Public Graduate Strong 74/100

Southern Utah University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Cedar City, Utah

About Southern Utah University

Thinking about Southern Utah University, a college in Utah where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Southern Utah University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Cedar City, Utah. It enrolls 9,289 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
81.8%
Graduation
42.2%
Net Price
$10,462
Median Earnings (10yr)
$50,296
Enrollment
9,289
Student : Faculty
22:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 50
Value 90
Affordability 60
Selectivity 40

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Southern Utah University admits 81.8% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
81.8%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Southern Utah University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 2.1 pts since 2019
78.3%201975.6%202088.7%202183.9%202280.5%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $10,462 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$10,462
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
25%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
17%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$6,962
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$21,192
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,236
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,200
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,900
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,900
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,416

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $6,070
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $7,235
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $9,297
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $12,487
  • Over $110,000
    $14,917

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,000
10% percentile
$3,500
25% percentile
$12,500
Median percentile
$14,877
75% percentile
$23,165
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $9,500 ↓ $3,000
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $7,000
Dependent students $7,000 ↓ $5,500
Independent students $9,500 ↓ $3,000
Female students $7,326 ↓ $5,174
Male students $8,250 ↓ $4,250
Pell recipients: 20.2% (2,523 students)No Pell: 11.7% (1,460 students)Dependent students: 14.9% (1,859 students)Independent students: 20.2% (2,523 students)Female students: 15.6% (1,945 students)Male students: 17.5% (2,191 students)Overall Median$12,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($12,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

42% of students who start here finish within six years, and 75% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
42%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $50,296 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$50,296
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$40,000$43,000$46,000$49,000$52,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$28,700

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$59,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$46,200

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$44,700

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$44,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $31,000, about 52% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.9 pts across 6 years
77.4%1yr81.1%3yr87.8%5yr90.3%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 9,289 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
9,289
Part-Time
15%
First-Generation
32%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 72.2% 6,703
Hispanic 8.9% 824
International 6.6% 610
Other 2.7% 247
Black 1.9% 180
Asian 1.6% 146
White: 72.2% (6,703 students)Hispanic: 8.9% (824 students)International: 6.6% (610 students)Other: 2.7% (247 students)Black: 1.9% (180 students)Asian: 1.6% (146 students)Total9,289

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Southern Utah University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Cedar City, Utah
Housing
Limited on-campus housing 1,011 beds
Adult Learners
27% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Southern Utah University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 68 distinct programs across 27 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

3 Programs
8 Programs
7 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 22 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
22:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,913
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$36M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,682
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

389 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 71 18% $100,084
Associate Professors 103 26% $79,633
Assistant Professors 160 41% $72,592
Lecturers 48 12% $58,713
No Rank 7 2% $68,165

Pros & Cons of Southern Utah University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southern Utah University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for: Based on the data, Southern Utah University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Utah University

The questions families ask most about Southern Utah University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Southern Utah University hard to get into?
Not especially. Southern Utah University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 81.8%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Utah University?
81.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Southern Utah University cost?
Budget around $10,462 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Utah University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $50,296 a year against a net price of $10,462, about 4.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southern Utah University known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Southern Utah University graduates earn?
About $50,296 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Utah University accredited?
Yes. Southern Utah University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Southern Utah University?
9,289 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Utah University?
42% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southern Utah University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Southern Utah University located?
Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City, Utah.
What programs does Southern Utah University offer?
68 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southern Utah University?
22 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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