The University of Utah’s achievements stand as a testament to our bold vision to inspire, innovate, and serve as we strive toward unsurpassed societal impact. We invite our campus community to use these selected facts and figures to showcase the broad reach and excellence of Utah’s flagship university.
Established
1850
Campus Elevation
4,738 Feet
Campus Size
1,534 Acres
Flagship University
State of Utah
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
International Campus
Incheon, South Korea
Notable Rankings
- No. 1 public university in the West, Wall Street Journal (2023)
- No. 8 among public universities in the U.S., Wall Street Journal (2023)
- Division of Games undergrad and grad programs ranked No. 4 in the U.S., Princeton Review (2025)
- Undergrad entrepreneur program ranked No. 5 among public schools and No. 8 overall by U.S. News & World Report (2025)
- Physician Assistant Program ranked No. 8 in the nation and No. 4 among public universities, U.S. News & World Report (2023)
Enrollment
- Record enrollment for 5 years in a row (2020-2024)
- Enrollment as of Fall 2024:
- 36,970 total
- 28,140 undergrad students
- 8,830 graduate students
- 6,001 incoming class (2024)
- 1,522 transfer students
- Student body represents:
- 29 counties in Utah
- 50 states
- 108 countries
- 25% of students identify as first generation
- 28% of domestic incoming freshmen are students of color, above 25% for the 14th year in a row
- 68% of total student body are Utah residents
- Lowest tuition among AAU public universities in the West
Student Success
- At $67,170, U graduates’ median earnings are 25% higher than the national average
- Six-year graduation rate: 64% (highest of all Utah public universities)
- 82% of degrees awarded are in programs related to high-demand jobs, as defined by the Utah System of Higher Education
- 85% of students receive some form of financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.)
- 23 Rhodes scholars have come from the U
- Average term GPA: 3.44
- First year retention rate 85%
- 76% undergraduate 24% graduate student ratio
- 100+ undergraduate majors, 200+ graduate programs
- 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the lowest among Utah public institutions
- Average class size: 36
Campus Life
- 600+ student organizations, including an active student government and community service programs
- 13 fraternities and 9 sororities with 2,000+ members
- 10 world-class ski areas within an hour of campus and 5 national parks in the state
- 50+ miles of pristine hiking trails in foothills surrounding campus
- Campus recreation climbing wall is 54 ft. high with more than 4,600 sq. ft. of climbable surface
- 687,117 UCard swipes last year at the Eccles Student Life Center, the main campus recreation facility (2023-24)
- 16,279 people rented gear at Outdoor Adventures in the past year (2023-24)
- 5,500 undergraduate students living in residence halls
- 1,021 student-focused events posted on Campus Connect
- 5,500 undergraduate students living in residence halls
- Guaranteed housing for ALL first-year students
- 20+ living-learning and theme communities
Innovation & Research
- Member of the AAU (Association of American Universities), an invitation-only, prestigious group of 71 leading research institutions
- Classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the 137 research universities with the “highest research activity” in the nation
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Mario Capecchi
- Awards 55% of all STEM degrees from public universities in Utah
- $691M in research funding in FY24
- 2,634 awarded research grants in FY24
- 962,000+ sq. ft. of research space on campus
- Home of the Utah Bionic Leg, one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023
- One of the world's largest population databases for research
- U physicians performed the world’s first permanent artificial heart transplant in 1982
- 145 patents issued to faculty in 2023
- Since 2000, has launched 361 companies and more than 750 products, generating 27,000 life sciences jobs
- 508 business startup teams launched through Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute (2024)
- Received nation’s first NIH research grant
- World’s first research team to locate BRCA1
- Discovered 50+ genes involved in inherited disease risk
- #2 in innovation impact productivity from the George W. Bush Institute
- Member of the University Innovation Alliance, a coalition of 17 top public research universities dedicated to student success and innovation
- Faculty awards:
- 17 fellows of National Endowment of Humanities
- 10 Guggenheim Foundation fellows
- 12 members of National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
- 8 National Academy of Engineering members
- 8 Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellows
- 2 recipients of National Medal of Science
- 2 MacArthur “Genius Grant” fellows
- 1 Nobel Prize winner
Service/Community Impact
- 7,473 students participated in volunteer activities through the Bennion Center last year
- 42,475 hours of community service provided by students last year
- 30,000 people attend Continuing Education’s 2,700 classes annually
- Utah Education Network provides internet service to 2,000+ Utah schools, libraries, and telehealth sites
- 15,739 businesses have received training from Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
- 27,365 chats started with SafeUT counselors (operated through the U’s Huntsman Mental Health Institute)
- University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) supports west-side residents with education and community programs, serving 7,000+ through the Hartland Partnership Center.
- Utah Museum of Fine Arts serves 26,000 participants through 601 free programs, including an initiative aimed at reaching every school district across Utah.
- The S.J. Quinney College of Law Pro Bono Initiative operates 14 monthly brief legal advice programs, serving 1,800+ clients annually
- Free clinics staied by U of U Health providers and students serve 10,000+ low-income, uninsured, and unhoused individuals annually
- Staied by U experts, Utah Poison Control has managed over 2 million cases in 70 years and handles 40,000 calls annually, providing free guidance 24/7
- The John A. Moran Eye Center’s Operation Sight Program has conducted over 600 free cataract surgeries for those in need since 2012
Health Care
- The University of Utah is the only academic medical center in the Mountain West
- U of U Health had 2.4 million patient visits FY24
- Care in more than 250 specialties
- Facilities:
- 50+ telemedicine sites
- 5 hospitals
- 12 community health care centers
- Home to the renowned Huntsman Cancer Institute, Huntsman Mental Health Institute
- University of Utah Hospital ranked #1 Hospital in Utah for 11 consecutive years (U.S. News and World Report 2024-2025)
- Top 10 Nationally Ranked John A. Moran Eye Center (U.S. News & World Report 2024-25)
- U of U Health has been named a top performer for 15 consecutive years for inpatient care, and 10 consecutive years for ambulatory care (Vizient)
- U of U Health trains 2/3 of Utah’s physicians
- U of U Health provided $232M in uncompensated care for patients FY23
Athletics
- 95% student athlete graduate rate (7th consecutive year at 93% and higher)
- Member of a Power 4 conference (joined Big 12 in 2024)
- Football team has had 26 bowl appearances
- Only school to qualify for all 42 NCAA Gymnastics Championships
- 30 team national championships
- 16 in skiing
- 10 in women’s gymnastics
- 3 in men’s basketball
- 1 in women’s cross country
- 123 individual national champions (includes 86 in skiing and 32 in women's gymnastics)
- 72 Olympians
- Skiing: 46
- Women’s gymnastics: 9
- Men’s basketball: 4
- Women’s basketball: 6
- Softball: 2
- Men’s swimming & diving: 1
- Women’s swimming & diving: 1
- Women’s track & field: 3
- 20 NCAA D1 sports
- The MUSS is one of the nation’s top student sections with approximately 7,400 student fans
Alumni
- 300,000+ living alumni
- U alumni live in all 50 states and 100+ countries.
- 76% of U alumni earned undergraduate degrees and 24% earned graduate degrees
- Top 5 states where alumni live: (1) Utah, (2) California, (3) Washington, (4) Texas, (5) Colorado
- Besides U.S., top 5 countries where alumni live: (1) South Korea, (2) Canada, (3) China, (4) Norway, (5) Japan
- Top 5 schools/colleges alumni graduate from:
- Social and Behavioral Science
- Business
- Humanities
- Engineering
- Health
Operations & Sustainability
- University endowment: $1.6 billion
- Total operating expenses (including hospital): $7.2 billion
- 85% of students receive some form of financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.)
- Undergraduate tuition & fees for 2024 academic year:
- Utah resident: $12,424
- Non-resident: $34,900
- The U employs 39,000+ people, making it one of the largest employers in the state
- 71% of all energy used on campus comes from renewable resources
- Recognized with a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Gold rating
Arts, Culture & Community Assets
- Together, the 1,500-acre campus and Red Butte Garden’s 100 acres in the foothills above are the State Arboretum of Utah
- The Natural History Museum is home to approximately 2 million objects
- Utah Museum of Fine Arts holds 20,000 original works and is the state’s oiicial art museum
- The U is the origin of 7 major Utah performing arts organizations: Pioneer Theatre Company, Ballet West, RirieWoodbury Dance Company, Repertory Dance Theatre, Tanner Dance, Utah Presents and the Utah Symphony
- The U’s Tanner Dance Program serves 40,000 Utah school kids annually
- The U is home to 9 performing arts venues
- The U is Utah’s source for PBS television (through PBS Utah) and National Public Radio (through KUER)
Salt Lake City & Utah
- Utah named America’s hottest job market by the Wall Street Journal (2024)
- Salt Lake City leading the country for economic growth, Milken Institute (2024)
- Salt Lake City named in the top 9 places to live in the Western U.S. by Travel+Leisure magazine (2024)
- Salt Lake City will be 2x host to Winter Olympic Games (2002 & 2034)
- SLC boasts nearly 45 miles of TRAX light rail, serving the valley with three lines and 51 stations.
- Salt Lake City climate:
- Average annual rainfall: 20 inches
- Average annual snowfall: 54 inches
- Average number of sunny days per year: 222
- Nearby Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, covering approximately 1,700 square miles
- Salt Lake City maintains more than 80 public parks
- Salt Lake City population: 212,000
- Salt Lake Vally population: nearly 1.3 million
- 41st largest metropolitan area in the U.S.
- Utah is home to 5 national parks and 46 state parks
Additional Sources
- About page: about.utah.edu
- UAIR site: data.utah.edu
- VPR facts: research.utah.edu/facts-and-figures
- U of U Health: uofuhealth.utah.edu