According to data from the Utah System of Higher Education, Utahns are starting to head back to colleges and universities after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The USHE released its annual data Monday, which showed enrollment at Utah’s degree-granting public colleges and universities rose 1.45% compared to last year.

“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 Woolstenhulme, commissioner of higher education, 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.”

According to data from the USHE, Southern Utah University saw the largest percentage increase of students from fall 2021 to fall 2022 with a 5.28% bump, followed by Utah Valley University with a population increase of 4.45% over the previous year..

Weber State University recorded the smallest expansion at 0.57%, but that follows a record number of degrees awarded during the previous academic year. WSU also now has tallied the largest student body in its history at 29,914.

Other institutions to see enrollment increases include Utah Tech University (2.36%), Utah State (1.89%) and the University of Utah (0.79%), while enrollment fell at Salt Lake Community College (-3.22%) and Snow College (-1.79%). New figures for Brigham Young University, privately sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were not immediately available.

Weber State attributes its growth partially to a 1.3% increase in first-time students, paired with a rise in concurrent enrollment and early college students, according to a news release from the university.

“It’s exciting to see the number of students being served by Weber State continuing to grow,” WSU President Brad Mortensen said in the release. “It’s a great opportunity for us to meet these students where they are and help guide them to find their passion and complete a meaningful degree at Weber State.”

In the release, Mortensen also touted Weber State’s identity as a dual-mission university offering certificates, two-year and four-year degrees as well as a plethora of graduate degrees — 19 at the current count with another to come. The model, he said, “makes for an easier transition for those who want to work toward a bachelor’s degree and beyond.”

“It’s a unique model that we hope will keep students here for the duration of their education because we’re offering everything under one roof and meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population, particularly those of underrepresented students,” he added.

WSU’s growth has been most pronounced in the Dumke College of Health Professions, followed by the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology, which celebrated a ribbon-cutting on a new 130,000-square-foot building on campus earlier this month.

The Ogden university also recently opened the Miller Advanced Research and Solutions Center, or MARS Center for short, near Hill Air Force Base to focus on issues relating to national defense.

Daily Herald reporter Ashtyn Asay contributed to this report.

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