Utah’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
What are the best colleges and universities in Utah if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.
Colleges and universities in Utah deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.
Utah’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.
How We Measure the Academic Stewardship of Utah’s Colleges and Universities
As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Utah’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.
- Stewardship of financial resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of financial resources, we factored in its undergraduate size, budget, endowments and reserves, as well as tuition and fees. All these data are available from the National Center for Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In addition, we factored in a school’s financial responsibility as gauged by the Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education through its financial responsibility composite scores.
- Stewardship of human resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of human resources, we used our InfluenceRanking engine to track the influence of the school’s faculty and alumni but also to control for size of the undergraduate student body. We’ve found that measuring a school’s influence based on the contributions of faculty and alumni make in their fields of study but then also controlling for size of the undergraduate population is the single best indicator of academic excellence. We call this Concentrated Influence. Schools that rank highly in Concentrated Influence are schools that, given their available human resources, invest heavily in their students and faculty, and the results are demonstrable.
- We measure the influence of colleges and universities based on the publications and citations of the schools’ faculty and alumni who are teaching in and working in areas related to their degrees. To do this, we take publicly available databases, such as Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Wikipedia and use these to measure the influence of academics in their disciplines. Having measured the influence of persons, we then identify the schools that they’re affiliated with, adding up the influence scores of the faculty and alumni to measure the influence of the schools and their disciplinary programs. Finally, we control these influence scores by size of undergraduate student body so that schools do not score high in influence simply because of a size advantage. We lay out these methodological considerations on our methodology page.
- Academic Stewardship: Having measured a school’s stewardship of financial and human resources in the two previous points, we now divide the second measure by the first to define the Academic Stewardship metric. This metric spotlights smaller schools, with fewer financial resources and people, that invest wisely and do proportionately better in building influence than large wealthy schools. Many of these smaller, less wealthy schools are incentivized to make better use of their resources but would never get recognized in conventional school rankings, which directly or indirectly put a premium on the wealth of schools.
Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.
Why Academic Stewardship Matters to Students and Their Families
The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:
- A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. Without the distraction of amenities and luxuries, these schools are at once unpretentious but also passionately committed to their educational mission. The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.
- Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing (such as elite cuisine) but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it. These schools exhibit a culture of good stewardship, which tends to build good character in the students that attend these schools.
- Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people—whether in business, sports, or academics—has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise, a point well-documented in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. Schools exhibiting academic stewardship avoid this pitfall.
- The best schools vs. the schools that help students to be their best. Students at schools demonstrating outstanding academic stewardship aren’t so much concerned about being at the “best” school, whatever that may mean, as about being at a school that helps them to be their best. These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school. Small schools, and especially liberal arts colleges, help themselves by communicating this advantage to prospective students.
- Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. Schools like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of academic talent, and their students have a long record of achievement even before they apply to such elite schools. But if a school doesn’t have the resources of a Harvard or Stanford, how does it build a great team of students? In that case, it must focus on student development. Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.
Utah’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
- #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024 #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #5 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024 #6 Best Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
58%
Student body
20K
Career Outlook for degree at Southern Utah University
Cost of Degree: $6,770Expenses: $13,116Starting Salary: $45,500Cost Recoup Time: 9 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Southern Utah University known for?
Southern Utah University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Earth Sciences
- Economics
- Criminal Justice
- Literature
- Education
- History
- Business
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #3 Best Grad Schools in Utah 2024 #3 Best Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
- #3 Best Research Universities in Utah 2024
- #1 Best Online Associate Degrees in Utah 2024
- #2 Best Online Master's Programs in Utah 2024
- #2 Best Online MBA Programs in Utah
- #2 Best Online Colleges in Utah 2024
- #6 Most Affordable Online Sociology Doctorate Programs (PhDs)
- #19 Most Affordable Online Applied Behavioral Analysis PhD Programs
- #18 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
54%
Student body
33K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/23
Career Outlook for degree at Utah State University
Cost of Degree: $8,305Expenses: $13,156Starting Salary: $49,600Cost Recoup Time: 9 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat 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
- #6 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers #19 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2024 #21 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2024 #22 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024
- #1 Best Grad Schools in Utah 2024
- #1 Best Colleges in Utah 2024
- #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
- #1 Best Research Universities in Utah 2024
- #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #1 Best Online Master's Programs in Utah 2024
- #1 Best Online MBA Programs in Utah
- #1 Best Online Colleges in Utah 2024
- #8 Fastest Accelerated Online Computer Science Doctorates (PhDs)
- #9 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhDs (Doctorates) 2024
- #9 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
65%
Student body
40K
Median SAT/ACT
1290/25
Career Outlook for degree at University of Utah
Cost of Degree: $9,315Expenses: $17,365Starting Salary: $63,500Cost Recoup Time: 9 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Utah known for?
University of Utah’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #6 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #15 Most Affordable Graduate Schools Ranked for 2024 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Utah 2024
- #2 Best Grad Schools in Utah 2024
- #2 Best Colleges in Utah 2024
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
- #2 Best Research Universities in Utah 2024
- #22 Best Research Universities for Education Degrees
- #8 Best Online Master's Programs in Utah 2024
- #6 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
79%
Student body
39K
Median SAT/ACT
1374/29
Career Outlook for degree at Brigham Young University
Cost of Degree: $6,304Expenses: $14,816Starting Salary: $71,500Cost Recoup Time: 7 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat 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
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024 #4 Best Colleges in Utah 2024 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
42%
Student body
37K
Career Outlook for degree at Weber State University
Cost of Degree: $6,391Expenses: $15,692Starting Salary: $49,900Cost Recoup Time: 9 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Weber State University known for?
Weber State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Education
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Communications
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024 #4 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024 #5 Best Colleges in Utah 2024 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
39%
Student body
54K
Career Outlook for degree at Utah Valley University
Cost of Degree: $6,270Starting Salary: $50,700What is Utah Valley University known for?
Utah Valley University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Computer Science
- Earth Sciences
- Business
- Political Science
- Engineering
- History
- Mathematics
- Economics
- Physics
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024 #7 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024 #8 Best Colleges in Utah 2024 #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
36%
Student body
14K
Career Outlook for degree at Utah Tech University
Cost of Degree: $6,074Expenses: $15,404Starting Salary: $41,400Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Utah Tech University known for?
Utah Tech University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Computer Science
- Business
- Mathematics
- History
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- Education
- Medical
- Communications
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #3 Best Small Colleges in Utah 2024 #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #5 Best Private Colleges in Utah 2024 #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
65%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1269/26
Career Outlook for degree at Westminster College, Utah
Cost of Degree: $39,832Expenses: $15,999Starting Salary: $58,100Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Westminster College, Utah known for?
Westminster College, Utah’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #4 Best Small Colleges in Utah 2024 #6 Best Private Colleges in Utah 2024 #10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024
Tuition + fees
$17K
Graduation
51%
Student body
<1K
- #3 Online Colleges with the Most Generous Financial Aid in 2024 #11 15 Best Self-paced Online Colleges Ranked for 2024 #2 Best Private Colleges in Utah 2024 #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
- #9 Best Colleges in Utah 2024
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Utah
- #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Wyoming
- #4 Best Online MBA Programs in Utah
- #6 Best Online Master's Programs in Utah 2024
- #6 Fastest Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Accounting Programs
- #6 Fastest Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Healthcare Administration
- #8 Fastest Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Information Technology
- #8 Best Online Colleges in Utah 2024
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
49%
Student body
214K
Career Outlook for degree at Western Governors University
Cost of Degree: $8,010Starting Salary: $48,100What is Western Governors University known for?
Western Governors University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Small Colleges in Utah 2024 #4 Best Private Colleges in Utah 2024 #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024
Tuition + fees
$16K
Student body
<1K
Career Outlook for degree at Broadview College
Cost of Degree: $16,140Starting Salary: $30,700What is Broadview College known for?
- #3 Best Private Colleges in Utah 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024 #10 Best Colleges in Utah 2024 #10 Most Affordable Colleges in Utah 2024
What is Independence University known for?
Independence University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #1 Best Small Colleges in Utah 2024 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Utah 2024 #6 Best Public Colleges in Utah 2024 #7 Best Colleges in Utah 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
42%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Snow College
Cost of Degree: $4,180Expenses: $9,050Starting Salary: $37,200Cost Recoup Time: 8 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Snow College known for?
Snow College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Education
- Economics
- Sociology
- Physics
Most Influential Alumni
Utah’s Best Colleges in Your Area of Interest
Colleges and Universities in Utah
Students hoping to earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in Utah can choose from among 18 different colleges and universities. Ten of these schools are private, including a fully online school - Western Governors University - which serves almost 80,000 students. Brigham Young University in Provo, one of Utah’s two religiously affiliated schools, has some of the state’s top programs in religious studies, history, and business.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
While tuition at private schools can be costly, fees at these two schools fall below the national average, ranging between $6,000 and $7,000. Utah’s public universities are also on the cost-friendly side. Utah Valley University, the state’s largest public school, serves over 28,000 students and has a sticker price of about $6,000. The University of Utah, another affordable option, is close behind, with a student population of just under 28,000 students. Here, students can earn degrees in fields such as computer science, chemistry, engineering, and anthropology.
If you’re someone who lives life to the extreme, Utah may be just the place for you. Careening down the hills at its world-class ski resorts, braving the rapids on white-water rafting trips, hiking through national parks, and speeding across mountain bike trails are just some of the ways visitors and residents of The Beehive State can get their thrills. Another selling point for Utah? Average tuition for this state’s colleges and universities falls thousands of dollars below the national average.
Learn more about Utah’s higher education opportunities by checking out the state’s many affordable colleges and universities.
What are Utah’s Colleges & Universities?
- 3 Research Universities
- 10 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 2 Graduate Schools
- 7 Public Colleges & Universities
- 6 Private Colleges & Universities
- 1 Christian College or University
- 4 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 12 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 2 Community Colleges
- Best Online Colleges