Utah’s biggest university is a bit less big this year.

Utah Valley University’s enrollment dipped by 985 students, or 2%, according to the latest headcount last month. That’s the largest decline for any public college or university in the state — half of which saw drops this fall.

The Orem school now has 47,685 students, down from 48,670.

It’s a sizable decrease for the university that has seen ballooning growth over the last decade, outside of one year during the pandemic.

In a statement, the university said the decline was expected. And it’s pointing to a change in the age for young women who want to serve proselytizing missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

That change came roughly a year ago, when leaders of the Utah-based faith announced female missionaries could be as young as 18 (down from 19). That means, like men, they can now go on missions directly out of high school, instead of enrolling in higher education first.

In September, the church said it was starting to see that effect: 30,000 young women are now serving as missionaries, the faith’s biggest cohort ever.

Snow College also pointed to the same change to explain its 5% dip this year, losing 277 students this fall, for 5,284 total (with 220 fewer female students, specifically, out of that total).

But UVU’s dip is split fairly evenly between male and female students, suggesting the missionary change isn’t the only factor at play. The university had 556 fewer women and 527 fewer men.

School leaders and faculty previously expressed fear that fallout from the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus last year might steer some students away.

UVU declined to comment on that possible correlation. The school also declined to immediately detail how many students it retained this fall, instead opting to release that percentage in January. Its retention rate last fall was 72%.

The university’s new president, Jon Anderson, has said increasing enrollment is a top priority. He also wants the school to better attract parents and those returning to school at a later age to explore a second career.

That focus and UVU’s dip come as schools nationwide are responding to a predicted dip in college-age students. It’s not expected to hit Utah until 2032.

Overall, the state’s public college population increased slightly this fall, to 217,864 — up less than 1% from last year.

That’s the smallest increase Utah has seen for at least the last decade.

Here’s a look at other standout data points from this fall’s enrollment numbers:

Four schools in decline

In addition to UVU and Snow College, Southern Utah University and Utah Tech University also reported declines.

SUU has 258 fewer students this fall — a 1.6% loss, for 15,567 total now.

Utah Tech has 474 fewer — a 3.6% loss, for 12,733 total now.

In a statement, Utah Tech’s associate vice president of enrollment, Darlene Dilley, said the student population at the school is still up 49% since 2014.

“As the higher education landscape evolves, Utah Tech is focused on building upon this strong foundation,” she said

Meanwhile, the state is putting less emphasis on increasing enrollment.

Utah used to fund public universities and colleges based on each year’s growth. But under a new funding model approved this year, enrollment averages over the course of five years are considered instead.

That’s in addition to new metrics, including student performance and the amount of students who land high-wage or high-demand jobs.

Snow College said as enrollment shifts, it will increase its focus on making sure students who chose to go there finish their degrees. It reported a 2.5% increase in degree- and certificate-completion this past year.

Vice President Cody Branch said: “Our goal is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price, create a positive and meaningful college experience, and prepare students for success beyond Snow.”

Drop in international students

Schools also pointed to federal policy changes from the Trump administration that have negatively impacted international student enrollment.

Overall, 6,588 international students enrolled this fall. That’s down 196 from last year and 6.4% since fall 2024, shortly before President Donald Trump’s second term began.

The University of Utah continues to enroll the highest number of international students (3,125). It reported a drop of 40 from last year, mostly affecting its graduate student population.

Snow College also saw 61 fewer international students enrolled this fall.

Paul Kohn, the U.’s senior vice provost for strategic enrollment and student success, said during an Academic Senate meeting Monday that it’s been a “very challenging international student environment.”

He added that with all the challenges higher education currently faces, “we’re going to have to think differently about who we serve.”

Overall, the U. grew by 2.1% this year, adding 803 more students for 39,060 total. Kohn said that’s significantly slower than past years.

Massive increases at USU

Utah State University, meanwhile, saw across-the-board enrollment increases.

The school grew by a whopping 8.2%, with 2,455 more students this fall (32,286 total).

The university credited that boon to more interest in its statewide locations, with a 39% increase in students attending classes outside Logan. It has 29 satellites and centers across Utah.

“USU’s growth is about more than enrollment numbers. It’s about creating opportunities for more students and communities across Utah,” said President Brad Mortensen in a statement.

The school also bucked trends and gained 97 international students, for a total of 646.

UVU prepares for budget shortfall

UVU said in a statement that it anticipates a budget shortfall from its enrollment drop.

To manage that, the school will conduct what it’s calling a “deliberate review” of all vacant positions on campus to see which can remain unfilled.

The school said it’s not an official hiring freeze, and it’s not at the point of layoffs.

“Our financial position is strong, and these steps are to maintain this strength moving forward,” Anderson said in a statement.