Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Research Universities in Utah 2026

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST IN UTAH RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Chloe Dembski

Updated: Sep 30, 2026

Interested in attending a STEM school in Utah? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.

Key Takeaways

Many of Utah’s top research universities have robust programs in health sciences, including research in public health, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare innovation, giving students access to state-of-the-art labs and collaboration with leading healthcare institutions.
Utah’s research universities foster a strong culture of entrepreneurship and have close ties with tech companies and startups. This provides students with internship opportunities, access to business incubators, and the chance to develop and commercialize their research, particularly in Salt Lake City’s thriving tech industry.
Research universities in Utah are known for their advanced research facilities and programs in fields such as biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and robotics, offering students opportunities to work on innovative projects with real-world applications.

Table of Contents

Best Research Universities in Utah in 2026

University of Utah
Brigham Young University
Utah State University

This guide ranks the best research universities in Utah for 2026, focusing on institutions that confer doctoral degrees across STEM fields and maintain sustained research activity. If you’re choosing where to pursue graduate or research-focused undergraduate work, the schools listed here offer the lab infrastructure, faculty-led projects, and funded opportunities that most directly support hands-on STEM training and early-career publications.

We evaluated fully accredited Utah universities that meet those doctoral and research thresholds and highlight three institutions that stand out for breadth of STEM doctoral programs, active research portfolios, and student access to research experiences. Use these summaries to compare programs, facilities, and the kinds of research opportunities you can expect at each campus (3 research universities).

Best Research Universities in Utah

Last Year’s Ranking:
1. University of Utah
2. Brigham Young University
3. Utah State University
#1
University of Utah
Salt Lake City , UT
#7 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2026 #22 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2026 #23 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2026 #24 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2026
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
66%
Student body
41K
Median SAT/ACT
1285/25
Career Outlook for degree at University of Utah
Cost of Degree: $9,315
Expenses: $21,298
Starting Salary: $72,729
Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Utah known for?

University of Utah’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Computer Science
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Anthropology
Medical
Earth Sciences
Mathematics
History
Business

Most Influential Alumni

Alan Kay
Orson Scott Card
Ted Bundy
Stanley Smith Stevens
Edwin Catmull
Gordon B. Hinckley
Lars Peter Hansen
Jim Blinn
Wallace Stegner
Ralph Hartley
David C. Evans
Bui Tuong Phong
Compare school
#2
Brigham Young University
Provo , UT
#3 Most Affordable Graduate Schools Ranked for 2026 #5 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2026 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Utah 2026 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2026
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
81%
Student body
40K
Median SAT/ACT
1365/30
Career Outlook for degree at Brigham Young University
Cost of Degree: $6,496
Expenses: $16,496
Starting Salary: $80,228
Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is Brigham Young University known for?

Brigham Young University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Business
History
Religious Studies
Law
Communications
Literature
Education
Earth Sciences
Political Science
Anthropology

Most Influential Alumni

Orson Scott Card
Philo Farnsworth
Ken Jennings
Lyle Campbell
Don Bluth
Paul D. Boyer
Wayne C. Booth
Dallin H. Oaks
Mark Skousen
Ezra Taft Benson
Tracy Hickman
Clayton Christensen
Compare school
#3
Utah State University
Logan , UT
#2 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2026 #3 Best Grad Schools in Utah 2026 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2026 #3 Best Colleges in Utah 2026
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
60%
Student body
34K
Median SAT/ACT
1180/24
Career Outlook for degree at Utah State University
Cost of Degree: $8,305
Expenses: $13,692
Starting Salary: $59,177
Cost Recoup Time: 8 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is Utah State University known for?

Utah State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Earth Sciences
Biology
Economics
Engineering
Business
Physics
Chemistry
Computer Science
Education
Mathematics

Most Influential Alumni

Lars Peter Hansen
Ezra Taft Benson
Mary Higby Schweitzer
George Piranian
Barre Toelken
Harry Reid
Nathaniel Baldwin
Boyd K. Packer
Sonia Johnson
Brad Bushman
Hugh B. Brown
Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Compare school

Build your own college rankings

Find the Best Research Universities in Utah for Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Research Universities in Utah 2026

Key Takeaways

Best Research Universities in Utah in 2026

Best Research Universities in Utah

Last Year’s Ranking:

University of Utah

Career Outlook for degree at University of Utah

Most Influential Alumni

Brigham Young University

Career Outlook for degree at Brigham Young University

Most Influential Alumni

Utah State University

Career Outlook for degree at Utah State University

Most Influential Alumni

Find the Best Research Universities in Utah for Your Area of Interest