Enrollment at Utah’s public technical colleges is on the rise, according to data from the Utah System of Higher Education.

The USHE’s second annual data release on Thursday showed that enrollment statewide at public technical colleges is just over 20,000 students, having risen 1.16% compared to 2021. Systemwide enrollment at all of Utah’s colleges and universities is now more than 215,000 students.

“Contrary to national trends, Utahns are continuing to see the value in higher education, and they are taking steps to enroll in college and better their future.” Dave R. Woolstenhulme, the USHE commissioner, said in a press release, “Though we lost some momentum during the pandemic, I am optimistic that we will continue to see more students benefit from completing a certificate or degree at USHE colleges.”

USHE technical colleges saw the largest gains in adult enrollment, at 2.05%. Dixie Technical College, located in St. George, saw the largest total headcount increase at 12.39%, and Mountainland Technical College, which has eight facilities in Utah County, saw the second-largest total headcount increase at 7.34%.

Three of the state’s eight technical colleges saw enrollment drop, including at Davis Technical College, which lost 31 students (-0.79%), and Bridgerland Technical College in Logan, down 136 students (-4.59%).

Overall enrollment at Ogden-Weber Technical College rose by six students, or 0.015%, with the addition of 60 new adult students offsetting a loss of 54 high school enrollees.

The USHE measures technical college enrollment and headcount data at the end of the fiscal quarter, and degree-granting institution fall enrollment headcount is measured in the third week of the fall semester.

Last week, the USHE also announced several transfer initiatives in the hope of increasing college completion among Utah students. According to the USHE, more than 1 in 3 college students nationally will have transferred from another institution during their higher education journey.

“We want students to know that they can complete their college certificate or degree, even if they transfer,” Woolstenhulme said. “There is no need for students to worry about taking courses they don’t need to reach their college goals; there are tools, faculty and staff here to help students with the transfer process.”

Students can now use the Utah Transfer Guide, a free online tool, to evaluate transfer options as well as analyze student transcript information from any public degree-granting college or university in the state.

Additional transfer updates throughout the USHE include aligned general education course numbers across the system, agreements between technical colleges and degree-granting institutions, and the Interstate Passport program, which allows students to transfer more seamlessly to higher education institutions nationwide.

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