The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Utah
What’s Covered:
- The 8 Cheapest Colleges in Utah
- Tips for Saving Money on College
- How Much Will College Cost Your Family?
Over the past few decades, the cost of college has risen far faster than wages. According to a report by J.P. Morgan, tuition has increased by an average of 5.6% per year—outpacing inflation and major expenses like housing, medical care, and gas. As a result, many college-bound students have become more cost-conscious, making the price of an institution a key factor in their college decisions.
The 10 Cheapest Colleges in Utah
1. Ensign College
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $4,004/$4,004
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,973
Ensign College is a private institution sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where students prepare for professional careers through a faith-based curriculum. In January 2026, Ensign launched a three-year bachelor’s degree program requiring between 90 and 98 credits—eliminating the need for electives compared to the standard 120-credit bachelor’s degree—and helping students graduate and enter the workforce faster.
Learn more about Ensign College and what it takes to get accepted.
2. Snow College
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $4,338/$14,288
Location: Ephraim, UT
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,506
Snow College was founded in 1888 (eight years before Utah became a state) by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, Snow College is unaffiliated with any religious organization and is one of Utah’s eight public degree-granting state universities and colleges.
Snow College primarily offers associate’s degrees, however, it’s home to two bachelor’s programs: a Bachelor of Music with an Emphasis in Commercial Music and a Bachelor of Software Engineering. Snow’s Horne School of Music is an “all-Steinway school” and features a number of student-performing groups—including choirs, bands, orchestras, and ensembles.
Learn more about Snow College and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Utah Tech University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $6,306/$18,246
Location: Saint George, UT
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 12,481
Prior to July 2022, Utah Tech University was known as Dixie State University—the school ditched its Dixie moniker as it was both controversial and geographically confusing. Up until 1993, the school also used the Confederate flag as a school symbol and was nicknamed “The Rebels” until 2007. Following the recent rebrand, Utah Tech University hopes to call attention to its technological focus, improved inclusivity, and workforce-ready graduates.
Utah Tech University is proud to offer students an affordable education. According to the university, 87% of students receive scholarships, grants, or other financial aid, and 68% of graduates complete their degree debt-free.
Learn more about Utah Tech University and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Utah Valley University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $6,507/$18,489
Location: Orem, UT
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 43,794
Utah Valley University (UVU) has the largest student enrollment of any college in Utah. UVU is unique in that it has no on-campus or school-sponsored housing, and it challenges the idea of what a traditional college student looks like. For example:
- 28% of students are 25 years or older
- 14% of students support at least one child
- 78% of students work while taking classes
- 37% of students are first-generation college students
Learn more about Utah Valley University and what it takes to get accepted.
5. Weber State University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $6,557/$17,545
Location: Ogden, UT
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 29,353
Weber State University (WSU) isn’t just one of the cheapest colleges in Utah—it’s also one of the state’s best educational investments. In the 2023–2024 academic year, WSU provided more than $96.2 million in scholarships and financial aid to 13,305 students. The university offers over 225 degree programs in popular fields such as nursing, computing, education, and criminal justice.
WSU has placed a considerable focus on sustainability. It’s committed to being carbon neutral by 2040. In 2023, it reduced its natural gas consumption by 46% and electric consumption by 25%
Learn more about Weber State University and what it takes to get accepted.
6. Brigham Young University | BYU
Tuition: $6,688 (Latter-day Saint) /$13,776 (non-Latter-day Saint)
Location: Provo, UT
Acceptance Rate: 69%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 32,221
Brigham Young University (BYU) is the flagship higher education institution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU is incredibly affordable for LDS Church members, however, tuition for non-members is double that of members.
BYU students are expected to live in accordance with the ideals and principles of the church, which include abstaining from premarital or same-sex sex, the use of profane language, and consuming alcohol, coffee, and tobacco. The Campus Pride Index—an organization that identifies LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities—includes BYU on its list of the absolute worst campuses for LGBTQ+ youth.
Learn more about Brigham Young University and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Southern Utah University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $6,962/$21,192
Location: Cedar City, UT
Acceptance Rate: 80%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 13,043
Southern Utah University (SUU), also known as the “University of the Parks,” is within a five-hour drive of more than 20 national parks and monuments in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. In addition to a multitude of outdoor opportunities, SUU is also known for its efforts in the visual and performing arts. SUU is home to the Southern Utah Museum of Art and supports the Utah Shakespeare Festival—providing students with the chance to gain firsthand experience and education in the world of professional theater. SUU also leans conservative; the website Niche ranks it as the 97th most conservative college in the country.
Learn more about Southern Utah University and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Utah State University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $9,228/$24,802
Location: Logan, UT
Acceptance Rate: 94%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 25,048
Utah State University (USU) was founded in 1888 as the Agricultural College of Utah and has the distinction of being the Beehive State’s only land-grant university. Today, the college’s nickname, “the Aggies,” honors its agricultural heritage. Another ode to its farming past is Aggie Ice Cream, which has been delivering tasty treats and providing students with real-world experience in dairy production since the school’s inception.
USU offers 125 bachelor’s degrees. Popular programs include:
- Economics
- Psychology
- Communicative disorders
- Mechanical engineering
- Accounting
USU is a Carnegie-recognized R1 institution, placing it among the top tier of research universities in the U.S.
Learn more about Utah State University and what it takes to get accepted.
9. University of Utah
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $9,620/$30,860
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 26,827
Founded in 1850, the University of Utah—“the U”—is the flagship institution of Utah’s public system and a top-tier research university. In addition to being one of the cheapest colleges in Utah, the U is also among the most affordable Association of American Universities (AAU) public institutions in the West.
Helping keep costs down for its students is the U’s strong 64% six-year graduation rate—considerably higher than the state average and slightly above the national rate. In addition, 85% of students at the U receive financial support.
Learn more about the University of Utah and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Westminster College
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $43,528/$43,528
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,900
Westminster College is a small, private liberal arts college located on just 27 acres in Salt Lake City, the state capital. While Westminster College has a high sticker price, it’s taken numerous steps to make education accessible to all students. For example, every first-year student receives a grant or scholarship, and the average award for first-year students is $35,398.
Westminster College touts a low 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 12-person average undergraduate class size. Westminster students are big on giving back—students logged 450,000 hours of community engagement between 2014 and 2021.
Learn more about Westminster College and what it takes to get accepted.
Tips for Saving Money on College
There are numerous steps that college-bound students can take to make higher education more affordable.
Scholarships
Scholarships are an awesome way to acquire money for college; they’re readily available and don’t require repayment. Scholarships are available from a variety of sources, such as businesses, individuals, and organizations, like religious groups. A good strategy for winning awards is to apply for smaller, more niche scholarships, such as those aimed at students from a specific region—for example, scholarships for students from a particular state, like scholarships for students from Utah.
Colleges themselves are another great source of scholarship dollars—colleges and universities fund $175 billion in scholarships annually, compared to just $11 billion in scholarships provided by other organizations. Many scholarships awarded by colleges are based on merit—that is, they’re awarded based on a student’s academic or extracurricular achievements. A good method for maximizing merit aid is for students to apply to schools where their profile is especially strong.
Understand the Actual Cost of College
A school’s sticker price is not a good representation of what college will actually cost. According to a 2019 New York Times Magazine article, just 11% of students pay full price for college. In fact, it’s common for perceived expensive private colleges to end up being more affordable than their seemingly more economical public counterparts after financial aid—like scholarships and grants—are calculated.
Generally, private institutions are more generous in awarding merit aid—they typically have deeper pockets and use them to entice desirable students and ensure their classes are full. Don’t rule colleges out because of a high published price. Use a net price calculator—like CollegeVine’s Financial Aid Calculator—to get a clearer picture of what college will really cost before making any decisions about which schools to apply to.
Community College
Attending community college and transferring to a four-year college is a little-used yet fantastic strategy for keeping college costs down. According to the College Board—the organization that administers the SAT—the average published yearly tuition and fees for a public two-year college is just $3,860, substantially less than their four-year counterparts.
Some university systems—like the University of California System—even have programs established to facilitate the transfer of their community college students to its four-year institutions.
How Much Will College Cost Your Family?
Simply looking at the sticker prices of schools will not tell you what the cheapest colleges in Utah are for you. The actual cost of each college differs from person to person depending on a variety of factors, making sticker price a poor indicator of what you will pay. For example, an expensive private college that provides a generous merit aid award may end up being more affordable than an in-state public school.
A better measure of the true cost of college is net price, a calculation that figures in financial aid. Most college websites provide a net price calculator, but our free Financial Aid Calculator allows you to easily estimate the expense of colleges in Utah and across the country in one place and in just minutes.
