Public Graduate Good 69/100

Utah State University

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

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Logan, Utah

About Utah State University

Thinking about Utah State 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.

Utah State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Logan, Utah. It enrolls 20,272 students (a very 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
92.5%
Graduation
50.9%
Net Price
$14,936
Median Earnings (10yr)
$54,022
Enrollment
20,272
Student : Faculty
19:1

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.

Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 45
Value 77
Affordability 53
Selectivity 36

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Utah State University admits 92.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
92.5%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1070 – 1290
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
20 – 28
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

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

Stable ↑ 2.7 pts since 2019
91%201991%202092.6%202193.7%202293.6%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 $14,936 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
$14,936
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
26%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
19%
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)
$9,228
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$24,802
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,076
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,334
Books & Supplies
$856
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,276
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,276
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,654

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $12,057
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $12,803
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $13,521
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,094
  • Over $110,000
    $19,169

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.

$2,500
10% percentile
$4,000
25% percentile
$14,340
Median percentile
$17,125
75% percentile
$27,500
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 $11,000 ↓ $3,340
No Pell $7,349 ↓ $6,991
Dependent students $8,433 ↓ $5,907
Independent students $11,000 ↓ $3,340
Female students $9,000 ↓ $5,340
Male students $10,000 ↓ $4,340
Pell recipients: 19.4% (2,778 students)No Pell: 12.9% (1,856 students)Dependent students: 14.9% (2,130 students)Independent students: 19.4% (2,778 students)Female students: 15.9% (2,273 students)Male students: 17.6% (2,525 students)Overall Median$14,340
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($14,340), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

51% of students who start here finish within six years, and 73% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
51%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,022 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)
$54,022
Earning > $25K
74%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$43,000$46,000$49,000$52,000$55,0006 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
$30,400

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

Male graduates
$64,700

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$51,500

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

Family income (middle third)
$47,200

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

Family income (highest third)
$48,400

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $34,300, about 53% 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 ↑ 11.5 pts across 6 years
80.3%1yr84.1%3yr89.2%5yr91.8%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 92% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 20,272 students, a sprawling student community.

Total Enrolled
20,272
Part-Time
19%
First-Generation
28%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 80.7% 16,349
Hispanic 7.2% 1,449
Other 4.8% 967
Asian 0.9% 174
Black 0.8% 152
International 0.7% 140
White: 80.7% (16,349 students)Hispanic: 7.2% (1,449 students)Other: 4.8% (967 students)Asian: 0.9% (174 students)Black: 0.8% (152 students)International: 0.7% (140 students)Total20,272

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Small City Logan, Utah
Housing
Partly residential 3,297 beds available
Adult Learners
12% 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.

Utah State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 206 distinct programs across 32 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.

2 Programs
12 Programs
21 Programs
19 Programs
19 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$14,209
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$556M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$97,132
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

1,070 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 270 25% $131,365
Associate Professors 292 27% $100,911
Assistant Professors 329 31% $81,549
Instructors 33 3% $58,754
Lecturers 146 14% $70,058

Pros & Cons of Utah State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Utah State 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
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
Best for: Based on the data, Utah State University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Utah State University

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

Is Utah State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Utah State University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 92.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Utah State University?
92.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Utah State University?
Aim for 1290 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1070 and 1290 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Utah State University?
Aim for 28 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 20 and 28 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Utah State University cost?
Budget around $14,936 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 Utah State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,022 a year against a net price of $14,936, about 3.6 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 Utah State University known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Economics, Communication Disorders Sciences and. 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 Utah State University graduates earn?
About $54,022 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 Utah State University accredited?
Yes. Utah State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Utah State University?
20,272 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Utah State University?
51% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Utah State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Utah State University located?
Utah State University is located in Logan, Utah.
What programs does Utah State University offer?
206 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Economics, Communication Disorders Sciences and. 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 Utah State University?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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