Founded in 1850, the University of Utah prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. The U. encompasses 1,500 acres in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain range. Utah became a member of the Pac-12 Conference on July 1, 2011.
With an enrollment of over 33,000, the U offers 100 undergraduate and more than 90 graduate level fields of study. In 2019, the University of Utah became one of the newest members of the prestigious Association of American Universities, which for more than 100 years has recognized the most outstanding academic institutions in the nation. Utah is now one of 66 AAU institutions, with only 34 of those members coming from Power Five conferences.
The U offers nationally-ranked programs in law, pharmacy, mathematics, business, biomedical engineering, family medicine, social sciences and humanities, fine arts, education, architecture, entertainment arts and engineering. The U was ranked No. 11 in the nation for value according to the 2019 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings.
Research
The University of Utah surpassed the threshold of 515 million in research dollars in 2019 and was rated No. 1 for commercializing technology innovations according to the Milken Institute’s 2017 ratings.
Geneticist Mario R. Capecchi received the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on gene targeting. Çağan Şekercioğlu, assistant professor of biology, won the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey’s highest prize for 2014. Peter J. Stang, distinguished professor of chemistry, received the 2013 Priestley Medal and 2011 National Medal of Science for his pioneering work in supramolecular chemistry.
Technology and Computer Sciences
The U’s entertainment arts and engineering program has been ranked regularly among the top three in the U.S. over the last decade according to Animation Career Review. The University’s computer science program, which earned a top 50 ranking in 2019, was founded in 1965 and began a pioneering legacy in computer graphics and visualization that continues today.
The College of Engineering was ranked No. 58 by U.S. News & World Report for 2022. The Scientific Computing & Imaging Institute is internationally recognized.
Members of the prestigious Association of American Universities, which the U joined in November 2019, with only 34 competing in Power 5 conferences.
The U's 2019 national ranking among colleges for value according to the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education.
How the U. Grades Out
- In the fall of 2019, the U welcomed its most academically prepared and diverse class of 4,249 students.
- The freshman cohort included 4,249 students boasting an impressive 3.66 average high school GPA and an average ACT composite score of 25.8.
- The incoming class also brought a 54% increase in international students and more bilingual students than the previous year's freshman class.
- Among the 2019 freshmen who are U.S. citizens, 30% are students of color.
- The U's focus on student success has led to an increased six-year graduation rate, which now sits at 70%—well above the national average for four-year schools.
- The rate has jumped 19 percentage points over the past decade, making it one of only two public higher education research institutions to achieve this success.
- The U ranks in the top third of the Pac-12 for educational value, offering the second-lowest in-state tuition and fees among Pac-12 and Big Ten institutions.
- Ranks in the 93rd percentile by The Economist for graduates' median earnings over expected earnings without a degree.
Medicine
University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, a Level I trauma center, has earned a top-10 ranking among academic medical centers for patient care 11 years in a row, incliding No. 1 in 2020. U.S. News & World Report placed the Spencer F. Eccles School of Medicine’s programs in primary care, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and nursing in the nation’s top 40.
The U’s surgeons were the first in the world to conduct a permanent artificial heart implant in 1982. More recently, the Utah Genome Project is one of several innovative medical research programs at the U. Other notable programs include the nationally-recognized Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Clinical Neurosciences Center and the Moran Eye Center.
Business School
The David Eccles School of Business’ undergraduate program has been rated among No. 44 by U.S. News & World Report for 2022. The graduate accounting program was rated top 35. The school was also ranked No. 10 for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report.
College of Law
The S.J. Quinney College of Law was ranked 43rd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2022. It also earned top 20 ratings for practical training, as well as its public defender/prosecutor law and environmental law programs.
College of Education
Utah’s College of Education has been ranked as high as No. 64 by U.S. News & World Report the past three years. Its special education and master’s programs were also highly rated by College Choice.
Campus Life
A lively residential living experience is provided in the beautiful Heritage Commons, which served as the Athletes Village for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Donna Garff Marriott Honors Residential Scholars Community, the George S. Eccles Student Life Center, and the Lassonde Studios for housing student entrepreneurs have opened in recent years. The new Kahlert Village south campus housing development, featuring four theme communities and nearly 1,000 beds, opened in the fall of 2020.
