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🎓 College profile

Utah State University

UT · Public · Small city · 19,331 applicants 2023

Land-grant R1 Research
94% admit rate SAT 1060–1300 $21,654/yr full price

🧭 A parent's read

  • The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Computer and Information Sciences grads from here earn about $110,414 four years out; human development, family studies, grads about $35,341 — a 3.1× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • Ask the submit question deliberately. This college is test-optional — but at many such colleges, applicants who submit strong scores are admitted at meaningfully higher rates. “Optional” is a strategy decision, not a pass.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at Utah State University Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Match / Likely + your real net price. Utah State University starts already on the list. Start →

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profiles — the admitted-student bands above are within reach for strong students
  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Resident Scholarship or Non-Resident Scholarship on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$9,228 — major value play)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1060, or ACT below 20, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.7× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
20,272
20,000 and above
In-state tuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$9,228
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$24,802
+$15,574 vs in-state

⚠️ Sticker price isn't every family's price. Lower- and middle-income families often pay materially less after grants; higher-income families frequently pay close to sticker unless the college offers merit scholarships. Check the school's own net-price calculator for your number.

Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
93.6%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1060–1300
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
20–28
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$54,022
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$44,822
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$54,022
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
59%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$14,340

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Utah State University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Utah State University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Social Sciences
474 degrees · 23.2%
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
460 degrees · 22.5%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Education
445 degrees · 21.8%
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
4. Health Professions
394 degrees · 19.3%
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
5. Engineering
268 degrees · 13.1%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — Utah State University's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 16 — $111,527
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 127 $71,335 $110,414
Air Transportation. Bachelor's Degree 51 $33,142 $103,989
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 38 $74,055 $94,576
Physics. Bachelor's Degree 9 — $93,461
Public Health. Bachelor's Degree 15 $76,451 $93,161
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 128 $69,406 $89,901
Information Science/Studies. Bachelor's Degree — $61,896 $88,289
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 106 $54,562 $87,905
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 109 $57,481 $87,050

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

⭐ Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at Utah State University

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Resident Scholarship
Resident · in_state
 Up to full tuition/fees 960+ SAT 2.7+ Yes
Non-Resident Scholarship
Non-resident · out_of_state
 Up to full tuition/fees 960+ SAT 2.7+ Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

📈 Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. Why it matters even if you're full-pay: a high mobility rate means the campus itself confers earnings power — the outcomes aren't just selection effects.

Top-1% access
1.4%
from top-1% households
Mobility rateThe share of ALL students who arrived from the bottom 20% of family incomes AND reached the top 20% themselves by their early 30s — access and lift in one number, and a sign the campus itself adds earnings power.
0.7%
bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32
Upward rate
16.8%
of lower-income students who reach the top 20%
Pell recipientsStudents receiving federal Pell grants, which go to lower- and middle-income families — the standard shorthand for a college's economic mix.
26%
on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Utah State University

CS degrees (annual)
138
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

Alternatives to Utah State University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 stats-based merit scholarships
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
30 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
21 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr full price (in-state) · $12,486 less before aid
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$11,837/yr full price (in-state) · $9,817 less before aid
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$13,905/yr full price (in-state) · $7,749 less before aid
🚀 Stronger campus value-add
Per Opportunity Insights, these campuses add more earnings power to the students they enroll than Utah State University does — a quality signal, not a cost play.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
12.9% mobility rate (vs 0.7% here)
CUNY City College
NY · Public
11.7% mobility rate (vs 0.7% here)
CUNY Lehman College
NY · Public
10.2% mobility rate (vs 0.7% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

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