drive.

The University of Utah, for instance, is a research school. And it doesn’t need to grow, he said, by thousands of students each year. It should, though, be looking at how to get the students it has into research.

And every school, he said, should be working to get more students to complete a certificate or degree.

“That needs to be a hallmark of our system,” he said.

The Utah System of Higher Education released data last week that showed completion rates have increased since 2021. There have been 26% more certificates and degrees awarded and a 22% increase in graduates over that time.

For the 2024-25 academic year, that meant 71,262 degrees and certificates given to 61,265 graduates.

Based on the number of graduates, the top fields for bachelor’s degrees were: registered nursing, psychology, finance, computer science and business administration.

The Legislature is currently drafting changes to how the state’s public colleges and universities are funded, including working degree completion into that.

Schools will also still get some money for enrolling more students, with a new formula largely accounting for the additional costs associated with accommodating a bigger population.