The Best Colleges in Utah in 2024

Whether you’re an in-state or out-of-state student, nonprofit Western Governors University is one of the best online colleges out there, providing affordable tuition rates and numerous online program offerings. The university’s headquarters are in Salt Lake City, but all its programs are available through their distance learning platform. WGU offers 25 bachelor’s degree and 35 master’s degree options, along with several certification programs. Each student is assigned a mentor with experience in their subject area whose purpose is to support students as they persist toward successful completion of their program.

Founded in 1997, WGU does not require prospective students to submit entrance exams such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, or GMAT, unlike other Utah online colleges. Another way in which WGU differentiates itself from other schools is the way they charge tuition. Instead of charging per credit, WGU charges its students a flat-rate fee for each six-month term, which allows students to accelerate through their programs as soon as they’ve mastered the course material.

In addition to providing their online students with individual web-based courses, the University of Utah is among a number of institutions in the state to offer degree programs. The U of U has hundreds of online classes available to students so that they may fulfill the requirements needed to earn a bachelor’s degree. One thing that sets U of U apart from other Utah online colleges is that they offer one minor online: an undergraduate minor in gerontology.

The on-campus faculty of the university is the group in charge of creating the courses and serve as instructors for the online student body. Online students follow the same 16-week schedule that the students in the classroom follow. Faculty members serve as knowledgeable and accessible mentors to online students taking their courses. The university offers a variety of resources to their online students in order to help them succeed, such as academic advising, remote library access, and web-based tutoring.

In-state students looking to complete an online degree program can make a financially-strategic investment by being part of Utah State University’s online program. Offering seven bachelor’s degree programs online, USU offers a reasonably priced education for Utah residents. Not only can students offset their costs by using the university’s extensive financial aid options, but tuition is also less than $300 per credit.

Since its inception in 1997, USU’s online program includes a number of services offered to their distance students, such as online tutoring, technology help, financial aid counseling, remote library access, and academic advising. Two unique features that help distinguish USU from other online colleges is the software discounts they provide their students and the option to get involved with the Center for Women and Gender.

Offering a range of subjects for students looking at Weber State online degrees, Weber State University is among a number of Utah online colleges to stand out from the pack. WSU offers six undergraduate degree programs that focus on the healthcare field. From Health Information Management to Radiologic Sciences, WSU serves as a great option for online students looking to enter the healthcare field in the future.

There are two online course delivery options for students to choose from: independent study classes and semester-based classes. Independent study classes are a great choice for those looking for more flexibility, as they can be taken at any time, so long as they’re completed within six months of the start date. Students taking the semester-based option will be on the same schedule as the students in the on-campus Ogden classes. These options are just one in a number of ways that WSU helps its online students reach their goals of graduation successfully.

Specializing in the liberal arts and sciences, Southern Utah University offers 140 graduate and undergraduate courses throughout the year for its online students. Students may enroll in most of the university’s online courses throughout the year, but the majority of classes are available from May to the end of the summer. SUU offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees to its online students.

SUU offers general education classes, an associate of arts degree in science, and an associate degree in paralegal studies. It also offers bachelor’s degrees in accountancy, management, general studies, and communication. One of the unique options SUU offers is a prior learning assessment course, which allows its students to put together an electronic portfolio highlighting their previous work experiences and possibly provide up to 15 credits towards a bachelor’s degree. SUU’s online curriculum is available through the Canvas LMS.

Whether it’s a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a master’s degree in strategic communication, Westminster College offers a variety of programs for prospective online students to choose from. One of the unique aspects of WC is its competency-based learning, a concept it employs for its online students in order to emphasize the importance of learning a predetermined set of knowledge, skills, and abilities, which WC refers to as “competencies.” Instead of focusing on letter grades, WC makes sure that their online students demonstrate their knowledge in measurable ways so that they will be ready to apply their learning in their workplace once they graduate.

Each online student at WC is assigned an academic adviser whose purpose is to help students plan their schedule and enroll in classes. Like other universities that provide online education, WC uses the course management system Canvas to help students in different areas of their learning experience, such as taking tests and communicating with other students. In addition to offering financial aid through FAFSA to eligible students, WC offers grants and scholarships to its online students.

Utah Valley University is one of the best community colleges in Utah. As an integrated university and community college, it offers a variety of programs for students interested in their online and distance learning programs, whether you’re interested in continuing education or student drivers, among others. Ed2Go is partnered with UVU to provide open enrollment programs for students interested in continuing education, and CareerStep offers online medical training for UVU students. UVU also offers English as a second language as an online course. Online students also have access to a career development center and testing services. Like Westminster College, UVU uses Canvas, through which their students may communicate with professors and submit class assignments.

For students looking to earn one of the various UVU online degrees, the university provides both hybrid and fully-online classes, in addition to digital course content for on-campus classes. UVU, which is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, is a satellite campus, which increases the options for attending classes in an on-campus environment for the completion of certificate programs, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Online students also have access to technical support through the Office of Teaching and Learning, which also provides exam proctoring when an in-person exam is required.