Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Provo

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Downtown ProvoPhoto: Creator: Javin Weaver · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Provo

Provo is a college town: 38 of every 100 residents are students

Brigham Young University (34,275 students on campus) and Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (1,071) are inside the city, and Utah Valley University (38,353) is 4.5 miles from the center, just over the line in Orem. Across Utah, 8 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town38% of residents are studentsBrigham Young UniversityRocky Mountain University of Health ProfessionsUtah Valley University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Provo. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
5
74,521 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
Brigham Young University
Residents in college
38%
Above UT (8%)
Nearest community college
33.4 mi
Salt Lake · $4,426 tuition
Nearest public university
4.5 mi
Utah Valley University · $6,507 in-state
Students on campus in Provo
36,050
next to 114,527 residents

What stands out about college in Provo

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town38 of every 100 Provo residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.Three colleges within 4.5 milesBrigham Young University admits 68% of applicants. Together they have 73,699 students on campus.In-state price at Utah Valley UniversityLiving in Utah, Utah Valley University charges $6,507 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,489. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 33.4 miles awaySalt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City: tuition and fees $4,426 a year for Utah residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Provo

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

38 of every 100 Provo residents are in college (UT: 8).

36,050students on campus at Provo’s 3 colleges, next to 114,527 residents (dorm students count as residents)
32,737college students live in Provo households rather than dorms
23.6median age · UT 32.0
51%of residents are women · UT 49% (±1 points)
61%of homes rented · UT 30%
$1,193median rent · 20% below the state
ProvoProvo, UT
Cost of living$1,193/mo median rentBSafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Provo’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 23.2% of Provo residents are below the poverty line, 12.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 44% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (38% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Provo’s median age is 23.6 (Utah 32.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Provo

Four private colleges within 5 miles, and one public college within 4.5 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miUtah Valley UniversityBrigham Young UniversityRocky Mountain University of Health ProfessionsProvo
University or collegeCommunity college
Brigham Young UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 34,275 on campus · In Provo68%admitted$16knet price81%graduate$76kearningsProvo CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · 704 on campus · In Provo$27knet price51%graduate$40kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Rocky Mountain University of Health ProfessionsUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,071 on campus · In ProvoGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Utah Valley UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 38,353 on campus · 4.5 mi · Orem$6knet price45%graduate$55kearningsCareers UnlimitedUniversity or college · For-profit · 118 on campus · 5 mi · Orem$31kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Provo’s median household income ($64,171) falls.

Utah Valley University4.5 mi · Orem · sticker $14,765$5,664a year
Brigham Young UniversityIn Provo · sticker $22,690$13,062a year
Provo CollegeIn Provo · sticker $30,099$24,784a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Provo: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Brigham Young UniversityProvo CollegeUtah Valley University
Utah Valley University45% graduate$55k earnings$15k typical debt
Brigham Young University81% graduate$76k earnings$11k typical debt
Provo College51% graduate$40k earnings*$42k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Provo College (2).

Majors

What students study in Provo

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Provo’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Biology 12%Health professions 9%Engineering 8%Computer science 8%Social sciences 6%Everything else 41%

Biggest programs

Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesBrigham Young University · 302 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBrigham Young University · 266 graduates a year
$29k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related ServicesBrigham Young University · 256 graduates a year
$97k4 yrs out
Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBrigham Young University · 222 graduates a year
$119k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBrigham Young University · 216 graduates a year
$130k4 yrs out
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBrigham Young University · 202 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBrigham Young University · 196 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Computer ScienceBrigham Young University · 183 graduates a year
$143k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Provo

Is Provo a college town?

Yes. 38 of every 100 Provo residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 8 across Utah. Brigham Young University has 34,275 students on campus, next to 114,527 residents.

What colleges are in Provo?

Brigham Young University, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and Provo College are inside the city. Utah Valley University is 4.5 miles from the center, in Orem, and Salt Lake Community College is 33.4 miles away in Salt Lake City.

Why is Provo’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 23.2% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Provo, and what does it cost?

Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, 33.4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,426 a year for Utah residents; the federal net price, $9,804, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Brigham Young University?

Brigham Young University admitted 68% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,270–1,460 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Provo. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →