UVU continues to grow, sets new enrollment record
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- The campus of Utah Valley University in Orem is pictured Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Students make their way to class at Utah Valley University on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
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- Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez waves pom poms as she exits the university’s 2023 commencement ceremony held at the UCCU Center on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Long gone are the days of the old Trade Tech and Utah Valley Community College with enrollments under 10,000. The growth at Utah Valley University continues to increase.
Every October, the Utah System of High Education releases the fall semester’s enrollment, and this year’s growth at UVU tops all previous years, the university said.
UVU saw a 3.61% bump in enrollment, with a record 44,653 students registering for the 2023 fall semester, according to the annual report released by the USHE on Tuesday.
UVU’s enrollment remains the largest among the eight degree-granting institutions overseen by the state agency, though Southern Utah University saw a higher percentage rise this year (4.9%).
The Orem institution also recorded a drop among undergraduate students of minus 1.2%. Only three universities in the state didn’t lose ground in that category: SUU (8%), the University of Utah (1.9%) and Weber State (0.2%).
The strong fall enrollment follows one of the university’s largest graduating classes last May, with 8,517 students receiving a total of 9,629 degrees and certificates, according to university press release.
“UVU’s year-over-year enrollment growth demonstrates that Utahns continue to value our model of education,” Astrid S. Tuminez, UVU’s fifth-year president, said in a university news release. “Not only are we attracting new students, we are also retaining our existing students at a higher rate. We offer an accessible, affordable, and relevant education with a focus on engaged learning that leads to employment after graduation. We know — and our students know — that a diploma from UVU sets them on a path for success in work and life.”
Down the street from UVU, privately owned Brigham Young University’s on campus enrollment for this fall is 34,937 students, according to Todd Hollingshead, media relations manager. Together, the bookend universities have 79,590 students.
As for UVU, it continues to grow and recently announced a joined medical village on its Vineyard property with the Huntsman Cancer Research Institute.
UVU reported the following trends among its recent enrollment figures:
- An increase in first-generation students, now totaling one-third of the UVU student body.
- Increases among students from underrepresented communities, including Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian (up 26%), Asian (up 10%) and Hispanic/Latino (up 8%) populations.
- A rise in students pursuing majors in fields related to science, technology, engineering and math. One-third of UVU students are seeking STEM degrees.
- More students returning for in-person learning, represented by a 7% increase, as well as expanded online classes, which now make up 27% of UVU’s offerings, along with 9% of classes available in a hybrid in-person/online format.
- A 13.4% jump among high school students taking concurrent enrollment courses.
“UVU’s tuition is among the lowest in the state and we are committed to keeping college affordable so that as many students as possible can enjoy the benefits of education. Our students recognize the value of UVU’s high-quality education that includes faculty mentorship, hands-on learning opportunities, and small class sizes,” Tuminez said. “We subscribe to exceptional care at UVU, and I believe that makes all the difference.”
